Last year, as an alumnus of the Randell Cottage writing residency I was asked by Linda Burgess and Maggie Rainey-Smith to contribute to this handsome volume.
It was published by Wellington's Cuba Press, and they did a beautiful job.
My contribution was The Coal Range, actually about my Auntie Abbie's coal range in her house in Waimangaroa, but prompted by the Shacklock coal range in the kitchen at the Randell Cottage.
Here's a description:Since 2002, 40 writers from France and Aotearoa New Zealand have made a historic cottage on a steep street in Thorndon their home while they write, the bush of Te Ahumairangi behind them and Wellington Harbour in front. To celebrate 20 creative years, the Randell Cottage Writers Trust has commissioned Room To Write, asking the writers for contributions that spring from the idea of ‘looking back’. All the work is presented in both English and French, with introductory essays by Dame Fiona Kidman and Beverley Randell Price. With contributions from Peter Wells • Nadine Ribault • Tim Corballis • Charles Juliet • Pierre Furlan • Michael Harlow • Dominique Mainard • Renée • Annie Saumont • Beryl Fletcher • Nicolas Kurtovitch • Whiti Hereaka • Olivier Bleys • Jennifer Compton • Fariba Hachtroudi • Kirsty Gunn • Yann Apperry • Patrick Valdimar White • Florence Cadier • Peter Walker • Vivienne Plumb • Denis Welch • Estelle Nollet • Tina Makereti • Thanh-Van Tran-Nhut • Witi Ihimaera • Owen Marshall • David Fauquemberg • Stephanie Johnson • Nicolas Fargues • Stephen Daisley • Josef Schovanec • Amélie Lucas-Gary • James Norcliffe • Karin Serres • Paddy Richardson • Amaury da Cunha • Michalia Arathimos • Lynn Davidson • Rose Lu