Advanced Fiction Course
This is a course offered to graduates of our Thirty Week Fiction courses, those with a Masters of Creative Writing, or those who have already published a full-length work of fiction. It will run for 12 weeks. It will feature workshops on manuscript development by NZ’s leading publishers and editors, plus sessions by successfully published writers, some of whom are graduates of our Thirty Week Fiction Courses and its predecessor. In addition, student work will be discussed on a weekly rotational basis, using supportive feedback from the group in sessions chaired by Hub director John Cranna. John was voted Best Post-Graduate Teacher at AUT University, where he founded the Masters of Creative Writing. We will also be covering scholarships, mentoring and bursaries available to start out writers.
Start Date: Wednesday, 16th Sept, 2020, 6.30pm-9pm
Course Length: 12 weeks, weekly on Wednesday nights.
Chair: John Cranna, Director, The Creative Hub.
Workshops
Geoff Walker – Former publishing director, Penguin Books
One workshop: “Working with fiction writers to bring their work to print”
Geoff is New Zealand’s most successful fiction publisher. He recently stepped down as publishing director of Penguin New Zealand, a position he held for 25 years. He has published and helped develop many of New Zealand’s leading writers, including Michael King, Maurice Gee, Lloyd Jones, Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace and Anne Salmond. Books by these authors have won many awards. Geoff will discuss his work editing manuscripts with these leading authors, and the typical mistakes start out writers make in developing their work.
Finlay MacDonald
One workshop: “Self-publishing - the mechanics, economics and correct strategy if you want to be in charge of your own publishing destiny.”
Finlay worked as commissioning editor at Penguin Books and at Harper Collins publishers as an editor, and has worked with many leading authors on the preparation of their manuscripts. He was also a distinguished editor of the New Zealand Listener magazine for a number of years. He currently coordinates the Creative Hub publication service, which provides authors with advice, guidance and expertise in the complex process of niche or self publishing. Finlay will run through the various publication models available to aspiring published authors and advise you on how to prepare a manuscript for publication.
Fiona Sussman - novelist
One workshop: “Moving from a creative writing course to international publication.”
Fiona was named an Amazon UK Rising Star in 2014, and her novel Shifting Colours was also listed on Sainsbury’s Best Debut Novel Collection. She is a graduate of the fore-runner to the Creative Hub Thirty Week fiction course, taught by Hub director John Cranna. Her first novel, Shifting Colours, is set against the violent backdrop of apartheid South Africa and the calm of late-twentieth-century Britain. Shifting Colours was released in the USA in October 2015 under the title, Another Woman’s Daughter. Fiona also writes short stories. A number have been broadcast on radio, and her writing has had success in local and international writing competitions, including the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.
Ann Glamuzina - novelist
One workshop:“Writing a best-seller, and the role of a publishing collective of like-minded people in helping bring that about.”
Ann’s first novel Rich Man Road reached No 1 on the NZ Fiction Bestseller in Winter 2015. The book was published by Eunoia Press, a publishing collective founded by former students of Hub Director, John Cranna. Ann has worked closely with Creative Hub graduates and Hub tutor Judith White to form this unique new publishing venture. Born in New Zealand, Ann's family are originally from Croatia. After graduating from Law School, she lived and worked in Europe before returning to NZ in 2001. Rich Man Road was published in April 2015.
Rosetta Allan - novelist
One workshop: “My journey as a writer to successful publication by Penguin Books.”
Rosetta’s first novel Purgatory was published by Penguin books to glowing reviews in 2014 and her second novel Unreliable People was published by Penguin in June 2019. Rosetta is a graduate of the Creative Hub’s first Thirty Week Fiction course, and began her first novel on that course. She has two poetry publications and many of her poems appear in publications and anthologies in New Zealand, Australia, USA, and online literary journals.
High Spot LIterary Agents
One workshop: "How to get yourself an international agent."
Vicki Marsdon and Nadine Rubin Nathan founded High Spot to take advantage of the increasing opportunities for New Zealand-based authors to sell their work in the international market place. Vicki and Nadine have held senior positions at major publishers such as Penguin and Heinemann and have worked as editors in London and New York. They currently represent 30-40 New Zealand authors in the international arena. Most foreign publishers will only accept manuscripts from unpublished authors via an agent. High Spot will advise you how to increase your odds.
Jenny Nagle – CEO, New Zealand Society of Authors.
One Workshop: “How the NZ Society of Authors helps develop and support emerging writing talent.”
Jenny Nagle joined the New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) as Chief Executive Officer in 2017. She has worked in general management, sales and marketing across the trade and educational publishing landscape in both New Zealand and Australia for over 30 years. She began working in publishing with Hodder & Stoughton’s educational division in NZ, before moving to trade publishing, sales and marketing across the Tasman, as Marketing Director. She has considerable experience working with NZ authors on a variety of programmes and schemes that develop their work to publication level, and has been involved in a number of initiatives to grow local writing talent. She will describe some of the financial and other assistance that emerging writers can access.
Students can pay the course fee by four interest free quarterly payments, spread over one year. If you are interested in taking up this option, please contact The Creative Hub for more information.
Enroll for this course now by hitting the button below.
Your place on the course is secured by a deposit of $220 incl GST
