NEW ZEALAND AUTHORS RECOGNISED WITH TOP LITERARY PRIZES

- Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Unpublished Manuscript and Book Awards -

Two New Zealand authors have been awarded top prizes at the distinguished Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Unpublished Manuscript and Book Awards and received $10,000.

The Unpublished Manuscript Award was won by Wiremu NiaNia, Allister Bush and David Epston for their manuscript entitled Tātaihono: Stories of Maori Healing and Psychiatry, while the premium Book Award was won by Sir Lloyd Geering for his book entitled From the Big Bang to God.

Judges said NiaNia, Bush and Epston’s manuscript stood out as an extremely well compiled, revealing and enlightening piece of work.

“Some of the case studies are tragic and compelling at the same time. This work presents an important aspect of Maori culture and healing that needs to see the light of day,” said convenor of judges Bob Ross.

Mr Ross also called Sir Lloyd’s work published by Steele Roberts Aotearoa “a giant of a book in terms of depth of understanding and execution from one of New Zealand’s greatest theological thinkers”.

“It presents a clear analysis of the evolution of the universe, life and humanity. It is well researched and presented and it strongly emphasises that the future of the human race rests on our shoulders. We are God,” he said.

Award director, Tim Eddington said the 2014 awards attracted a significant response from New Zealand writers.

“The 2014 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Unpublished Manuscript and Book Awards received an impressive number of written works and the calibre of entries submitted was very high.”

Judges for the 2014 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literature Awards were Bob Ross, Mike Alexander and Mary Egan.

Joan Rosier-Jones and Michael Henderson were guest speakers at the event.

Breakdown of Award placings:

Published Book category-

1.    Sir Lloyd Geering:  From the Big Bang to God

2.    Harriet Rowland:  The Book of Hat (Posthumously)

3.    Joy Cowley:  Notes to a Friend

4.    Brian Broom (Editor):  Transforming Clinical Practice Using the  MindBody Approach

5.    Mike Ansari:  The Perfect I

Unpublished Manuscript category-

1.    Wiremu Nia Nia, Allister Bush, David Epston: T­ātaihono: Stories of Maori Healing and Psychiatry

2.    Cathryn Monro: Spilt Milk Yoga – the Sadhana of Motherhood

3.    Norman Maclean:  Pharisees and Fallacies

4.    Wendy Ward:  The Elysian Fields

5.    Mike Johnson:  The Angel of Compassion