Adam Foundation Prize
Damien Wilkins, Adam Foundation Prize winner Joseph Trinidad, and Chris Finlayson, representing Verna Ada
An essay collection exploring a family’s life between Aotearoa and the Philippines and a poetry collection embedded in the landscapes of Central Otago have been awarded the Adam Foundation Prize in Creative Writing and the Biggs Family Prize in Poetry by the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) for 2023.
Examiners described the Adam Prize-winning work Lucky Creatures by Joseph Trinidad as a strong and emotive essay collection that delves into themes including family, love, sexuality, and both global and social mobility. Joseph works as a content developer for Xero.
He wrote the winning manuscript, Lucky Creatures, as part of his 2023 Master of Arts (MA) at the IIML, at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. One of the examiners, US-based writer and Indigenous Studies academic Dr Lana Lopesi, praised Lucky Creatures as “a vibrant intervention in the literary landscape”.
“Lucky Creatures is a warm and often funny read,” says Te Herenga Waka senior lecturer Chris Price, co-convenor of the MA programme. “It delves into the experience of both immigrant and queer families in essays full of verve, affection, and the occasional surreal moment that takes us by surprise.”
Joseph says, “I haven’t yet metabolised the absolute (and absurd) privilege of winning the Adam Foundation Prize. This award has given me invaluable motivation to cultivate and deepen my interests, and finish my manuscript. I owe a huge amount of gratitude to my convenor, Chris Price, and my supervisor, Rose Lu for their sharp eye and expert mentorship. To my classmates, who showed endless encouragement and generosity, not a single essay would be possible without their efforts. You have my gratitude. Para sa mga bakla, aking pamilya at aming lucky stars. Mahal na mahal ko kayo.”
Supported by Wellingtonians Verna Adam and the late Denis Adam through the Victoria University Foundation, the $5,000 Adam Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding student in the MA in Creative Writing programme.
The Biggs Family Prize in Poetry was awarded to Ella Borrie for Confluence, a collection that takes in the mountains and rivers of Central Otago along with the Clyde Dam and the apricot orchards of Cromwell, tilting towards the poet’s family, friends and relationships, and away into colonial history and the deep geological time of the land.
The Biggs Family Prize, supported by Mary and Peter Biggs, is awarded to one of the most promising poetry folios produced during the MA year. Examiner Lynn Davidson wrote that, “The collection is beautifully cohesive, and leads us to insights with a light hand.”
Ella Borrie works as a policy advisor for the Department of Conservation in Wellington. She says, “I feel honoured to be awarded this prize, and would like to thank Mary and Peter Biggs for their generosity. Many of the poems I wrote this year are about my hometown, Cromwell, and my family. I’m delighted that my specific stories might resonate with others. It has been a joy to dedicate a year to writing, and I am grateful to my classmates and course convener for making it so special and fruitful.”
“Confluence sets the geological and human histories of Central Otago in the contemporary context, showing how inheritances of the past play out in the present and point towards possible futures,” says Chris.
Extracts from both prize-winning works are available to read online in the 2023 edition of the IIML’s literary journal Turbine | Kapohau, which was launched last night.
Previous Adam Foundation Prize recipients include authors Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall, Rebecca K Reilly, Eleanor Catton, Ashleigh Young, Hera Lindsay Bird and Tayi Tibble. Previous Biggs Family Prize winners include Nina Mingya Powles, Bill Nelson, Morgan Bach, Joanna Cho, and Sam Duckor-Jones.
