Ursula Bethell Residency in Creative Writing
Supported by Funding from Creative New Zealand
Ursula Bethell
 |
Ursula Mary Bethell (1874–1945) was a Surrey-born, Christchurch-based poet and artist. Ursula spent many of her days travelling between the two locations before settling down in Rise Cottage on the Cashmere Hills. Bethell’s early works were published under the pseudonym Evelyn Hayes. The first of Bethell’s collections, From a Garden in the Antipodes, is her best-known work, but Time and Place (Caxton, 1936) was her most valued: a compilation of poetry in memory of Bethell’s close friend Effie Pollen. Ursula Bethell, recognised as one of the pioneers of modern New Zealand poetry, passed away in Christchurch on the 15th January 1945 at age 71.
History of the Residency
 |
The Ursula Bethell Residency in Creative Writing, jointly funded by the University of Canterbury College of Arts and Creative New Zealand, was established by the University of Canterbury in 1979 to provide support for New Zealand writers and foster New Zealand writing. The Residency allows authors of proven merit in all areas of literary and creative activity an opportunity to work on an approved project within an academic environment. Since its inception the University has been home to 35 fiction-writers, poets and dramatists, a number of whom have made a valuable contribution to the development of young writers studying at the University; the most substantial product of this process has been Carl Shuker’s novel The Lazy Boys (2006). We have also had the opportunity to celebrate the successes of our Residents throughout the years, one of the most memorable being Keri Hulme’s Booker Prize in 1985.
Writer in Residence 2011 - Eleanor Catton
 |
Eleanor Catton studied English at the University of Canterbury, before completing a Masters in Creative Writing at The Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University of Wellington, where she wrote The Rehearsal as her Master's thesis. The Rehearsal was first published by Victoria University Press in Wellington in 2008, then in the UK by Granta Books (2009) and in the USA by Little, Brown and Company (2010). Translation rights have been sold in twelve languages. Eleanor has had short stories published in Sport, Hue & Cry, and Granta, and the anthologies Best New Zealand Fiction Vol. 5, Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Short Stories and Lost in Translation. As the Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence for 2011 she will complete her second literary novel, titled The Luminaries, which takes place in Hokitika during the New Zealand gold rushes. She is also working on a quartet of fantasy novels set during the English Civil War.
Former Writers in Residence
 |
Michael Morrissey (1979), Jennifer Compton (1980), Owen Marshall (1981), Barry Mitcalfe (1982), Murray Edmond (1983), Margaret Mahy (1984), Graham Billing/Keri Hulme (1985), Kevin Ireland/Rachel McAlpine (1986), Mike Johnson (1987), Brian McNeill (1988), Kim Eggleston/Gary Langford (1989), Mervyn Thompson (1990), Bernadette Hall (1991), Fiona Farrell (1992), Sue McCauley (1993), Kate Flannery (1994), Michelanne Forster (1995), Hone Kouka (1996), Brian Turner (1997), Alan Brunton (1998), Norman Bilbrough (1999), Stuart Hoar (2000), James Brown (2001), Apirana Taylor (2002), Catherine Chidgey/Gavin Bishop (2003), Graham Linsday (2004), Charlotte Randall (2005), Carl Nixon (2006), Philip Norman (2007), Rachael King (2008), Victor Rodger (2009), Tusiata Avia (2010)
Next Opportunity
 |
The University invites applications for the Ursula Bethell Residency each August/September. Applications can be made through the UC Vacancies website. Applicants should be resident in New Zealand, or New Zealanders temporarily resident overseas. For further information, please contact the HR Administrator, College of Arts, DDI: 03 364 2426,
Email: hr@arts.canterbury.ac.nz.
Information sourced from the Ursula Bethell Collection, Macmillan Brown Centre, University of Canterbury.