Nominations are now being
called for Australasia’s largest single literary award – the
$60,000 Prize in Modern Letters.
Nominations must be received by
31 July 2003.
Professor Bill Manhire,
Director of the International Institute of Modern Letters at
Victoria University, says nominations are sought from New
Zealand’s talented emerging writers for the biennial award.
“The Prize in Modern letters
is designed to celebrate and advance the work of our best new
writers,” he says.
The International Institute of
Modern Letters (IIML), based at Victoria University, administers
the Prize in Modern Letters.
Professor Manhire will convene
a panel of three judges who will announce a short list by 15
October 2003. Judges will pay particular attention to literary
achievement and potential, and to the overall quality of
authorship.
A USA-based judging panel will
then determine the overall winner for the second time in the
short history of the prestigious award.
The winner will be announced in
March 2004 during the New Zealand Festival.
Conditions of entry,
eligibility and nomination forms are available online at
www.vuw.ac.nz/modernletters/prizeinmodernletters.html
In 2002, Catherine Chidgey was
the inaugural winner of the Prize in Modern Letters after 30
entrants were short listed to four.
This week, Chidgey was named in
The Listener as New Zealand's top novelist under 40 – as
judged by a panel of reviewers and academics.
Chidgey is a graduate of Bill
Manhire’s creative writing programme at Victoria University.
In March 2001, Glenn Schaeffer
launched the International Institute of Modern Letters based at
Victoria University’s Kelburn campus and, at the same time,
initiated and provided funding for the Prize in Modern Letters.
Glen Schaeffer maintains close
links with the University and received an honorary doctor of
literature degree at a Victoria University graduation ceremony
on 14 May, 2003.
ENDS
Contact Bill Manhire, Director, International Institute of
Modern Letters, phone (04) 463 6808.
Issued by Victoria University of Wellington Public Affairs
For further information please contact Rob.Lee@vuw.ac.nz or
phone 04 463 5163 or 025 675 5399
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