Last Chance For Entering Mind, Body, Spirit Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20 May 2008

Last Chance For New Zealand Writers To Enter Mind, Body, Spirit Award

-Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Book Award entries close 31 May-

New Zealand writers have less than two weeks left to enter their work in the 2008 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Book Awards.

Published books must be submitted by 31 May 2008, should be 48 pages or longer, and must have been published between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008.

The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust, in association with the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA), will present a single award of $10,000 to the category winner, one of the largest prizes awarded for literature in New Zealand.

Tina Shaw, Programme Manager, The New Zealand Society of Authors, says that as well as rewarding excellence in writing, the awards support and encourage writers to further their careers whilst promoting growth in mind, body, spirit literature.

Christchurch author Brian Broom won the published book award category for his work MEANING-full DISEASE: How personal experience and meanings cause and maintain physical illness.

Mr Broom says it was great to win the award and have his work recognised. “There is real satisfaction in having work recognised in New Zealand, and the publicity has helped draw attention to the very serious mind-body issues that are poorly dealt with in the New Zealand healthcare system.”

Mr Broom plans to use his prize money to purchase a piece of ‘meaning-full’ art as a special memento of this time in his life.

Judges for the awards this year include Jennifer Eddington, Stephen Stratford, New Zealand author Richard Webster, and Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust trustee Adonia Wylie.

In addition to the published book award category, the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust and the New Zealand Society of Authors are also presenting an award for unpublished manuscripts. Entries for this category closed on 31 March 2008.

Both awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust’s own venue, Hopetoun Alpha in Auckland in August.

To be eligible for the awards, authors must be New Zealand citizens residing here. Submission forms and entry details are available from The New Zealand Society of Authors national office programmes@nzauthors.org.nz or via post, PO Box 7701, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:
Aleisha Van Veen, Professional Public Relations: (09) 979 2033
Tina Shaw, NZSA Programme Manager, NZ Society of Authors: (09) 379 4801

NOTES:

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.

As well as promoting up-and-coming New Zealand writers, the purpose of the two Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust awards is to reward excellence in writing that encompasses a wide range of beliefs, and has the power to enlighten, amuse and educate the reader, while having a profound impact on the reader’s spiritual thoughts and opinions.

For further information visit: www.hopetounalpha.co.nz.

JUDGING PANEL

Richard Webster is a fulltime author based in Auckland. He has written 93 books, mainly on new age topics. They have been translated into 22 languages and have sold more than 5,000,000 copies around the world. His most recent book is "The Encyclopedia of Superstitions" (Llewellyn Publications, 2008). Richard has been part of the judging panel every year since the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Awards began in 2004.

Adonia Wylie is a trustee of the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust. As both a Trust member and Ashton Wylie’s widow she has a clear idea of the beliefs and aims that drive the Trust. For the whole of her life, Adonia has been on a conscious spiritual evolutionary path. Her reading ranges from in depth studies of the world's religions, quantum physics, health and spiritual healing and including many so called ‘new age’ works. Adonia has been on the judging panel for the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Awards since 2004.

Stephen Stratford, book editor, publishing consultant and author of over a dozen books, is a former chief judge of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards and a trustee of the Frank Sargeson Trust. This is the third time that Stephen has been on the panel of judges for the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Awards.

Jennifer Eddington literally grew up with manuscripts and books. Her father was an editor and publisher in Scotland, Singapore and Canada. Twenty five years ago she and her husband, Tim Eddington, established Pathfinder Bookshop, New Zealand’s pre-eminent specialist retailer of books for the mind, body and spirit. As chief buyer she assesses literally thousands of new titles each year. This is the second year that Jennifer has been involved in the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Book Awards.

THE NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF AUTHORS

The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) is the principal representative for the professional interests of authors in New Zealand. It began as the NZ PEN Centre in 1934 in Wellington. From 1934 onwards the organisation campaigned for a public lending right, and in 1973 the Authors' Fund was established. In 1975 PEN initiated the NZ Writers' Guild to represent writers in their dealings with broadcasting and professional theatres.

The NZSA runs a range of programmes, which encourage emerging writers, and actively represents writers’ interests on a number of fronts with publishers and others.

The Society's major goals are the full representation and support of writers; an ongoing interest in writers being rewarded and recognised for their professional work; the protecting of freedom of expression and cultural diversity celebrated through literature.

ends

© Scoop Media