Winners Announced for Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards 2024

The Lysaght-Watt Trust Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards were held on the evening of Wednesday 23 October, in Hāwera.

This year’s judges, Tracey Slaughter, David Hill and Matt Rilkoff, shared their thoughts on the overall calibre of entries, along with comments about each winning piece of work. The judges noted the works were very grounded in the South Taranaki landscape and reminded people of Taranaki to keep writing.

A copy of the finalist’s winning entries can be found in the 2024 Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards Finalist Book. You can order a copy from any South Taranaki LibraryPlus for $5.

The winners for this year are:

Short Story Secondary School Section

First Place:“Goodbye” Celia Gribble – Stratford High School

Second Place:“Wearing Gates and Gravel Tracks” Evyn Sorenson – Pātea Area School

Third Place:“The Sea’s Lament” Kaia Silva – Te Paepae o Aotea

Highly Commended:

• “The Death of an Underachieving Overachiever” Lauren Kalin – Te Paepae o Aotea

Short Story Open Section

First Place: “Hugo Garrets Exemplary Mowing Technique” Garth Jones – New Plymouth

Second Place: “Homecoming” Karen Nicholas – Hāwera

Third Place:“Three Weeks in August” Pip Harrison - Hāwera

Highly Commended

• “The Door” Willow Noir – Hāwera
• “Epiphany” Brenda Nejme Fawkner nee Abusombra

Poetry Secondary School Section

First Place: “Mount Taranaki’s Broken Places” Molly Sears – Ōpunakē High School

Second Place:“Substances are the Counterfeits of the Real thing” Molly Sears – Ōpunakē High School

Third Place: “P” Evita Morellon – Te Paepae o Aotea

Highly Commended:

• “Conspiring with Angels” Molly Sears - Ōpunakē High School
• “Normal” Gerald Torres - Ōpunakē High School
• “The Glass Doll” Bethany Gyde – Te Paepae o Aotea

Poetry Open Section

First Place: “Holding” Willow Noir - Hāwera

Second Place: “What this Mountain wants” Ami Kindler – New Plymouth

Third Place:“Treatment Plan” Willow Noir – Hāwera

Highly Commended:

• “Time” Ami Kindler – Hāwera
• “To those who let go” Michaela Stoneman – Pātea
• “Washed up” Michaela Stoneman – Pātea

Research Article

First Place:“See you next time” Jahnee Walker-Withers – New Plymouth Boys’ High School

Second Place: “Flickering” Thomas Hooks - New Plymouth Boys’ High School

Third Place:“Autumn Family Trees” Oliver Marsh - New Plymouth Boys’ High School

Highly Commended:

• “My Famous Lightning Bolt” Monique Hayes – Sacred Heart Girls’ College