Seresin Landfall Writer Residency

Media Release

January, 2009

Seresin Landfall Writer Residency

Seresin Estate has highlighted its commitment to the arts and creative endeavour with the development of an annual writer’s residency.

Established with Otago University Press, the Seresin Landfall Residency will be available for six weeks each year in either Tuscany or Marlborough.

The residency is the result of Michael Seresin’s desire to support the work of Landfall magazine and the literary arts in New Zealand.

“I wanted to provide a place where writers feel comfortable and can write. We are fortunate to have access to two beautiful properties, which I hope will provide some inspiration for a writer during their six week stay.”

Michael’s father, Harry Seresin, was early subscriber and avid reader of Landfall from the 1950s. The Seresin Landfall Residency honours his memory and the founder of Landfall, Charles Brasch, who helped to establish New Zealand’s first literary residency, the Robert Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago. In his first Landfall editorial, Brasch commented that the magazine would be concerned “with questions of permanent interest, with ideas, with standards, with works of art which are often the creation of years, and may be the delight of generations.”

Wendy Harrex, Publisher at Otago University Press, says “we hope that this new partnership with Seresin Estate will give writers a quiet place where they are able to complete significant projects.”

Michael Seresin says the residency celebrates the link between the world of wine and creative endeavour.

“Growing and making artisan wine is a creative process and I enjoy the association between the wine world and the endeavours of the creative world, be it written, visual, food or music”, says Michael.

The residency is open to writers over twenty-one, working in any genre, who have been previously published.

Submissions will consist of a covering letter from the writer outlining the project, which may be ongoing, along with a CV and up to twenty pages of sample work.

The successful applicant can choose to spend the six-week residency in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, or Tuscany, Italy.

The deadline for all entries is 31 January 2009. Results will be announced in the May issue of Landfall.

ENDS

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