The New Zealand Society
of Authors (Pen NZ. Inc) is delighted to announce that first place, winning the
Asia New Zealand Foundation Prize 2014, goes to Auckland based writer Himali
McInnes (pictured.)
Himali was born in Sri Lanka and
moved to NZ as a teenager. She
subsequently pursued a medical career and holds down a day job as an Auckland
GP. Her prize-winning short story Your Place follows the fortunes of a grieving woman who
overcomes her prejudices and was described by judging panel convenor Lee Murray
as a truly beautiful story that clearly stood out.
“Your Place is a
beautiful, engaging provocative story on the themes of prejudice and
forgiveness, it is a well-structured
piece of writing, subtly-told and populated with rounded and believable
characters.”
Also catching the judges’ attention
were second place getter Michelle Kan for her story 20/46 and third
place getter Nanditha
Prasad Ram for her story The Tree-wife.
This is the third time the NZSA has
been able to offer a short story award designed to provide support for the
development of the NZ Asian writing community but this year marks the first
time they have partnered with the Asia NZ Foundation.
Himali will be reading a short
excerpt from her story at NZSA Asian Short Story Awards Ceremony, which is part of the Auckland Lantern Festival 2014, where she will be
presented with her prize along with second place getter Wellington writer Michelle Kan.
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