The Frank Sargeson fellowship

Graeme Lay writes in today’s NZ Herald magazine Canvas about the Sargeson fellowship and how it has lost its sponsorship by law firm Buddle Findlay. I was a Sargeson trustee for some years and saw what a difference that sponsorship made. Buddle Findlay was an exemplary sponsor and always a pleasure to deal with. Sad that the partnership has ended but no surprise given the climate. Seventeen years is a very good innings. Quote unquote:

Over the years the Buddle Findlay brand became closely associated with local literature, so much so that in 2007 the law firm won the National Business Review’s award of New Zealand Arts Sponsor of the Year. This was the crowning point of a fruitful partnership between literature and the law.

So this year’s Buddle Findlay Sargeson fellows, Hamish Clayton (Wulf) and Tanya Moir (La Rochelle’s Road), will be the last. I hope the Trust finds a new sponsor who will carry on the good work.