Wellington is a small and energetic harbour city – New Zealand’s capital and a cultural haven. It is home to a number of New Zealand’s leading writers and the International Institute of Modern Letters which is linked to writing programmes in the United States.
It is also the venue for the biannual New Zealand Festival of the Arts which includes visiting international writers as part of a Writers and Readers Week. The New Zealand Poetry Society is based in Wellington as are a number of small publishers, literary journals (New Zealand Books, SPORT and JAAM), and the NZ Centre for Literary Translation. Wellington has a vibrant arts community supported by the City Council.
Randell Cottage is located in inner-city Thorndon close to the Lilburn Residence (composer residency), Rita Angus Cottage (artist residency), and the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace. This group of houses is known as Arts Residencies Thorndon or ART: an informal arrangement which encourages social and cultural links, and mutual support. The residency is also within walking distance of the National and Turnbull Libraries, and the Wellington Asia Residency.