A journey that began with writing poetry at the age of five has taken Therese Lloyd to the University of Waikato as the 2018 Writer in Residence.
Since its inception in 1991 the programme has hosted some of New Zealand’s most prominent writers including Tessa Duder, Michael King and Maurice Shadbolt.
Therese's poems have appeared in print and online publications including Sport, Landfall, Metro, and the AUP series New Zealand Poets in Performance. In 2006 she was awarded the Schaeffer Fellowship, allowing her to spend a year at the acclaimed Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her first full-length book of poetry, Other Animals, was published in 2013. She’s recently completed her PhD in creative writing, with her next collections of poems to be published in February.
Therese says residencies are fantastic opportunities for any writer, and she’s honored to be chosen. “I have heard great things about Waikato’s English programme and I’m looking forward to being a small part of that community for the year.”
She has two major projects she wants to work on during the residency, and says the challenge will be deciding which one wins out. “Secretly I’m hoping I can complete both. Having real time to write will be glorious.”
Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Professor Allison Kirkman says she is thrilled to have attracted a Writer in Residence of Therese’s calibre. “I know that students and staff will benefit immensely from her creative presence on campus and her contribution to a vibrant literary culture. The Faculty has been exceedingly fortunate with the quality of the applications, and Therese was chosen from a very strong field.”
Therese takes up her residency in January.
