More success for Hagley Graduate….
Celia Coyne was highly commended in the annual Page & Blackmore Short Story competition.
Well done Celia!
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Hagley Graduates listed in Cathay Pacific Travel media awards
Congratulations to Linda Moser for winning the New Travel Writer of the Year for a marvellous story she wrote about travelling to Ireland and getting married there. Judge Steve Braunias commented that ‘‘It was almost unfair that Linda Moser entered a category which is generally a place where naif writers – enthusiasts, amateurs, first timers – come to tell stories with energy but perhaps not a lot of craft. But her story about a wedding in Ireland was exquisitely crafted, beautifully told, and just plain better than many professional travel writers could ever hope to achieve. It’s brilliant and I would like to read it published.” You can read her winning story here
Laura Borrowdale was listed as a runner-up in the Best Travel Story about NZ.
Both are graduates of the Writers’ Institute and both teach English at Hagley College.
We are delighted for them both
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Meet the supervisors….
An opportunity to meet some of our supervisors – Coral Atkinson, Jane Higgins, Bernadette Hall and Laura Borrowdale – will be held at the Writers’ Block on Tuesday 17 March at 7pm.
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Anna Rogers to take a workshop
Prominent NZ editor and non-fiction writer, Anna Rogers, will be with us on March 15 to take a workshop with Year 2 students and talk with Year 1 over lunch.
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Term 1 begins with a visit from Tanya Moir…..
2015 has started well and our first visitor was Tanya Moir, the first winner of the 
Margaret Mahy Award, who has just had her third novel published. The Legend of Winstone Blackhat is set in Central Otago and cements her reputation as one of NZ’s most promising fiction writers. Students enjoyed hearing about the origins of the book and her reading from it.
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Earthquake stories by Maria Hansen
Hagley graduate, Maria Hansen has had two books published by Lift Education as part of the Ready to Read Series from the Ministry of Education.
The Night the House Shook is based on an actual experience of a St Albans School student during the Christchurch earthquake of September 2010.
Isobel’s Garden is the true story of Isobel, an elderly Christchurch poet and artist. When two brothers accidentally kick their ball into her garden, Isobel explains to them and their mum that she is struggling with her large garden in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes. The family help her out, but it’s a huge job, so they call in the Student Volunteer Army.
For some years now, Maria Hansen has visited schools in Christchurch and read her stories to the children. In her working life, Maria is a mediator – one of a small team of experienced mediators in Christchurch helping to resolve disputes between homeowners, insurance companies, and EQC.
“Everyone who lived in Christchurch during the time of the earthquakes has a story to tell. There are stories of loss and near misses, and many funny anecdotes. Some stories are held tight and others are shared. I collect them. This is the task of every writer. I don’t seek them out, but going about my everyday life in Christchurch, earthquake stories are there for the collecting – like shells on a beach.
These threads – our shared earthquake stories, reading to and hearing stories from children, and the mediation process as a constructive way forward – draw my writing and mediation work together in a way that reflects our shared experience.” (Maria Hansen)
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Graduation 2014
We had a wonderful celebration of our 2014 graduates on Friday 5 December at the Hagley Cafe.
Winners for 2014 were:
Year 1:
1. Rose Jenson
2. Lisa McKenzie
3. Brie Sherow
Year 2:
1 Monique Schoneveld
2. Nod Ghosh
Congratulations to you all – the portfolios were outstanding and we wish all graduates, those returning for Year 2 and those leaving us every success with your writing.
Photo: L to R: Brie Sherow, Monique Schoneveld, Lisa McKenzie
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2015 applications now open…
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Open Day …Saturday 6 September, 10.30am-12.30
All aspiring writers are welcome to visit the Writers’ Institute on Saturday for morning tea and then the opportunity to sit in on classes with tutors, Faith Oxenbridge and Kerrin Sharpe – Owen Marshall will be taking a workshop with Year 2 students and will be addressing all students at 12.30pm and visitors are invited to stay on. Please ring or email the Director, Morrin Rout for further details – writers@hagley.school.nz or ph: 3299789 or 0210464189. There is no charge.
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NZ Poetry Day 2014 competition winners….
Students, graduates and staff enjoyed a delicious morning tea with our Patron, Bernadette Hall to celebrate our NZ Poetry Day 2014 competition. Bernadette judged the competition and was very impressed with the quality and quantity of the poems submitted.
The results were:
Graduates:
1st The Magnolia Love Letters – Lesley Mckay
2nd If you cant say anything – Victoria Broome
Highly commended:
Bold, Feral and Tender – Lesley McKay
The Museumof Words – Celia Coybe
Leaving – Gail Ingram
The Auchterander Wheelwright – Robyn Anderson
Students:
1st Muslim women of Zandergrond – Pat Deavoll
Back row from left: Lucy D’aerth (2nd), Wendy Wethey, Pat Deavoll (1st)
Front row from left: Lisa McKenzie, Bernadette Hall ( Judge), Sue Kingham
2nd Wet Sunday in Hoon Hay – Lucy D’aeth
3rd Eve’s Log – Sue Kingham
Highly commended:
Unicorn – Lucy D’aerth
Dawn Parisians – Lisa
The Dotted Line – Wendy Wethey
Postcard from Akaroa – Lucy D’aerth
The Writer – Sue Kingham