Insufficient submissions have led organisers to postpone a planned writing retreat for gay male writers in July.

Men who love men and want to write about it were invited to apply for a week-long retreat at Autumn Farm in Takaka organised by Men Scribbling Men (MSM). But playwright Ronald Trifero Nelson said, in the end, there were not enough applications to make the retreat worthwhile.

“We accept that one of the reasons for the lack of response was because we got onto this opportunity a little late,” Nelson said, “and were not able to give writers much notice. So, we’re confirming, right now, that the retreat will go ahead in July 2012. That will give people more time to prepare work and submissions and plan to have some annual leave around that time in case they are selected.”

To help compensate for withdrawing the retreat, and to encourage writers to start developing work for submission next year, MSM will host a quarterly writers’ evening at S&M’s Cocktail and Lounge Bar in Wellington, starting in early November (date to be confrmed).

“This will be a chance,” Nelson said, “for writers to come and read excerpts from their work to an appreciative audience and get feedback. Discussion of the presentations will be moderated by novelist and historian Stevan Eldred-Grigg and/or one of the other established gay male writers supporting MSM.”

MSM will write to the applcants for the 2011 retreat to thank them for their entry and encourage them to re-apply in 2012.

Website: Fabulous Arts Aotearoa New Zealand (FAANZ)