Edmond wins Creative NZ Michael King Fellowship

New Zealand author Martin Edmond is the recipient of this year’s Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers’ Fellowship, worth NZ$100,000 (A$83,717).

Edmond, who won the 2013 NZ Prime Minister’s Award for Literary achievement in nonfiction, is the author of more than 30 works, including nonfiction books, plays and poetry collections.

Edmond will use the fellowship to research and write a biographical study of ‘four expatriate New Zealanders who played notable roles in world affairs between 1876 and 2005 and yet are little-known in their home country’.

In a statement, Edmonds said: ‘This will be a book about the outstanding contributions four unique individuals—a journalist (Harold Williams), a scholar (Ronald Syme), a lawyer (John Platts-Mills) and a librarian (Joseph Trapp)—made to the culture and politics of the twentieth century. It will also constitute a reflection upon New Zealand’s place in the world, then and now.’

The Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers’ Fellowship was established in 2003 and is New Zealand’s most valuable writing fellowship. Previous recipients include Elizabeth Knox (2014), Fiona Farrell (2013), Peter Simpson (2012) and Peter Wells (2011).