Six writers share the spoils of New Zealand's coolest residency award
Dunedin genius Talia Marshall is winner of the 2021 Surrey Hotel-Newsroom writers residency award. She collects $3000 and can take up residence at the Surrey Hotel in Grey Lynn, Auckland, for seven nights to work on a collection of personal essays.
In second place, Wellington short story writer Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall wins $1000, and five nights accommodation.
Third place is shared by Auckland novelist Amy McDaid, and Whanganui essayist Kiran Dass. They each pick up $500, and will be housed at the Surrey for three nights.
Two other writers - Wellington poet Rebecca Hawkes, and Palmerston North journalist Tom Doig - share fourth place. There's no money in it but there's the not inconsiderable glory of three nights housed at the Surrey to work on their masterpiece, and, like all the winners, to scoff a free breakfast each morning.
The winners were chosen by an assessment panel, and the announcement was made by Jesse Mulligan live on his Radio New Zealand show this afternoon.
Commiserations to the eight other writers who made the shortlist: Samantha Murphy, Ethan Te Ora, Jared Savage, Lawrence Arabia, Grace Tong, Emma Hislop, Hera Lindsay Bird, and "Angus McLean", the pen name of a police detective in south Auckland who writes he-man thrillers.
In total, a record 150 writers applied for the sixth annual award. A pool of $5000 was made available by Dick Frizzell and Sir Bob Harvey, taken from royalties of their books; they both wanted to put the money for the benefit of other, emerging writers. It's a magnificent gesture and so, too, is the continuing generosity of the Surrey in offering free bed and board to New Zealand writers.
Previous winners include Kelly Dennett, who slaved away at the Surrey to work on her book The Life and Mysterious Death of Jane Furlong, which won the Ngaio Marsh award for non-fiction; Naomi Arnold, who wrote parts of her book of astronomy, Southern Nights; John Summers, who made progress on one of the essays included in his newly published collection, The Commercial Hotel; and Ashleigh Young, who composed a few lines that later appeared in her second collection of poems, How I Get Ready. Quite a few winners didn't seem to do anything, and nothing was ever heard again of two or three others. Oh well! Tempting to name and shame but no one ever said writing was easy.
It's a safe bet to expect great things of the 2021 winners. Fullest of full credits to Talia Marshall, in first place. I have had the pleasure and occasional trauma lol of publishing her personal essays for the past six years, and remain in thrall to her artistry and power.
Dick Frizzell and Sir Bob Harvey have committed to giving their money away next year as well, and the Surrey likewise indicate their willingness to continue to house writers: bring on the 2022 Surrey Hotel-Newsroom writers residency award.
