From Millers Flat to Nanjing, China

The contrast between Millers Flat, in Central Otago — population 87, book stores 0 — with Nanjing, China — population 9.5 million, book stores legion including Librairie Avant-Garde, deemed one of the world’s most beautiful book stores — could hardly be more dramatic but the village’s resident author is unfazed.

Well, she will be when she finally lands there.

Kyle Mewburn, best known for her children’s books and more recently her autobiography Faking It, applied for a Unesco writers residency in Nanjing because it ticked a lot of boxes.

There was a short turnaround between the applications, which closed in October, selection and beginning of the programme.

No hanging around for months wondering what the outcome would be, she said.

The residency was for two weeks.

Passionate about the garden on her rural property, that was as long as she could afford to be away for at this time of the year, Mewburn said.

The application required a CV, ‘‘I’ve got a decent CV’’, and a letter of support from the Unesco City of Literature she was associated with.

Given Mewburn was president of the New Zealand Society of Authors from 2011-14 and involved in supporting Dunedin’s successful bid to become a City of Literature, that was not a problem. She had lived part-time in Dunedin for many years and was part of the literary scene there.

Not having any more information than a piece of paper with flight details on it was slightly more anxietyinducing, she said.

‘‘I’m old school, I feel like you go ‘‘um, I’ve got a piece of paper here with some flight numbers’’ and they’ll say ‘‘sorry, who are you?’’

However, there was time yet and Mewburn had been to Christchurch to apply for her visa.

The five other people selected were from Granada, Jakarta, Edinburgh, Milan and Quebec. They covered a range of literary work from translations and nonfiction writing to young adult writing.

A condition of the residency was that they could speak English.

‘‘Otherwise we’d be going there and looking at each other and smiling.’’

They would visit a book club in Nanjing and take one of their own books to discuss. They would meet local writers and 10 places of interest selected from a list offered to them.

‘‘They sent a list of 18 possible places to visit in Nanjing and you can only pick 10.’’

Mewburn picked Librairie Avant Garde as one of her top

10.

There were 42 cities of literature around the world and they had to prove a history of literary community and that it was part of the culture. It was more than just having a few writers living there, Mewburn said.

It would be her first visit to China.

‘‘It’s one of those countries, I don’t want to go as a tourist. I’d like to know, have an understanding of what’s happening and it’s so different in a way I don’t want to just be looking going ‘look at them, that’s interesting’. It makes everything like a performance, like a set, with people doing stuff and you’re just looking at it.’’

Dunedin City of Literature director Nicky Page said there were 92 applications for the Nanjing residency.

Mewburn’s enthusiasm for literature went beyond writing books.

‘‘As well as enjoying a hugely successful writing career, Kyle works generously and with enthusiasm to encourage children across Aotearoa to embrace reading, and to shine a light on children’s books and mentor other authors.’’

Part of having the City of Literature designation was having cultural exchanges with other cities of literature.

The inaugural Caselberg Trust Margaret Egan Cities of Literature Writers resident Shu-Ling Chua, of Melbourne, was staying at the Caselberg House in Broad Bay, Dunedin.