Pikihuia Awards Return for 2017

31 January 2017

Pikihuia Awards Return for 2017

The writers’ competition for the Pikihuia Awards 2017 is being launched on Wednesday, 1 February 2017.

The Pikihuia Awards and competition are held every two years to promote Māori writers and encourage new and diverse Māori viewpoints and writing in both English and Māori. There are six categories:

• Best Short Story Written in English

• Best Short Story Written in te reo Māori

• Best Short Film Script

• Best Novel Extract

• Best Short Story by a Secondary School Student in te reo Māori

• Best Short Story by a Secondary School Student in English

Entrants in each of the first four categories have a chance to win $2000, while students in the Secondary School categories are eligible to win a cash prize of $500 and $250 worth of HUIA books for their school.

The competition and Awards have been hugely successful; many of the winners and finalists of past Awards have gone on to become published writers such as James George, Tina Makereti, Jacquie McRae, Kelly Ana Morey, Paula Morris and Mark Sweet.

The Māori Literature Trust organises the competition and Awards, and it comprises Robyn Bargh (Chair), Sir Hirini Mead, Patricia Grace, Lady Tilly Reedy, Whiti Hereaka and John Huria.

Robyn Bargh is positive about the future of the Awards. ‘The Trust is looking forward to this year’s Awards. Each year, we find exciting new talent who enter their stories into the competition along with some of the past years’ writers and finalists, who are continually honing their craft. Providing the opportunity for writers to share their untold stories and explore new perspectives is what these Awards are about.’

She says that secondary school students have also been a source of great writing. ‘We’ve received very good support from some schools and teachers around the country who have promoted this competition to their students as a way to improve their writing as well as enabling them to win prizes and promote the profile of their school. Over the next month or so the Māori Literature Trust is taking some time to reflect on past successes and set new goals to help Māori writers take our stories to the world.’

Entries for the competition close after Easter at 5.00pm on Tuesday, 18 April. The judges for this year will be confirmed in the next few weeks. Finalists will be notified in June, and the winners will be announced in September. A book of the finalist entries – HUIA Short Stories 12 – will be launched at the Awards ceremony.

More information is available at the Māori Literature Trust website – www.mlt.org.nz.

ENDS

© Scoop Media