WRITERS INVITED TO ENTER MIND BODY SPIRIT AWARDS

Writers working in the mind, body and spirit genre have just over one month to go to enter their unpublished manuscript to the 2015 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Book Awards.

The Award, now in its 12th year carries a $10,000 prize.

Entries close on 31 March 2015.

The award’s judges also seek entries for published works. Entries in the Book category close on 31 May, and it also carries a prize of $10,000.

Spokesperson for The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust, Adonia Wylie says the judging panel is looking for fiction or non-fiction works that have the potential to uplift and enhance people, relationships and society.

“We enjoy reading works that extend our knowledge of the genre and we would like to encourage all writers interested in the growing mind, body, spirit field to submit their work.

“Authorship and editing are important considerations, and in the case of published books, quality of production such as design and typography will also be important.”

Last year, Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush and David Epston won the $10,000 award in the Unpublished Manuscript category for their work:  Tātaihono: Stories of Māori Healing and Psychiatry. Professor Lloyd Geering won the Book category for his work: From the Big Bang to God.

The awards are unique in the country for their encouragement of writing in the mind, body, spirit field.

“The genre encompasses a wide range of beliefs and has higher consciousness, expanded awareness and greater enlightenment as its goals.

“Works from secular and religious backgrounds such as mysticism, spirituality, religion, alternative healing, metaphysics, quantum physics, meditation, holistic personal development, and theosophy are of interest to us,” says Ms Wylie.

Shortlisted writers will be announced mid-July and the award winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust’s own venue, Hopetoun Alpha in Auckland on 14 August, 2015.

Submission forms and entry details are available from http://www.awct.org.nz/bookawards.asp or from The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust office, phone: 0800 367 242, e-mail: awctbookawards@ebco.co.nz.

 For more information, please contact:

Penny Hartill, director hPR 09 445 7525, 021 721 424, penny@hartillpr.co.nz

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the awards, writers must be New Zealand citizens residing in the country. Unpublished manuscripts must be submitted by 31 March 2015 and be a minimum of 20,000 words in length. Published books must be submitted by 31 May 2015, should be 48 pages or longer and must have been published between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. Go to www.awct.org.nz for full awards criteria and eligibility.

ABOUT THE ASHTON WYLIE CHARITABLE TRUST

The late Auckland businessman Ashton Wylie was a philanthropist with a wide range of interests, particularly in the area of personal development and positive relationships.  The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust was set up at Ashton's request and was named after him.

Ashton Wylie believed that if one wanted to change the world, one had to first change oneself.  Changes are then made by example as ultimately, one can change for the better others that reside within one’s sphere of influence.

The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust was set up following Ashton Wylie’s death in 1999 with the mandate of having human relationships as its focus, and its main intent being to promote more loving relationships.

For further information visit: www.awct.org.nz