PIKIHUIA AWARDS FOR MAORI WRITERS 2009

NUMBER OF MĀORI WRITERS’ ENTRIES TRIPLE OVER TEN YEARS

The Māori Literature Trust and Huia Publishers have seen the interest in this biennial competition triple since it started and believe giving new authors the chance to be published in the increasingly popular Huia Short Stories or Ngā Pakiwaitara a Huia series is a real draw card.

A nation wide hunt is now on for talented Māori writers. Entries have been sent far and wide encouraging whānau and friends to put pen to paper or fingers on keyboards and write their stories for the Pikihuia Awards 2009.

For Māori, ‘Pikihuia’ is a symbol of excellence, a pinnacle of achievement. Since 1995 these unique awards have helped launch the careers of new Māori writers such as James George and Kelly Ana Morey and new writers of te reo Māori; Darryn Joseph and Charisma Rangipunga.

‘The first attraction is that entry for the Pikihuia Awards is absolutely free and knowing that your short story or novel extract entry could be published in an actual book in September this year is very exciting for competitors,’ says Chair of the Māori Literature Trust, Robyn Bargh.

Over the last ten years the organisors have received hundreds of entries covering a myriad of topics including: identity, empowerment and loss, whanaungatanga and neighbourliness, love and prostitution, burnt meals and brutality and language and perception.

Cash prizes are also available in each category. Entries are downloadable at http://www.huia.co.nz/ and the competition closes 15 May. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in September in Wellington.

The categories for Pikihuia Awards for Māori Writers 2009 are:
· Best short story in Māori
· Best short story in English
• Best novel extract (up to 5,000 words)
• Best short film script
• Best short story in English or Māori by a secondary school student

The judges include; Julian Wilcox (Ngā Puhi), David Geary (Ngā Māhanga, Taranaki), Briar Grace-Smith (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Wai) and Rhonda Kite (Te Aupouri).

For entry forms and information http://www.huia.co.nz/ and for general competition enquiries email pikihuia@huia.co.nz