essa may ranapiri. Photo credit: Kelly Joseph (Ngaati Maniapoto)
Janet Frame’s estate is delighted to announce the 2023 Janet Frame Literary Trust Award for Poetry. The prize, worth
$7000, will be presented to poet essa may ranapiri to commemorate Janet Frame’s 99th birthday on the 28th of August.
essa may ranapiri (Ngaati Raukawa, Waikato Tainui, Te Arawa, Ngaati Puukeko, Clan Gunn, Horwood) has published widely,
including the poetry volumes ransack and ECHIDNA. They are a PhD student researching poetry by taangata takataapui. “This prize means so much to me as another curly
haired poet who likes to think their writing has some of Frame's spark in it. I'm so deeply honoured to be recognised in
this way,” they responded.
Janet Frame (1924-2004) founded her charitable trust in 1999 and set up an endowment fund to give financial gifts to New
Zealand authors of poetry and imaginative prose.