In 1997 Landfall celebrated its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, then editor Chris Price launched the Landfall Essay Competition, sponsored by Otago University Press. From 2009, the competition has been an annual award.

The purpose of the competition remains as it was at the outset: to encourage New Zealand writers to think aloud about New Zealand culture, and to revive and sustain the tradition of vivid, contentious and creative essay writing in this country – as embodied in the non-fiction of early Landfall contributors such as Bill Pearson, in the essays of past winners of this competition, and in the essays the journal continues to publish.

• Essays should not exceed 4000 words.
• The competition is judged by the editor of Landfall.
• The winner is announced and published in each November issue of Landfall.
• The winner receives $3000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall.
• Entries for the 2018 Landfall Essay competition are now open. The closing date for receipt of entries is 31 July 2018.

• Conditions of entry
• How to enter
• Past winners and short-listed authors

Conditions of entry

1. Essays will be fully developed, independent works and will be no more than 4000 words long.
2. Essays will be on a topic of the author’s choosing.
3. Essays will not have been published elsewhere.
4. Writers will be New Zealand citizens or New Zealand permanent residents.
5. One entry per person will be accepted.
6. The judge will assess the merits of the essays and reserve the right not to award a prize. No correspondence with the judge will be entered into.
7. Landfall reserves the right to publish the winning entry, and other shortlisted entries, at the editor’s discretion.
8. It is a condition of the competition that the winning writer’s name and photograph may be used by Landfall for publicity purposes.

How to enter

• You may post or email your essay.
• Your name should NOT appear on the essay itself. Please include a separate cover letter with your name, address, email and telephone number.
• Posted entries should include the essay on CD or on a memory stick, with text saved as a Word or RTF file. Two hard copies of the essay are also required. These will NOT be returned.
• Emailed entries need to include the essay as a Word or RTF file.

Mail entries to
Landfall Essay Competition
Otago University Press
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand

Courier entries to
Landfall Essay Competition
Otago University Press
Level 1, 398 Cumberland Street
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand

Email entries to 
landfall@otago.ac.nz
with ‘Landfall Essay Competition’ in the subject line

Past winners and short-listed authors

2017: Joint first prize awarded to Laurence Fearnley (Dunedin) and Alie Benge (Wellington). Shortlisted: Ingrid Horrocks, Lynley Edmeades, Sue Wootton, Kate Camp and Mark Houlahan.

2016: Airini Beautrais 2nd: Michalia Arathimos 3rd: Carolyn Cossey

2015: Tracey Slaughter. 2nd: Phil Braithwaite. 3rd: Louise Wallace. Highly commended: Therese Lloyd

2014: Diana Bridge. Runners-up: Sarah Bainbridge, Simon Thomas and Scott Hamilton

2013: Tim Corballis. Runners-up: Eva Ng and Maggie Rainey-Smith

2012: Elizabeth Smither. Runners-up: Majella Cullinane and Jane Williamson

2011: Philip Armstrong. Runner-up: Siobhan Harvey. Commended: Ruth Nichol, Raewyn Alexander and Natalie Kershaw

2010: Ian Wedde

2009: Ashleigh Young

2008: Alice Miller, Kirsten Warner

2006: Anna Sanderson

2004: Martin Edmond and Tze Ming Mok

2002: Patrick Evans and Kapka Kassabova

1999: C.K. Stead and Peter Wells

1997: Gregory O’Brien