Dunedin Fringe Expands Writing Residency to 27 Emerging Authors

Twenty-seven writers between the ages of 18 and 35 recently completed a three-day residency at Puketeraki Marae in Karitane, marking the second year of this intensive program organized by Dunedin Fringe. The initiative, known as the wānaka, places participants in a guided environment designed to build writing skills and offer inspiration through a structured cultural framework.

The residency began with a pōwhiri and a Talitali kava ceremony, allowing participants to honor deceased loved ones and set personal intentions for the festival period. The group then took a guided tour of Huriawa pā, engaging with the historical narratives of the location. Each morning started with karakia and waiata, a routine intended to ground the writers before their creative work began.

The program featured a tuakana/teina model, where experienced mentors led workshops and provided guidance. Eric Soakai, one of the tuakana, led a life mapping session that examined participants' past, future, and even their projected death dates. Josiah Morgan, the 2026 Young Writer in Residence, conducted a movement-based workshop focused on finding comfort in uncomfortable spaces.

Practical career development was also a core component of the residency. Antony Deaker and Nick Tipa delivered sessions on managing artist funds, taxes, and grant applications. These topics address financial and administrative challenges that are often omitted from formal education in the arts.

The residency culminated in the opening event of the New Zealand Young Writers Festival, titled Pou Kōrero, Pou Talanoa: Posts that Speak. During this presentation, the cohort shared their work and concluded by singing a waiata composed by the previous year's group, which has since become the official song of the festival.

The wider festival schedule included workshops on slam poetry, zine making, multilingual collaborative poetry, and ritual. Tara Leckie led a session called 'Talking to the Dark,' which focused on exploring difficult thoughts. One attendee described the workshop as a healthy way to bounce thoughts around that may be not as frequently spoken about, and then come back to the safety of the light.

Saturday night featured the Otago Poetry Slam Champs, showcasing performances from various writers. The weekend concluded with a panel discussion involving five members of the cohort. They discussed themes of courage, revolution, lived experience, and collaboration. Rachel O’Neill moderated the session, guiding the conversation through questions aimed at exploring the core of the festival's kaupapa.

The cohort gathered for closing reflections and poroporoaki after the panel. The event was organized by a team at Dunedin Fringe, including Vanessa, Hannah, and Katrina, alongside the tuakana Eric Soakai and Rauhina Kohuwai-Banks. Their work facilitated the logistics and cultural guidance for the 27 participants throughout the three days.