Month: November 2010

Patrick Valdimar White – 2010

Patrick Valdimar White – 2010

Photo of Patrick Valdimar WhitePatrick Valdimar White is a poet, essayist and artist whose work reflects his passion for the natural environment and an exploration of the way individuals relate to the land. His poetry collections are: Signposts (1977), Bushfall (1978), Cut Across the Grain (1980), Acts of Resistance (1985), Dark Backward (1994), Drought and Other Intimacies (1999), and Planting the Olives (2004). He has also published In Gallipoli: In search of a family story (Red Roofs, 2005).

Pat White lives in the rural Wairarapa near Wellington. In 2009, he completed an MA in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters with a folio of essays entitled How the Land Lies. He was writer in residence at the Robert Lord Cottage in Dunedin 2009/10. White will use the Randell Cottage residency to research and write a biography of West Coast writer, teacher and fellow environmentalist Peter Hooper (1919 – 1991). He says living in Thorndon will facilitate his research at the Turnbull Library and allow him easy access to papers in private hands.

Yann Apperry – 2010

Yann Apperry – 2010

Photo of Yann ApperryYann Apperry is a bilingual French-American who writes in both languages and translates his own texts with elegance and finesse. He is an accomplished novelist, playwright, poet and librettist. In France, he is considered one of the most talented writers of the young generation. Born in 1972, Yann published his first novel Qui Vive at the age of 25 and was immediately acclaimed by critics and awarded the “Prix Bretagne.

During the same year, he was laureate of Fondation Hachette and writer in residence at Villa Médicis in Rome (1997-98), which is one of the most prestigious residencies for French artists abroad. He then spent a few months at Villa Kujojama, in Kyoto, in 2004.

In 2000, he was awarded the “Prix Médicis” for Diabolus in Musica and the “Prix Goncourt des Lycéens” in 2003 for Farrago – two major French literary prizes. Yann Apperry’s project during his stay at Randell Cottage involves music and poetry.

Jennifer Compton wins top poetry award with Randell Cottage poems

Jennifer Compton has won the prestigious Kathleen Grattan Award for Poetry for 2010 with a collection ‘The City’ written as writer in residence at Randell Cottage.
The Kathleen Grattan Award was judged this year by Randell Cottage trustee Vincent O’Sullivan who read the work ‘blind’ (the submissions were read unnamed). His choice from the many collections of work submitted was ‘This City’ by Jennifer Compton, a long resident in Australia who still writes as a New Zealander and was here for two stints recently, one as the 2008 Randell Cottage Writer in Residence in Wellington, New Zealand, and another as this year’s Visiting Literary Artist at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Vincent says Jennifer’s volume ‘sustains a questing, warmly sceptical mind’s engagement with wherever it is, whatever it takes in, and carries the constant drive to say it right’. The Randell Cottage trustees congratulate Jennifer on her win. Her new book of poetry – ‘Barefoot‘ – was published by Picaro Press this year. You will find two Barefoot poems Rongotai and Inheritance and two other Jen Compton poems on Tuesday Poet sites.

Yann Apperry lecture

Yann Apperry talk at Alliance Francais
Lecture with Randell Cottage writer Yann Apperry, Friday 12 November at 6.00pm at Alliance Française, Yann Apperry, bilingual French-American, is currently the writer in residence at Randell Cottage. He translates his own texts with elegance and finesse. He is an accomplished novelist, playwright, poet and librettist.

Alliance Française
78 Victoria Street
Dominion Building Level 3
Wellington
Website : french.co.nz

Pat White launches How the Land Lies

Kia ora all – a reminder that our past writer Pat White is launching the book he edited while in Randell Cottage (he was working on another project concurrently). The launch is at 6 pm at Unity Books in Willis Street – there will be a reading from Pat’s lovely book about the land and his (and our) relationship with it. Do come along. Mary

New French Resident: Yann Apperry

The French Writer Yann Apperry is in Residence at Randell Cottage.

Yann is a bilingual French-American who writes in both languages and translates his own texts with elegance and finesse. He is an accomplished novelist, playwright, poet and librettist. In France, he is considered one of the most talented writers of the young generation. Born in 1972, Yann published his first novel Qui Vive at the age of 25 and was immediately acclaimed by critics and awarded the “Prix Bretagne.

During the same year, he was laureate of Fondation Hachette and writer in residence at Villa Médicis in Rome (1997-98), which is one of the most prestigious residencies for French artists abroad. He then spent a few months at Villa Kujojama, in Kyoto, in 2004.

In 2000, he was awarded the “Prix Médicis” for Diabolus in Musica and the “Prix Goncourt des Lycéens” in 2003 for Farrago – two major French literary prizes. Yann Apperry’s project during his stay at Randell Cottage involves music and poetry.