Invercargill born Fraser Robinson (36) took out the Open Division supreme award and the title for Best Unpublished Writer, Emily Draper (17) from Auckland was awarded first and second prize while Maria Ji (16) also from Auckland walked away with both third and fourth place in the Secondary School Division.
Critically acclaimed New Zealand writers Charlotte Grimshaw and Joy Cowley found the judging process challenging this year given the high caliber of entries received.
Charlotte says she found a great deal to admire and enjoy about the finalists’ stories short listed for this year’s competition.
“The range of subjects was wide, the styles diverse and the voices fascinating,” says Charlotte. “It’s a difficult thing to define ‘best’, but this year’s winning story “The Bus Terminal” by Fraser Robinson was outstanding. It is smoothly written and full of vivid description. It is a story that manages to convey a series of impressions and ideas in an economical and striking way.
“Fraser shows confidence in his reader to be thoughtful and engaged enough to draw his or her own conclusions.”
Fraser is a language translator who is currently based in Rio de Janeiro. Earlier this year, he wrote a radio play for Radio New Zealand which will broadcast in 2012.
Joy who judged the short list of stories in the Secondary School Division was suitably impressed the finalists.
“All of these stories were so much better than the stuff I wrote in secondary school,” says Joy. “Today’s students are very sophisticated. These stories have skill born from twin experience: life experience with awareness; and the experience of language that comes from the education system in this country.
“And, this was certainly the case for Emily’s stories,” says Joy. “This first prize story came directly from the experience of youth, yet its execution was the work of a mature writer, every word dropped into place with the weight of its meaning carefully calculated.
“This is a story I will remember,” adds Joy who was in awe of Emily’s writing.
It was a case of third time lucky for the Epsom Girls Grammar pupil who is in her final year of study.
The winning stories will be published in the Sunday Star-Times on Sunday 13 November.
Open Division winner and Best Unpublished Writer Fraser Robinson received a $5,000 cash prize, Random House experience including time with a Random House editor, and $700 worth of books from Random House.
Emily Draper won $1,500 cash for both the first and second prizes in the Secondary School Division, a work experience day at Random House along with $800 worth of Random House books and $800 of Whitcoulls gift cards for her school.
The Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards, in association with Whitcoulls and Random House, encourage and recognise the talents of published and unpublished New Zealand writers.
The awards are nationally recognised for championing and showcasing New Zealand short fiction. Some of this country's leading writers, including Norman Bilbrough, Judith White, Barbara Anderson, Linda Olsson and Sarah Quigley have achieved success in the competition.
No comments:
Post a Comment