Judges announced for 2021 Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards
The wait is over! The Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards 2021 Judges have been announced.
This year’s Short Story Judge is Eileen Merriman. Eileen is an award-winning novelist, short story and flash fiction writer with numerous published novels. Merriman’s young adult novels, Pieces of You, Catch Me When You Fall and Invisibly Breathing, were finalists in the NZ Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards and are Storylines Notable Books. Her first adult novel Moonlight Sonata was released in 2019 and was longlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction.
Vaughan Rapatahana is the Poetry Judge for this year’s competition. Vaughan is a prolific New Zealand Poet who also writes a variety of other material. Born in Pātea, Rapatahana is of Māori heritage; he has been published in both English and Te Reo and has been described as a global poet. Rapatahana received poetry grants in both 2013 and 2015 from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, the former for a collection of Hong Kong poets which he initiated and co-edited, titled Outloud Too. In 2013 Rapatahana was placed highly in the Erbacce prize for poetry.
The judges will be joined by Taranaki Daily News editor Matt Rilkoff, who will be judging the research section.
Entries for the competition open on Tuesday 8 June and workshops will be held for both Poetry and Short story held on Saturday 12 June.
The award winners will be announced on Thursday 21 October.
