First Kiwi writer to win coveted residency

By ODT - John Lewis | Posted: Wednesday Nov 06, 2024

Award-winning New Zealand poet Alison Glenny has been selected for a writers’ residency in Dunedin.

First Kiwi writer to win coveted residency | Otago Daily Times Online News

The 2024 Caselberg Trust Margaret Egan Cities of Literature Writers Residency is awarded by the Caselberg Trust and Dunedin Unesco City of Literature, and offers writers a unique opportunity to work on a substantial piece of creative writing, while engaging with Dunedin’s literary heritage and dynamic writing community.

Glenny was born in Christchurch, and lived in the United Kingdom and Australia before returning to New Zealand, where she lives on the Kāpiti Coast.

She has previously published two collections of poetry, including an Antarctic-themed collection of prose poems and fragments titled The Farewell Tourist, which was awarded the Kathleen Grattan prize for a collection of poetry, and was published by Otago University Press in 2018.

Her third collection, Slanted (Compound Press), is due out this month, and is a field guide to the spirit and endeavours of Edwardian mountaineer Freda Du Faur (1882–1935), who was the first woman to summit Aoraki/Mt Cook.

The distinguished poet and author will this month take up residency in Caselberg House, Broad Bay, where she will spend six weeks immersed in the landscapes of the Otago Peninsula as inspiration for her latest project.

"I feel both humbled and excited by the opportunity to take inspiration for a new project from the beautiful natural and urban landscapes of Ōtepoti/Dunedin," Ms Glenny said.

"For me, the residency offers a period of uninterrupted time to focus on the early stages of bringing a new project into being.

"I also value the opportunity to spend time in Ōtepoti/Dunedin and to deepen my connections with the writing community there, to experience the inspiring environment of Caselberg House and its surroundings, and to join the community of writers who have benefited from the legacy and generosity of Margaret Egan."

There are no limits in terms of genre, language or length of writing, and completion of the project during the residency is not a requirement.

Caselberg Trust chairwoman Dr Janet Downs said this was the second year of the residency, which alternated between writers from New Zealand and those from other Unesco Cities of Literature.

Glenny’s residency was particularly special because 2024 marks the City of Literature’s 10th anniversary.

She is the first New Zealand writer to receive the residency.