David Fane awarded 2024 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency 

10 Jun 2024

Fulbright New Zealand and Creative New Zealand are pleased to announce that David Fane is the recipient of the 2024 Pacific Writer’s Residency.

This award is for an established New Zealand writer of Pacific heritage to carry out work on a creative writing project exploring Pacific identity, culture or history at the University of Hawai’i for three months. 

David Fane says he’s excited to develop new relationships and learn from communities in Hawai’i.

“Fa’afetai Tele Lava, I am incredibly grateful to have been honoured as the recipient of the 2024 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency. I am greatly looking forward to spending time in Hawai’i and reconnecting with the many Hawai’ian creatives that I have had the pleasure to work with in the past – also to take up the opportunity to learn and to faafesuiai le malamalama [expand understanding], practice and skills with the communities there,” said David.

Penelope Borland, Fulbright New Zealand Executive Director says it’s wonderful to have a writer of David’s calibre and experience take up the residency.

“We are thrilled to award this year’s residency to a writer, director, actor, and above all storyteller of David’s standing and repute. David is familiar to most of us through his work in film and television—now we eagerly await the creative results of his residency in Hawai’i,” said Penelope. 

During his time in Hawai’i, David will network with the local creative community through writing and workshops, undertake research within the Tagata Moana community in Hawai’i, and work on a new piece.

Makerita Urale, Creative New Zealand’s Senior Manager Pacific Arts, says the relationship with Hawai’i has been fruitful for many of Aotearoa’s writers.

“Dave will love the precious time at the University of Hawai’i to write. Creative New Zealand has a long and enduring cultural relationship with Hawai’i with this wonderful strategic partnership with Fulbright and the US. This year is particularly special as Hawai’i hosts the 2024 Festival of Pacific Arts and brings all our many Pacific nations together,” said Makerita, who is also an alumnus of the residency, prior to joining Creative New Zealand. 

Hawai’i has been identified as a strategic location for artists and is considered the hub of Pacific writing with numerous universities, library resources, networks, writers’ forums and publishers. It is also an important link to the mainland US and has a strong indigenous culture.

Previous recipients of the prestigious Pacific Writer’s Residency have been some of New Zealand’s most celebrated writers, including Tusiata Avia, Karlo Mila, Oscar Kightley, David Eggleton, filmmakers Sima Urale and Toa Fraser, and playwright Victor Rodger.

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