A five month residency at the Sargeson Centre, courtesy of the Buddle Findlay Sargeson fellowship, is a return home in more ways than one for West Auckland-raised writer Paula Morris.

Now based in New Orleans, where she teaches at Tulane University, Morris (Ngati Wai) says the residency not only gives her a place of her own in her old home town, it also gives her the opportunity to finally complete a piece of work inspired by a chance encounter six years ago with a piece of family history previously unknown to her.A five month residency at the Sargeson Centre, courtesy of the Buddle Findlay Sargeson fellowship, is a return home in more ways than one for West Auckland-raised writer Paula Morris.

Now based in New Orleans, where she teaches at Tulane University, Morris (Ngati Wai) says the residency not only gives her a place of her own in her old home town, it also gives her the opportunity to finally complete a piece of work inspired by a chance encounter six years ago with a piece of family history previously unknown to her.Researching her second novel, Hibiscus Coast, Morris came across the story of her ancestor Paratene te Manu, subject of Lindauer, associate of Hongi, warrior, Christian convert, emissary to Britain, and one of the last inhabitants of Little Barrier Island.

So far, Paratene's account of his life and times has lead to a short story, Rangatira; to innumerable hours of research in Wellington, Auckland, London, and the Isle of Wight; and now, Morris hopes, to her fourth novel,

While Morris describes Rangatira the short story (part of a collection entitled Forbidden Cities, which is due to be published in October by Penguin) as her best, she sees the planned novel as her most ambitious work to date.

"Paratene is remote from me in so many ways, in time and culture. Making him my character, my narrator, is a tremendous challenge," says Morris.

Morris says the Buddle Findlay Sargeson fellowship residency comes at an ideal time for her, and suits her preferred style of long, slow preparation, "thinking and daydreaming", followed by an intense burst of activity to get the product of that preparation on paper.

"I love the process of planning a novel, of researching - in libraries and archives, and especially on the ground in the places where my characters have stood. But the story only really takes shape once the writing begins. By giving me a place where I can focus solely on the writing, Buddle Findlay and the Sargeson Trust have given me the opportunity to resolve where Paratene's story will take me."

Buddle Findlay National Chairman Peter Chemis says the work produced by Sargeson fellows has added greatly to the New Zealand literary canon.

"Buddle Findlay is delighted to play a part in celebrating the work of New Zealand writers past and present, and in supporting the Sargeson Trust's aim to provide selected New Zealand writers an opportunity to write full time, free from financial pressure," he says.

In the past ten years, Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellows have included: Fiona Samuel, Peter Cox, Karyn Hay, Craig Marriner, Toa Fraser, Debra Daley, Denis Baker, Riemke Ensing, Vivienne Plumb, Chad Taylor, Shonagh Koea, Diane Brown, Catherine Chidgey, Sarah Quigley, Tina Shaw, Kapka Kassabova, Sue Reidy, James Brown, Charlotte Grimshaw and Emily Perkins.
Morris shared this year's award with poet, short-story writer, novelist and teacher Brigid Lowry, whose Juicy Writing: Inspiration and Techniques for Young Writers (Allen & Unwin) was released during her tenure, in March.

27/07/08