04 Dec 2014

This content is tagged as Literature .

NEWS

Signals 2014

The Michael King Writers’ Centre will launch the third issue of Signals, its literary journal for young writers, on Saturday December 6 at the National Library in Auckland.

The journal features the work of writers who took part in this year’s Young Writers Programme. This year the publication has increased to 90 pages and includes about 50 works of poetry or prose from 24 writers. It has a print-run of 700.

It is edited by Rosalind Ali and Johanna Emeney, specialist tutors of creative writing who run the programme.

They said it was an exciting book to assemble, with high-quality submissions and a range of diverse voices. “We enjoyed hearing the different tones of the pieces, from the melodious lyric to the driving polemic.”

The 2014 Young Writers Programme attracted more than 130 senior students, representing schools from Kaipara to Dargaville. Leading writers, journalists and musicians contributed to workshops and master classes in collaboration with the tutors. The writers included Simon Wilson, Vaughn Davis, Charlotte Grimshaw, Annie Crummer, Seth Haapu, Mike Chunn and Arthur Baysting, Anne Kennedy, Paula Morris, Ted Dawe and Steve Braunias.

Signals will be launched at the National Library in Stanley Street, Auckland, on Saturday December 6 at 10 am. The winners of the Chris Cole Catley Writing Awards will also be announced at the event.

Copies of Signals will be distributed to Auckland secondary schools and Auckland libraries. The journal will be available through selected book shops and through the Michael King Writers’ Centre for $10 a copy.

The Michael King Young Writers’ Programme will be offered again next year. Nominations will open in February and are made through school English departments.

The Michael King Writers’ Centre thanks Creative New Zealand for its support for the programme. Signals  is published thanks to a grant from the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust.