JUDGE’S COMMENTS WHITI HEREAKA
SHORT STORY - SECONDARY SCHOOL AND OPEN It’s been a pleasure to be involved with this year’s Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards. I’m a big believer that stories and art help us all to navigate this often strange world — particularly in a world tipped off kilter by a global pandemic. Some of the entries into the short story competition this year reflected what is happening in our world: dealing with the realities of lockdown and the strains of mental illness. But there were also humorous stories and stories of hope. I thank every writer who entered their work into this year’s competition — I acknowledge your skills and your hard work in creating engaging stories.
The stories I picked all created vivid characters and felt very grounded in Taranaki. Each of them stayed with me after I had read them the first time, and I still felt excitement on reading them the second or third time. I’d like to offer my congratulations to the winners and the runners up.
Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Award Finalist Booklet 2020 |
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