The Michael King Writers Centre launched the eighth issue of Signals, its literary journal for young writers, on Saturday 7 December at the National Library in Parnell.
The journal features the work of senior secondary students who took part in this year’s Young Writers Programme, as well
as its alumni. The editors received over 200 submissions.
This year, as in 2018, we are very grateful to have received the support of Penguin Random House.
Winners of the $150 Chris Cole Catley Prizes for the year, judged by Jenny Bornholdt and Paula Morris were Pilar Cruz
(Rangitoto College) and Gina Holden (Auckland University).
Poetry
Winner: School Lunches – Pilar Cruz
Second: Hapū Wānanga – Maria Yeonhee Ji
Third: In the end – Pippi Jean
Highly Commended: Tinder – Phoebe Rolfe
Prose
Winner: Year of the Rat – Gina Holden
Second: Hide your Lunchbox – Andrea Ponsaran
Third: Conversations with Immortals – Ruby Macomber
Highly Commended: The Rains That Fall – Ana Rokuroda
The 2019 Programme attracted over 200 senior students, representing schools from all over Auckland, Waikato and
Christchurch.
Leading writers contributed to workshops and master classes in collaboration with tutors Ros Ali, Jo Emeney and Carrie
Rudzinski. Guest-writers included Rosetta Allan, Hannah August, Alex Casey, Catherine Chidgey, Fiona Farrell, Stuart
Hoar, Paula Morris, Kerrin P. Sharpe, Helen Sissons, Tracey Slaughter and Grace Taylor.
Copies of Signals will be distributed to participating secondary schools. The journal will be available from the Michael King Writers
Centre, Arcadia Bookshop, Paradox Books, Time Out, Unity Books and Scorpio Books.
The Young Writers Programme thanks Creative New Zealand, Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust and Penguin Random House for
their support.