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Robert Lord Writers Cottage Trust Announces Residencies For 2025–26
Twelve writers have been awarded residencies for late 2025 and early 2026 at the historic cottage in Ōtepoti Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature. The Robert Lord Writers Cottage Trust is delighted to announce that residencies for 2025–26 have been awarded to Ella Borrie, Gina Butson, Casey Carsel, Chye-Ling Huang (with Geoff Bonning), Joshua Iosefo, Anna Jackson, Helen Varley Jamieson, Jack McGee, Hazel Phillips, Nick Tipa and Janine Williams. Ella Borrie is a landscape poet who grew up in Cromwell, Central Otago, and is currently living in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. During her residency she will be working on a collection of poetry, exploring issues of grief, old age, parenthood and the briefness of seasons. North Shore-based writer Gina Butson will work on her second novel, an environmental thriller set in Antarctica. Her first book, The Stars are a Million Glittering Worlds, will be published by Allen & Unwin in July 2025. Casey Carsel is an Aotearoa-born Jewish artist and writer. They will progress and revise their short story collection Her Big Responsibilities, an experimental series of texts loosely woven around a girl whose elderly grandfather has left New Zealand to return to his childhood home in Ukraine. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland writer and director Chye-Ling Huang makes theatre, film and podcasts, and co-founded Proudly Asian Theatre Company in 2013. With scientist and storyteller Geoff Bonning, she will be working on New Antarctica, a political climate play set in Dunedin and involving countries connected by the Southern Ocean. The Auckland Pride Praise the Lord playwright in residence for 2025 is Joshua Iosefo (Mush). The year-long residency, supported by Auckland Pride, Auckland Theatre Company and SameSame But Different, consists of a series of development and writing opportunities for a queer playwright. Joshua will be developing their musical, NUMB, across the year, and will spend two weeks at the Cottage this spring revising and redrafting the work. Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington-based poet and academic Anna Jackson will work on a new collection with the provisional title Tell Me About It, a series of poetry sequences looking at questions of identity, translation, time, gender and the relation between all these things. Munich-based, Dunedin-born digital media artist, writer and theatre maker Helen Varley Jamieson will work on her book Devising with Distance, drawing on her experience in creating cyberformance (live online performance) to provide ideas, inspiration and professional development for those interested in remote artistic collaboration. Jack McGee is a playwright and producer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. He will be working on a full-length play about a middle-aged woman who gets off a cruise ship and stays in Ōtepoti Dunedin, inserting herself into the life of her estranged childhood best friend. Ruapehu-based author Hazel Phillips will work on Great Hearts, a narrative history of early women climbers and adventurers of Aoraki Mount Cook, bringing together the stories of groundbreaking mountaineering women in a compelling and creative way. The NZYWF 2025 Young Writer in Residence is Ōtepoti-based writer and performer Nick Tipa (Kāi Tahu). Nick's debut solo play Babyface was awarded the UNESCO City of Literature Beyond Words award at the 2025 Dunedin Fringe Festival. He will take up a two-week residency for this year's New Zealand Young Writers Festival. Whangarei-based author Janine Williams was the inaugural recipient of the Lynley Dodd Children's Writers Award in 2024. She will be working on Danger at Kohatu House, the third book in her series of middle-grade fantasy novels The Secret Staircase. Tāmaki Makaurau playwright Nuanzhi Zheng will be developing a multimedia theatre piece, Best Head Girl. A satirical dramedy investigating self-surveillance and voyeurism, it centres around a group of former Head Girls who stumble upon a secret society of Auckland's former Head Girls. Applications will open in August for the University Book Shop (Otago) 2026 Summer Writer in Residence. This six-week residency for an emerging writer runs from early January to mid-February. As well as a stipend, the University Book Shop provides administrative support – and staff discount on books too! Playwright Robert Lord (1945–1992) bought his cottage in Titan St, Dunedin, after taking up the 1987 Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago. Located near the university and the town centre, the worker's cottage has three furnished rooms and a courtyard garden. It has been run as a rent-free residency for writers since 2003.
Press and Journal
20-05-2025
- Press and Journal
5 extreme day trips you can jet to from Aberdeen Airport
When you think of day trips from Aberdeen, you may envision Stonehaven, Ballater or even Dundee as a destination, but what about a little further afield? Well, if you have the stamina for it and a knack for extreme day tripping, then there are several destinations you could visit beyond the north-east of Scotland. Aberdeen Airport has several routes that cater to those seeking a great day out, such as to Norway, Ireland, Poland and the Netherlands. Here are five international destinations for extreme day trippers from Aberdeen Airport. The Dutch capital and the Granite City are very well connected, with several KLM flights daily transporting passengers across the North Sea. You can indulge in the canal-lined streets, curious architecture and delicious cuisine including a freshly made stroopwafel. The frequency of flights means you can enjoy a good amount of time in Amsterdam – up to 14 hours. Attractions include the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. 6am–8.30am, 9.10am–11.45am 9.45pm–10.15pm, 10.40pm–11.10pm Known as the city of seven mountains, Bergen has long been a gateway to the famous fjords of Norway. Attractions in this coastal city include Bryggen, a row of buildings along the harbourfront which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also a funicular which trundles up to the top of Mount Fløyen, offering panoramic views over the city and surrounding landscape. There are cruises which take you out into the majestic fjords. A late morning flight out and an evening flight back, means you have around seven hours in Bergen. 8.50am–11.10am 6.10pm–6.35pm (Mon–Sat), 4.10pm–4.35pm (Sun) If you are looking for the perfect nature photo opportunity, then Stavanger is hard to beat. Norway's fourth-largest city has some incredible viewpoints including Preikestolen, also known as Preacher's Pulpit. Stavanger is also considered the twin city of Aberdeen due to its deep connections with oil and energy, with the city home to the Norwegian Petroleum Museum. Early flights to and from Stavanger are operated by Wideroe and evening flights by SAS, offering around five hours in the city during the week. 8.30am–10.50am (Mon–Fri) 4.35pm–4.40pm (Mon–Fri) The home of Guinness, Dublin is known for its lively pub scene and friendly atmosphere. Attractions include the Guinness Storehouse, Temple Bar and the National Museum of Ireland. The museum features one of the finest collections of prehistoric gold artefacts in Europe. Dublin is a UNESCO City of Literature, and has been home to many literary giants, including James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and W.B. Yeats. 9.50am–11.30am (Mon–Thu), 7.40am–9am (Sat) 6.30pm–8.10pm (Mon), 6.35am–8.15pm (Tue), 6.25pm–8.05pm (Wed), 7.50pm–9.30pm (Sun) A port city on the Baltic Sea, Gdansk is steeped in history, with the main town reconstructed after the Second World War. Dating back to the 14th century, the Zuraw is the oldest surviving port crane in Europe and forms part of the National Maritime Museum. It is a popular destination for budget-friendly travellers as it is very affordable. Wizz Air operates the flights, with Wednesday the preferred day for travel. 9.10am–12.20pm (Mon, Wed, Fri) 7.45pm–9.10pm (Wed), 6pm–7.25pm (Mon, Fri) In addition to international destinations, Aberdeen Airport also has flights out to the Northern Isles of Scotland. The capital of Orkney, Kirkwall is a great destination from Aberdeen, being only a 55-minute flight. Orkney's history dates back millennia, with one of the highlights being the Neolithic stone village of Skara Brae – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other attractions include the Italian Chapel, Highland Park Distillery and Scapa Flow. Orkney is also home to one of the best aviation bucket-list trips – the shortest scheduled flight in the world from Westray to Papa Westray, taking about one minute. 8.50am–9.45am (Mon–Fri) 5.15pm–6.05pm (Mon–Fri) Shetland is a group of rugged and scenic islands and is the northernmost part of the UK. The islands are deeply connected to their Viking heritage, celebrated every January during Up Helly Aa. It is also a great place to view wildlife, including orcas, seabirds, and of course the iconic Shetland pony. Sumburgh Airport is located on the southern tip of Shetland and travellers will need to hire a car or catch a bus to get to the main town of Lerwick. 6.35am–7.40am (Mon–Fri) 7.45pm–8.45pm (Mon–Fri)
