Seresin Landfall Residency 2011

In partnership with the Otago University Press, we are delighted to announce poet and fiction writer Serie Barford as the 2011 recipient of the Seresin Landfall Residency.

Barford has been publishing her work since 1985 and first had a short story in Landfall in 1987. After the 2007 publication of Tapa Talk, her third book of poetry, she returned to writing short stories, and this spring will use the Residency to work on a collection at Waterfall Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.

Serie Barford says ‘I’m delighted to be the recipient of the Seresin Landfall Residency. I’ve so many ideas and I’m grateful for the opportunity to establish creative space in a beautiful location. I’ll forget about the demands of my day job and will immerse myself in storytelling for a while. Fa’afetai tele lava.’

The stories in the collection are based on the concept of teu le va, the Samoan notion of taking care of relationships within and between the visible and invisible worlds.

Michael Seresin says ‘the creative world, in all its manifestations is a tough one to survive in, let alone thrive. I hope the powerful land & seascape of Waterfall Bay will provide a haven for Serie to find some stimulus to help her undoubted talent as a writer and poet. I love her work and know she is deserving of this award.’