Hebrides News

Verb Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-tara, Aotearoa New Zealand) and Moniack Mhor (Highlands, Scotland) are partnering to create a residency exchange later this year.

The opportunity offers writers paid time to explore a new geography, a fresh environment to inspire their creative work; and to strengthen the relationship between their respective literatures and acknowledge the close ties that both countries have both historically and in a contemporary context.

Scottish writer Verb Wellington, in New Zealand’s capital city, and Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre, invite applications for Island to Island, a residency exchange supported by The British Council for established writers working in creative non-fiction, fiction, or long-form poetry.

An Aotearoa writer will travel to Scotland for a three-week residency between August and September. The writer will join the Edinburgh International Book Festival at an event with their Scottish counterpart in late August, ahead of the residency period at Moniack Mhor. During their visit to the Highlands, they will also travel to Skye for a micro-residency to further explore the island theme.

The following month, a Scottish writer will travel to Wellington for a three-week residency which will include appearance at the Verb Readers and Writers Festival and a micro-residency in Kāpiti Island.

As well as performing together at the Scottish and Aotearoa festivals, the writers will also have the opportunity to co-deliver a workshop to young people or community group in the Highlands, as well as taking part in a reading of international writers at Moniack Mhor.

To apply, visit moniackmhor.org.uk.

New Zealand writers residency exchange opportunity

25 March 2024