News

• Robert Burns Poetry Prize – congratulations Siobhan Harvey

  27-01-2020

  Congratulations to ANZL member Siobhan Harvey for winning the Published Poet division of the Robert Burns Poetry Competition 2020. This year attracted some poignant entries and nearly 50 published and unpublished writers, with the competition theme “Migration”. Published poet first prize includes $1000, the William Brown and Charles Turner Medal, publication of the winning poem in the Otago Daily Times and invitation to the Dunedin annual Burns Supper celebration. Read the Otago Daily Times announcement here. 

• Bristol Short Story Prize – entries open

  23-01-2020

  The 2020 Bristol Short Story Prize is open for entries. Closing date is midnight (BST) on April 30th, 2020. 1st prize is £1,000, 2nd prize is £500, 3rd prize is £250. 17 further prizes of £100 will be presented to the remaining shortlisted writers. The Sansom Award will be presented to the highest placed story by a Bristol writer. For full details of the 2020 Bristol Short Story Prize, visit www.bristolprize.co.uk/rules

• New Years Honours List – Congratulations Karyn Hay

  02-01-2020

  Congratulations to writer, broadcaster and ANZL member Karyn Hay who has been awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and the music industry in the New Years Honours List. Karyn speaks about her NZOM award, her career –  and her NZ accent – in this Radio NZ interview. You can also hear Karyn discuss her literary career, including her latest novel Winged Helmet, White Horse (Esom House Press), in this 2018 RNZ interview

• Peter Wells Short Fiction Contest open for submissions

  28-11-2019

  The Peter Wells Short Fiction Contest is now open for submissions from LGBTQI writers. First prize is $1000 cash for the winning story, $500 for the runner up and $500 cash for the best writing from a young writer aged under 25. Word limit is between 1200 – 2000 words and the deadline is 5 January 2020. Full entry details here

• Catherine Robertson appointed 2020 IIML Creative Writer in Residence

  16-10-2019

  Congratulations to ANZL member Catherine Robertson who has been appointed the Victoria University of Wellington International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) and Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence for 2020. She will use this time to work on a novel set in Wainuiomata in the 1970s and early 1980s. The story will feature the Wainuiomata Cycling Club, which grew from modest and unlikely beginnings to become one of the most successful in the country. For more information on Catherine’s residency, follow this link.

• 2020 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship Announced

  08-10-2019

  Congratulations Sue Wootton  who is the successful recipient of the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship in a very strong field of New Zealand writers spanning all genres of literary endeavour. She joins a long list of celebrated New Zealand writer recipients including Janet Frame, Witi Ihimaera, Elizabeth Knox and Bill Manhire and most recently, Paula Morris. Sue will use her time in France to work on her sixth poetry collection.

• 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement: winners announced

  07-10-2019

  Congratulations Fleur Adcock and Elizabeth Knox who are recipients of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement, along with Gavin Bishop. Each will be awarded $60,000 in recognition of their outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature. Follow this link for the full media announcement.

• Mātātuhi Foundation Grants for NZ Writers – applications open

  30-09-2019

  Are you a NZ writer with an innovative project in the wings? The Mātātuhi Foundation wants to help NZ writers develop new and imaginative ways to increase their reach and engagement with NZ readers.  Does that sound like you? The next funding round closes on 31 October. View the video for more information, or click here to apply online.

• Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel 2020 – enter now

  13-09-2019

  This prize is open to writers holding New Zealand citizenship or who are permanent residents of New Zealand, and, thanks to a generous financial commitment from the late Michael Gifkins’ family, the winner will receive a contract for world rights from Text, and an advance of NZ$10,000. Deadline: Midnight, 31 October. The prize is administered by the New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc). Entry forms and terms and conditions.

• VUW/CNZ Emerging Māori Writer in Residence 2020 – applications open

  12-09-2019

  Jointly funded by Victoria University of Wellington and Creative New Zealand this residency aims to foster Māori writing by providing the appointee with the opportunity to write full-time within a creative institution for the period of tenure. Applications are invited from Māori writers in all areas of literary activity, including drama, fiction and poetry (page and performance), devised performance, creative non-fiction, graphic novels, etc. The appointment will be for three months, with NZ$15,000 (no accommodation). Applications close 25 November 2019. See here for more details. Further enquiries may be made to Katie Hardwick-Smith, International Institute of Modern Letters, Ph: 04 4636854 or email modernletters@vuw.ac.nz 

• Spring Writing Workshops at University of Auckland

  12-09-2019

  Join Paula Morris for an intensive craft-focused day working on fiction and creative nonfiction. The workshops include exercises, handouts and discussions, to help you start or re-start  your projects, and invigorate your own creative practice. Come for a morning boot camp or stay all day for full immersion. Saturday 28th September, 10am-12.15pm and/or 1.15pm -3.30pm. Limited to 18 people. Contact p.morris@auckland.ac.nz for more details and to reserve your place.

• NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship 2019 announced!

  07-09-2019

  Christchurch writer Frankie McMillan is the recipient of the NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship 2019. This annual fellowship is awarded to a mid-career or senior writer and NZ Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) member to work on a project that shows a high level of literary merit and national significance. The fellowship is $10,000. Frankie intends to put the grant towards the completion of a novella set in 1950s New Zealand. The project explores the lives of children and workers in a church run Children’s Home. Congratulations Frankie!

• Entries Open for the 2020 Grimshaw Sargeson Fellowship

  05-09-2019

  The Fellowship, now in its 33rd year, is a national literary award offering published New Zealand writers, based both locally and internationally, the opportunity to focus on their craft full-time by providing an annual stipend of $20,000 and tenure at the Sargeson Centre in Auckland. Entries are now open and close on Friday 27 September 2019, with the tenure due to start on 1 April 2019. Download the application form here  or contact Elizabeth Bennie, General Manager.

• Commonwealth Short Story Prize – entries are open

  05-09-2019

  The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words) in the Commonwealth regions of 1. Africa, 2. Asia, 3. Canada and Europe, 4. Caribbean and 5. Pacific. The overall winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize will receive £5,000 and the remaining four regional winners £2,500. The online form is available from the opening date: 1 September 2019 – 1 November 2019. For further information see here.

• Auckland Surrey Hotel Residency closes soon – enter now!

  28-08-2019

  Nominations for the 2019 Surrey Hotel Writer’s Residency Award in association with Newsroom are open now, and close soon – the deadline is September 3 at 5pm. There are three prizes. The grand first prize merits the winner seven nights free accommodation at the Surrey, with breakfast, wifi, and the hotel’s famous Sunday roast thrown in. Second prize is four nights and third prize is three nights, each with breakfast and wifi but sorry no roast. All winners receive that precious commodity: privacy, to write. Email entries to Steven Braunias stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line THE SURREY HOTEL RESIDENCY, with a brief covering letter outlining the project you have in mind, and a few pages of the work in progress. More info here.