Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Summer 2012 Enews from The Michael King Writers' Centre



Whiti Hereaka, photo by Matt GraceThe Signalman's House has been full of the delicious smell of baking bread over the past few weeks as our latest writer in residence Whiti Hereaka carries out research for her new play. Whiti is here for the Summer Residency to write a one-woman play about making rewena, traditional Maori bread. The play will be set in a kitchen and the actor will make a loaf of rewena during the show. The length of the performance will be determined by how long it takes to cook the rewena. Whiti is using the idea of making bread and breaking bread to explore ideas of colonisation, hospitality and the relationship between Maori and Pakeha. While she has been staying at the centre during her eight-week residency, she has been refining her recipe for rewena, so the kitchen has been put to good use.
Whiti will speak about the craft of writing scripts and plays at a free event at the Devonport Library on Thursday evening (February 23) from 7.30 pm. Organised by the Devonport Library Associates, it will be a great opportunity to hear from this talented young Wellington dramatist, scriptwriter and novelist, whose first book The Graphologist's Apprentice was shortlisted for First Book in the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Asia/Pacific region) in 2011. We hope to see you there.

Warm regards
Karren Beanland, Manager
February 2012

No comments: