Money for writers #6: Mr D’Arcy edition

The Michael King’s Writers Centre has announced two three-month residencies worth $3000 each so you can write an essay of about 10,000 words on New Zealand life and culture: 

This is an opportunity for writers to contribute to a genre which has been neglected in New Zealand literature over recent decades. The winning writers will reside in a two-bedroom cottage on the hill above Onetangi Beach on Waiheke Island with a stipend of $1000 a month.

Applications close on 15 September. The two winners will be announced on 17 October. Full details here.

These are called the D’Arcy Residencies. The sponsor is Mark D’Arcy, a former Westie who has done rather well in the US: as Chief Creative Officer of Time Warner’s Global Media Group he was one of the movie execs who in 2010 came to Wellington to keep the Hobbit movie project alive, and he is now Facebook’s director of Global Creative Solutions, whatever that means. He is also a top bloke. 

I can’t remember if the house is within walking distance of the Onetangi pub but even if not it would be a very pleasant place to spend three months. The view from the deck is spectacular.