A New Zealand-based Pacific poet, writer and performer has been accepted into one of the the longest-running international writing programmes in the world.
Daren Kamali is the first Pacific writer to gain a grant from Creative New Zealand to join the University of Iowa's writing workshop.
Mr Kamali is of Fijian, Wallis and Futuna and Scottish heritage and his work draws on his Pacific roots..
He says he plans to use the residency to complete his third book of poetry.
"It will involve presentation, learning, working with other networks, editors, publishers, translaters and writers and also the main purpose is to complete my third book, which is called Ink Fish Writes Again, which is part of a triology."
New Zealand-based Pacific poet, writer and performer, Daren Kamali.