ENTRIES EXTENDED FOR THE UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT AWARD CATEGORY

- Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literature Awards 2013 –

Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust has announced it will be extending the entry period for the unpublished manuscript category in its annual Literature Awards until the 15^th April.

The much anticipated Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literature Awards are a highlight in the literary calendar. Over the past nine years, close to 800 entries have been received illustrating strong interest in the mind, body, spirit genre in New Zealand.  The Trust has gifted in excess of $200,000 and the award has one of the largest prizes for literature in New Zealand.

Past awards have been presented to manuscripts including Lionel Sharman’s Science of Vicars, Mary Ballard’s The Snowflake Cloud and Norman Mclean’s Jesus on Our own Ground.

The unpublished manuscript category is open to all works between 20,000 and 100,000 words in length. A $10,000 prize will be presented by The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust, in association with the New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) to the winning writer at the awards ceremony on 16 August.

Adonia Wylie, spokesperson for the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust, encourages writers of unpublished manuscripts to enter the Awards.

“The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literature Awards have recognised some of the best established and up-and-coming literary talent in New Zealand.  We wish to support writing within the mind, body, spirit genre and urge writers to submit their work so that quality writing can be recognised.”

“As well as looking for quality writing, the judges will be looking for work that educates, enlightens, engages and uplifts readers.”

To be eligible for the awards, writers must be New Zealand citizens residing in the country.

In addition to the unpublished manuscript award category, the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust and New Zealand Society of Authors are also presenting an award for a published book. Entries are open for this award until Friday 31 May 2013.