VUP a vital part of New Zealand’s reading culture

The New Zealand Post Book Awards, presented last week, show what good health Victoria University Press (VUP) is in says Publisher Fergus Barrowman.

Six VUP writers were finalists in the awards. VUP books went on to win the poetry and fiction categories—Vincent O’Sullivan’s Us, Then and Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries—with the latter also picking up the People’s Choice Award, which is chosen by the reading public.

In addition, VUP writers won the best first book categories for fiction and poetry.

“The awards show the strength of talent prevalent in our emerging writers such as Amy Head, Caoilinn Hughes and Marty Smith, and with established writers such as Damien Wilkins and Vincent O’Sullivan. Of course, Eleanor Catton has achieved huge significance with her book The Luminaries in New Zealand and internationally,” said Mr Barrowman.

“These are uncertain times for publishers, booksellers and writers alike, and it takes courage from the writers to keep creating in the current climate.

“In her acceptance speech, Amy Head, who won best first book award, summed up the reason why we all continue to read when she said that fiction gave her the ability to inhabit different perspectives and understand them better, that fiction was a way of finding common ground with people we might otherwise have nothing in common with. Books and reading are a vital part of our culture.”

Mr Barrowman says that VUP has been dedicated, for over 30 years, to finding new voices and supporting writers as they continue to develop.

“Victoria University’s commitment to new art as well as scholarly non-fiction has allowed VUP to become a leading publisher in New Zealand.”