Friday 18 September 2009 2:09pm
Dunedin writer Karen Trebilcock, who writes under the pen name Ella West, is the University of Otago College of Education Writer in Residence for 2010.
The prestigious six-month residency is open to established children's writers who have published one or more books of imaginative work for children.
Mrs Trebilcock (42), who is about to launch the third book in her Thieves trilogy of fiction for young adults, entitled Real Life, is delighted at being chosen as next year's Writer in Residence. She will take up her residency in February.
"It's a great thrill to be acknowledged for such a prestigious residency and I’m overwhelmed," she says.
The first of the trilogy, Thieves, was released in 2006 to critical acclaim, and was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children and Young Adult Book Awards.
To assist her in writing her sequel, Anywhere But Here (published 2008), Mrs Trebilcock won the Louis Johnson Bursary from Creative New Zealand in 2006. As well as writing from her home n Mosgiel, she currently works part-time at the Dunedin City Council in communications.
As Writer in Residence, she plans to write a novel for young adults set in Dunedin and Australia, with the theme of global warming.
Mrs Trebilcock's previous writing experience includes working as a newspaper journalist in Dunedin, Invercargill, Westport and Mosgiel, as well as writing for the School Journal.
Part of the residency includes having the opportunity to take advantage of teaching opportunities at the College of Education - an aspect she is looking forward to.
"One of the great things about writing for children is there are lots of opportunities to meet your readers," she says.
"It gets you away from your computer plus gives you a first-hand knowledge of what children really enjoy reading."
The residency, which has run at the College since 1992, provides for a writer to work fulltime for six months in a College of Education environment. It is jointly funded by Creative New Zealand and the University of Otago.
Previous recipients include Bill O’Brien, Vincent Ford, Tania Roxborogh, David Hill, Katerina Mataira and Paula Boock.
For further information contact
Karen Trebilcock
Mob 021 146 4512
Jo Galer
Senior Communications Adviser
University of Otago
Tel 64 3 479 8263
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