Hagley Writers' Institute

Congratulations to Hagley graduate Deborah Rogers for winning the 2011 Takahe Short Story Competition. This is a significant success for Deborah who was one of our top three graduates in 2010.

Good news for two Hagley students – Maria Hansen who graduated last year was placed 3rd in the Dan Davin Open Short Story competition with “Her Son’ and Sean Joyce has had his poem ‘ The Municipal Gallery’ chosen for inclusion in the 2011 NZ Poetry Society Anthology. Well done Maria and Sean.

Here is Marisa Cappetta’s poem which was published in the Press recently:

You are the dirt beneath my fingernails

an itch of compassion

the pad of your index finger

has wee hooks

like a spider’s foot

you climb up my chin

grip the edge of my lower lip

and meticulously pull it down

exposing my lower teeth

Marisa Cappetta

Tutor Kerrin Sharpe received the welcome news last week that Victoria University Press is to publish her first collection of poems. This is a great coup for Kerrin as VUP is considered one of the premier NZ poetry publishing houses. Students and tutors celebrated with Kerrin last weekend at our highly successful Open Day. We are eagerly awaiting a publishing date and congratulate Kerrin on her well-deserved success.

Many friends, family and fellow students and writers joined Jane Higgins last Saturday at the launch of her award-winning YA novel,  ’The Bridge’. Jane was awarded the prestigious Text Prize for an unpublished manuscript which is open to published and unpublished writers in both Australia and NZ. It was a very happy occasion and we will all look forward to following Jane’s writing career and the  fulsome praise this book is already collecting. Check out the interview with Jane in the Sunday Star Times. We are extremely proud of Jane’s achievements.

Owen Marshall is one of NZ’s leading novelists and short story writers. He will be taking a workshop with Year 2 students on Saturday 27 August from 10am – 4pm. Owen has just published his first historical novel, The Larnachs, which has had enthusiastic reviews. He is renowned as a teacher of creative writing and is an adjunct professor at the University of Canterbury. Our students will benefit greatly from his talents.

All interested aspiring writers are invited to join us on Saturday 27 August to see what the Institute has to offer. The day will start at 10.30am with morning tea and then visitors can sit in on classes with tutors Kerrin Sharpe and Frankie Mcmillan and participate in writing exercises with current students if they wish. Leading short-story writer and novelist Owen Marshall will be at the Institute that day taking a workshop with Year 2 students and visitors can stay on to hear him talk with Year 1 students from 12.30 -1.15. Classes take place at the Writers’ Block, Hagley Community College and there is good parking available either from Hagley Avenue or from the Waller Tce entrance. We look forward to welcoming all those interested and if any further information is needed please ring or email the Director, Morrin Rout

Ph: 329 9789, mobile: 0210464189 or email: writers@hagley.school.nz

Hagley staff were well represented at an Auckland Readers’ and Writers’ special event marking the Christchurch earthquakes. The event was entitled ‘This one’s for Christchurch’ and the proceeds went to the Christchurch Writers’ Festival. Among the line-up were Director, Morrin Rout, tutors Tusiata Avia and Charlotte Randall and former tutor, Fiona Farrell

A number of our Hagley writers feature in the latest edition of the International Literary Quarterly, Interlitq. Issue 14 is subtitled A New Zealand Literary Showcase and can be read online. Congratulations to Emma Currie, Marisa Cappetta, Micah Timona Ferris, Jeni Curtis and Coral Atkinson.

Hagley students, graduates and staff will celebrate the launch of Tanya Moir’s first novel, La Rochelle’s Road this Wednesday, 13 April at the Hagley Cafe. This is a significant achievement for Tanya who was a student in the first year of the Institute. She won the Margaret Mahy Award for Best folio in 2008 and her folio was then sent to Harriet Allen, editor at Random House Publishers for assessment. Harriet was duly impressed by Tanya’s manuscript and after some re-drafting and editing, accepted it for publication. We are hugely proud of Tanya and wish her much success with this  book and all others to follow.