The University of Otago has announced that the future of the Children’s Writer Residency is uncertain, following a funding cut. Ella West looks at the significance of the residency.
This year’s Children’s Writer resident, Samantha Montgomerie from Dunedin, could be the last.
Since 1992, and a few name changes, the University of Otago College of Education Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer Residency has seen 37 writers or illustrators spend up to six months in an office at the college. Those from away have found a home rent-free supplied by the Robert Lord Cottage Trust in the historic Titan Street house bequeathed by the late playwright Robert Lord.
Creative New Zealand (CNZ) have funded or partly funded the residency since its inception but last year’s application, to CNZ’s new Residencies, Internships and Fellowships Fund, was unsuccessful. CNZ senior manager arts development Claire Murdoch said there were many high quality applications to the fund last year.
‘Assessors had the difficult task of prioritising opportunities for a maximum of three years funding,’ Claire said.
‘To give you the scale, we received 100 eligible applications, with $4,103,084 requested in year one and a total of $11,580,222 over three years … Of these, we were able to support 12 applications for three years to a total of $540,160 per annum. Three literature opportunities were supported. The panel’s decision making included geographic and art form spread as well as a balance of the opportunity type.’
As Samantha had already been chosen as the resident when the university found out in December it would not be funded by CNZ, the decision was made to self fund her residency but not to offer it in 2026, University of Otago College of Education Dean Professor Vivienne Anderson said. ‘Applications for the residency usually open in March and close at the start of June so, barring a miracle, our fundraising efforts are focused on reinstating the residency in 2027 and beyond.’ She said a fundraising campaign to build an endowment for a children’s writer fellowship was now underway; ‘If successful, we can ensure its future in perpetuity.’
The university can still apply through other CNZ funds such as the Arts Organisations and Groups fund, which opens on 19 May 2025. All funding by CNZ is highly contestable. The residency has always sat uncomfortably (not just because of its long name) alongside the university’s four arts fellowships (Burns, Mozart, Frances Hodgkins and Caroline Plummer) which were established with endowments and are administered through the University’s Foundation Trust investments. It was begun by associate principal at Dunedin College of Education Anna Marsich, with the first resident Ruth Corrin in 1992. The money the resident received was funded equally by CNZ and the college until recent times when it was funded solely by CNZ. It has also increased to the equivalent of a lecturer’s salary.
In 1993 Trish Brooking joined the college and took over the responsibility from Anna, applying for funding from CNZ and being the welcoming face to often overwhelmed writers, until her retirement in 2018 as senior lecturer.
‘Almost every year we had to request money from Creative New Zealand. Sometimes it was two yearly but mostly it was yearly,’ Trish said. ‘Through that we built a relationship with CNZ which was not always just about the residency.’
… residencies give you the magic ingredient that so many stories require—uninterrupted time.
Trish said the aim was to make sure it was advantageous to all parties—the writer, the college, the wider community and CNZ.
‘We had excellent lecturers teaching about New Zealand children’s writing at the college, Jane Johnson and Mary Anne Baxter, and we could expose our students to writers through the residency.
‘And it was in Dunedin, which at the time was home to so many children’s writers, and still is. There was a whole vibrant community that we could tap into, even before it became a UNESCO City of Literature.
‘For our students, who often had only read children’s literature from overseas, it was tremendous.’
The list of residents includes Ken Catran (1996), David Hill (2003), Kyle Mewburn (2011), Melinda Szymanik (2014) and Mere Whaanga (2017). I was honoured to have it in 2010. Diana Noonan was the second person to hold the residency and said one of the best things it gave her was the time to write something for the School Journal.
‘I had my first School Journal piece accepted while I was the resident. This ignited in me an even greater love of the publication which I then eventually became editor of for several years.’
… one of the most important gifts the fellowship gave us was a real sense of our role in society and the importance of the work we do.
Fleur Beale’s husband had recently died when she applied, and she needed something positive to look forward to.
‘The residency in 1999 was to me a sign that my peers believed I was a real writer and that was most affirming, especially at that time in my life.
‘I am deeply grateful for having had the residency. If it cannot continue it’s going to be a major loss to the community of writers for children.’
David Elliot, who held it the following year, said he would like to say thank you for what the residency did for him and for the quality of the work of other recipients over the years.
‘We have all been different but I’m willing to bet that one of the most important gifts the fellowship gave us was a real sense of our role in society and the importance of the work we do.’
For Tania Roxborogh, receiving the residency in 2006 gave the job of writing legitimacy.
‘At first, I felt incredibly guilty. There I was, given a sunny office complete with space and computer and resources and all I had to do was, well, write!
‘Receiving the residency affirmed my worth and ability as a writer and gave me the time and encouragement to focus on improving my craft.’
Leonie Agnew (2013) said it inspired her 2022 NZCYA Book Awards winning junior fiction novel The Memory Thief.
‘The novel was set in the Dunedin Botanical Garden, where I used to wander about for hours. I felt useless at the time because I was struggling to focus on a different writing project, but I knew there was a story in those gardens.
‘In truth, residencies give you the magic ingredient that so many stories require—uninterrupted time. The creative process thrives without time pressures and, sure enough, in my last few weeks, the idea of a troll living in the gardens came to life.
‘That book would not exist without the Otago residency. Perhaps that’s the trouble with losing a residency—we can’t measure the loss. Nobody can count books that were never written, but the emptiness on the shelf and the loss to children is still real.’
Swapna Haddow (2022) said she applied because she knew she needed to grow as an author.
‘It gave me the time and space to push my writing and experiment creatively.
‘The result was the birth of three picture books which sold to Scholastic, a junior fiction book that sold to Faber & Faber, and a new middle grade novel now currently in the editing phase. And following on from the fellowship, I have been riding a wave of creativity that has borne contracts for more than twenty new books.
‘Not only did the fellowship facilitate creative freedom and success, it also allowed me to connect with former and subsequent writers-in-residence. Sharing our ideas, as well as the trials and tribulations of the arts industries has further supported my writing and boosted my confidence. I am so grateful to have fostered lifelong friendships and a solid support network for my future career.’ For others, like Barbara Else (2016), it brought them to live in the city permanently.
Nobody can count books that were never written, but the emptiness on the shelf and the loss to children is still real.
I have been supported just as much by the writers that have held it, as the residency itself. My first ever story for children was published by the School Journal with Diana as editor, Tania inspired me to write as she does all writers, Penelope Todd (resident in 2001) edited one of my books when she worked at Longacre and Swapna and Sam are part of an unofficial Dunedin get together group where we talk (usually) about writing for children but mostly go to concerts and theatre.
As resident I wrote Night Vision which, in 2015, was the last (another sad story) winner of the Children’s Choice Award for YA fiction.
You can support the University of Otago College of Education Children’s Writer in Residence by making a donation via the university’s website (select Children’s Writer in Residence from the drop-down list).
The Sapling is also funded by CNZ but this year the requested amount of $50,000 was reduced to $25,000. Founding editor Sarah Forster said, ‘The funding cut means we will not be able to run a full year of content this year, without further funding.’
Image at top of page: Current Children’s Writer in Residence Samantha Montgomerie, and former residents (clockwise from top left); David Hill (2003, in a joint residency with Pauline Cartwright), Ken Catran (1996), Jack Lasenby (1995), Fleur Beale (1999), David Elliot (2000), Penelope Todd (2001).
Ella West
Ella West is a multi award winning YA novelist, playwright and scriptwriter who lives in Dunedin.