The Hagley Writers’ Institute has come through another challenging year with a strong sense of community and some outstanding creative achievements.

It’s been a stimulating year in our regular classes as well as with special guests. We were honoured to have fiction writer, podcaster, and creative writing teacher Pip Adam as our first guest. Pip travelled from Wellington specially to run a fascinating workshop on “Writing the Unreal” which was attended by current students as well as graduates and friends of Hagley Writers. Next, we welcomed writer, translator, editor, and University of Canterbury Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence, Vana Manasidis, who charmed us with readings of her bilingual (Greek/English) work and shared generously about her writing practice and personal writing life.

As the weather turned ​colder, we rugged up and followed local poet, editor, and publisher Doc Drumheller on his Haiku Hike workshop, venturing into Hagley Park to gain inspiration from nature. Doc also shared invaluable insights with us about publishing and editing processes. With Covid safety in mind, our visit to Arts Centre Writer-in-Residence, WORD Guest Programmer, and speculative fiction writer, A.J. Fitzwater, had to be virtual. They generously shared important lessons about writing and mental health care with us and gave insights into their residency, along with advice about getting published.

Another event that changed tack due to Covid was an innovative bilingual (Te Reo Māori/English) zine project, HUA/MANU, headed by two Hagley writers, graduate Regan Stokes (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ingarangi) and current student Anna Scaife. The zine was to be edited and published live over 3 days of the WORD Festival, and included specially commissioned art by local artists, Maia Te Wairemana and Joe Clarke, with hand-printed covers by Peter Vangioni of Kōwhai Press. The project has been rescheduled for 2022, and a selection of art and writing from this year’s planned publication has instead been captured as a special feature in December’s takahē magazine.

The Institute also contributed to National Poetry Day, this time with a nation-wide competition, which saw current student and local spoken word poetry legend, Ray Shipley, win mentoring with poet, teacher, editor and publisher, Joanna Preston, who was judge. Ray’s work was selected from over 150 entries, and graduate Ronnie Smart was a runner-up.

The fifth issue of the Hagley Writers’ literary journal, The Quick Brown Dog was launched in November. It’s the culmination of the mahi and dedication of its graduate editors, this year: Karen Clarke, Louise Lameko, and Eloise Pengelly, who chose the theme of Identity/Tuakiri. Eloise also contributed a koha of beautiful artwork created especially for the issue. The journal is an A5, 79 page, eco-printed and hand-bound publication, with a limited print run of 100. Contributors include Michalia Arathimos, Laura Borrowdale, Marisa Cappetta, Jeni Curtis, Doc Drumheller, Nod Ghosh, Jenna Heller, Gail Ingram, Teoti Jardine, Erik Kennedy, Marie McGuigan, James Norcliffe, Regan Stokes, and Toni Wi, along with many other established and emerging writers. Check our Facebook shop or email us for availability if you’re interested in purchasing a copy ($15). There’s also a small selection of work which is free to read online.

There isn’t enough room to keep up with the many achievements of our alum and current students, but we do want to acknowledge what a special year it’s been for (among many others): Jeni Curtis, Nod Ghosh, Jadwiga Green, Marie McGuigan, Jenna Heller, Jane Higgins, Gail Ingram, Emma Julian, and David Vass. We are so proud of all the writers in our community, whether they’re having moments to celebrate, or just quietly continuing the important work of building their craft.

Special congratulations to all our tutors who have had outstanding years themselves. Faith Oxenbridge has been awarded a PhD scholarship to further explore her expertise in education at the University of Canterbury, while Frankie McMillan will have her book of short fiction, The Wandering Nature of Us Girls, published by Canterbury University Press (2022). Chloe Lane, who we welcomed to the Institute this year, had her debut novel The Swimmers Longlisted for the 2021 Ockham NZ Book Awards, and it’s now forthcoming in the USA and UK with Gallic Books (2022).

As is true every year, it was our students and tutors who made the Institute what it is. It’s been wonderful to see the vital class discussions, dedication to craft, fun and supportive relationships forming over the course of the year. We look forward to another year of nurturing writing and writers in 2022, including with our newly established Māori Writers’ Scholarship. In the meantime, check out our new-look website, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter, where we share all the exciting literary news from our students, graduates, tutors, mentors, and friends of the Institute. And stayed tuned for the announcement of the Margaret Mahy Award, judged this year by novelist, poet, short story writer, and outgoing editor of Landfall, Emma Neale!