Our Members

Members of the ANZL are active practitioners: they are accomplished writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction for adults. Some write in all three genres; some have additional publications – in history, say, or children’s literature – and some have also written for the screen or stage. But the writers here have been invited to join the ANZL because they’ve published at least two full-length books in one of our core genres, the most recent book within the last ten years.

To locate a Member’s bio page, you can search by genre, by letter of the alphabet, or by surname. You’ll also find links to bio pages in our features, in which many of our writers are interviewed or cited.

Search for our members by genre

Click on the relevant box for a listing of writers in each genre. Note: some writers will appear in two or more.

Search for our members by name

Click on a letter for a list, or scroll through the master list below to find the writer you’re looking for.

News

Entries Open for Sarah Broom Poetry Prize

One of New Zealand’s most valuable poetry prizes, the Sarah Broom Prize supports new work from an emerging or established New Zealand poet. In 2019, the prize is an award of $10,000. Poets are required to submit six to eight poems (at least five unpublished). Now in its sixth year, the award will be showcased in a special public session at the Auckland Writers Festival in May 2019 where shortlisted poets will read from their work and the winner will be announced. Competition entries open on 21 January and close on 28 February 2019. For entries/queries email poetryprize@sarahbroom.co.nz. For more information about the prize and Sarah Broom visit here
2019 New Years Honours List Announced!

It is with enormous pleasure we celebrate three ANZL members on the 2019 New Year Honours list: Karlo Mila for services to the Pacific community and as a poet; NZ poet laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh for services to poetry, literature and the Pacific community; Academy of New Zealand Literature founder and 2019 Menton Fellowship recipient Paula Morris for services to literature. CONGRATULATIONS to you all! (Read the full list of honours with all details here)
2019 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship Announced

Huge congratulations to Paula Morris, recipient of the 2019 Menton residency. Next year Paula will spend at least four months in Menton, South of France, with access to the writing room below Villa Isola Bella, where Katherine Mansfield created some of her most important work. She joins a long list of celebrated New Zealand writer recipients including Janet Frame, Witi Ihimaera, Elizabeth Knox and Bill Manhire. Paula says the residency will give her the opportunity to focus on projects that she has been trying to find the space and courage to tackle for some years, including journal articles based on her work for the Creative Research Initiative; a play set in France in 1925 drawing on the true story of the writer Jean Rhys working as a ‘ghost’ for Rudolph Valentino’s mother-in-law; and research towards a major non-fiction project, about islands, ports and exiles. For more on the residency and recipients see here.
UK Bridport Prize competition winners announced

Congratulations to ANZL members Emma Neale and Catherine Chidgey who have both received Highly Commended placings in the 2018 UK Bridport Prize competition, Neale in the flash fiction category for her story ‘Courtship’ and Chidgey in the short fiction category for ‘Black Boys’. The Bridport Prize is one of the most prestigious open writing competitions in the English language with categories in poetry, short stories, flash fiction and the Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award for a First Novel. The competition for 2019 will be launched on 15 November with a closing date of 31 May 2019. Entries can be made by post or online. Follow these links for the full list of 2018 place winners or for information on how to enter.
2018 Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement: winners announced

Feminist and working-class stories, poetry as song, and a deeper understanding of New Zealand art – these are just some of the frontiers explored by this year’s winners of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement. The 2018 awards include two ANZL members: poet Wystan Curnow and admired poet, publisher and librettist Michael Harlow. Beloved Māori dramatist and fiction writer Renée, revered critic and curator, completes the winning selection. Each will be awarded $60,000 in recognition of their outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature. Renée will be honoured for fiction, Wystan Curnow for non-fiction, and Michael Harlow for poetry. The awards will be presented at a ceremony at Premier House in Wellington on Monday 15 October. A full list of previous recipients can be found on the Creative New Zealand website. The recipients of the 2018 Prime Ministers Awards for Literary Achievement will read and discuss their work with Radio New Zealand journalist and Nine to Noon host Kathryn Ryan at a free event at Unity Books, 57 Willis Street, Wellington on Tuesday 16 October, 12-12.45pm. All welcome.
The Victoria University of Wellington / Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence – applications close soon

The Victoria University of Wellington / Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence fosters NZ writing by providing the appointee with the opportunity to write full-time within an academic environment for the period of tenure. Applications are invited from writers in all areas of literary activity, who are authors of proven merit normally resident in New Zealand or New Zealanders currently resident overseas. Applications for 2019 are now open, with deadline 30 September 2018. A full role description and application is available on the Current Vacancies page of Victoria’s website. Enquiries can also be directed to modernletters@vuw.ac.nz.
Katherine Mansfield Menton 2019 Fellowship Now Open

This prestigious residency, open to established New Zealand creative writers across all genres, provides a substantial $35,000 travel/living allowance and a work space for three months in Menton, France. Applications close 11pm Monday 24 September 2018. For application form and details see here.

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'The book just seemed to fall out of me' - Lloyd Jones