Gambles on NZ Writers Leads to Great Night Out

Press Release
18 November 2005
immediate

US Casino Chief’s Gambles on NZ Writers Leads to a Great Night Out

There’s a benefit evening in Wellington Wednesday 23 November as a part of a fundraising push to make the most of the extraordinary generosity of Glenn Schaeffer, American businessman, literary activist and International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) patron.

The International Institute of Modern Letters is an international centre focusing on contemporary imaginative writing. Victoria University was chosen to be its New Zealand headquarters and the Institute was inaugurated in March 2001. There are a number of co-centres at major universities in the USA.

Glenn Schaeffer’s made the outstanding and “string-free” offer to match money raised up to $NZ1 million by the end of 2005 dollar for dollar in US dollars. There’s no requirement to reach $NZ1 million in Glenn’s deal but IIML knows the more it raises, the more it gets to support creative writing.

Chris Murray, manager of VicBooks, Rutherford House came up with the inspired idea to hold a benefit evening to showcase the amazing talents of New Zealand writers and raise money at the same time.

Hosted by Professor Pat Walsh, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington, and Professor Bill Manhire, Director of the International Institute of Modern Letters, the evening takes as its theme “Great Sporting Moments: The Best of ‘Sport’ Magazine 1988-2004”, a new book just out from Victoria University Press.

Chaired by the anthology’s editor and notable novelist Damien Wilkins, the evening features readings and conversation with Emily Perkins, Glenn Colquhoun, Jenny Bornholdt and Elizabeth Knox. ‘Sport’, a literary magazine founded in 1988, has given some of New Zealand’s finest literary talents their start and is a must read for all devotees of NZ writing.

Wednesday 23 November 2005 7pm
Rutherford House, Pipitea Campus, 23 Lambton Quay, Wellington
Entry by ticket only
$30 includes wine and canapés
Tickets on sale at Vicbooks, Rutherford House
email: pipitea@vicbooks.co.nz
ph 04 463 5511 or 0800 370 370 if outside Wellington
fax 04 465 5510

ENDS

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