NZ Society of Authors Announces Waitangi Day Honours List

Four NZ writers have been recognised for their outstanding literary achievements in the New Zealand Society of Authors' inaugural Waitangi Day Honours List.   Owen Marshall, Damien Wilkins, Ted Dawe and Martin Edmond are this year's NZSA Honorary Literary Fellows. (Photos attached)

Owen Marshall (left, photo Liz March), is a renowned novelist and one of our finest writers of short stories. In 2013 he was awarded the Prime Minister's award for fiction and the Henderson House residency in Alexandra, Central Otago.  Acclaimed novelist, short story writer, poet and editor, Damien Wilkins had a stellar year. He received the Laureate award for literature, took the helm at the International Institute of Modern Letters and published a major new work Max Gate.

In 2013 Young Adult author Ted Dawe not only added a NZ Post Children's Book of the Year award to his already impressive CV, his novel Into the River was the first self-published book to win a major national award, undoubtedly paving the way for greater recognition of self-published works.

Martin Edmond's non-fiction, biography, poetry and screenplays have won numerous awards. Last year he was awarded the Prime Minister's award for non-fiction while his title Dark Night: Walking with McCahon was short-listed for the NSW Premier's awards. 

Each Fellow will receive a specially-commissioned certificate to mark the occasion and a year's NZSA subscription. This is a new initiative to celebrate and acknowledge literary success. 

Due to unforseen complications the announcement of these inaugural awards was delayed until today.  Future nominations will be called for at the end of each year and recipients announced on Waitangi Day.