Two
Victoria University Press authors are the recipients of this year’s New Zealand
Society of Authors (NZSA) Best First Book Awards at the New Zealand Post Book
Awards announced today.
Poet
Helen Heath (right) has won the NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book for Poetry Award
with her collection Graft, and fiction writer Lawrence Patchett has won
the NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book for Fiction Award for his short story
collection I Got His Blood On Me.
Victoria
University Press Publisher Fergus Barrowman says: “We’re delighted that two of
our first books have done so well, and congratulate both our writers on winning
these prestigious awards”.
Ms
Heath, whose collection features a number of poems about scientists and was
also the first book of poetry to ever be shortlisted for the 2013 Royal Society
of New Zealand Science Book Prize, says: “Considering the strength of many
first poetry books this year, I'm immensely humbled by the judge's decision to
pick Graft for this award”.
Mr
Patchett, whose collection tells stories of time-travel, frontier conflict and
early Pakeha and Māori relationships,
says: “It’s a great boost for me and encouragement to keep writing, I’m really
thrilled about it”.
Both
writers are graduates of the International Institute of Modern Letters at
Victoria University, with Mr Patchett holding both a Master’s and Doctorate
from the Institute. Ms Heath holds a Master’s and is currently enrolled in PhD
study.
Photos above - Helen Heath - Kate MacPherson
Lawrence Patchett - Robert Cross
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