Twenty-six emerging writers connected to the University of Canterbury’s Master of Writing programme are being showcased in a new anthology titled *Emergence*, which was launched this week in Christchurch. The event took place on Thursday at The Piano performing arts centre as part of the WORD Christchurch literary festival, featuring remarks from Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka.

Karunatilaka, who won the 2022 Booker Prize for his novel *The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida*, relocated to Christchurch earlier this year to take up the Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence position at the university. His involvement underscored the significance of the anthology, marking a milestone for the university’s creative writing programme.

The Master of Writing degree at the University of Canterbury, established in 2018, has steadily grown, recently enrolling its 100th student. According to UC English Professor Paul Millar, the anthology is the first substantial opportunity to publicly present the work of the programme’s students and graduates. He noted that the collection reflects a vibrant community of writers “experimenting, questioning, refining, and discovering what their work might become,” demonstrating the programme’s evolving literary output.

The anthology includes a diverse range of writing styles and themes developed over the past seven years. Editor Juliette Sauvage described the collection as a journey through “suspense, speculation, romance, tragedy, connection, and everything in between.” Among the contributors is Holly Best, a graduate who contributed a short story titled *The Women*. Best has had several stories published in respected outlets such as *Landfall* and said it was rewarding to be published alongside peers from the master’s programme.

The University of Canterbury maintains a strong presence at the WORD festival beyond the anthology launch. Several former Ursula Bethell Writers in Residence, senior university fellows, and academics are participating throughout the event. On September 3, UC will host the festival’s Inspiring Minds: Secondary Schools Day, designed to engage young writers.

Another university alumna, Julia Bradshaw, is also featured in the festival programme. Her recent work, *Digging Deep: Women on New Zealand’s Goldfields*, will be discussed during the Adventurous Women: Goldfields and Mountains session.

*Emergence: New writing from the University of Canterbury Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha* is now available through bookstores and Canterbury University Press. The anthology aims to be the first in a series that highlights the university’s developing group of literary voices.