Michael King Writers Centre are delighted to receive a very strong field of over 70 submissions from around the country for the inaugural Signals Young Writers Awards 2021.

Judge Kate de Goldi, gave this feedback: “All the shortlisted entries were interesting – real talent and, importantly, extremely well-developed craft skills. I think the thing that distinguished the winning entries for me was the writers’ stylistic control and their capacity for compression – knowing what to leave out, the power of implication – and the feeling of a discernible voice at work on the page”.

MKWC is very happy to announce the young writers who have received an award in the three categories of Fiction, Non-fiction and Poetry. They receive a cash prize ($150 each) and the overall winner also receives a writing mentorship with a Penguin Random House New Zealand author and an additional $150.

The winners are:

Poetry: ‘Waterside Walk‘ by Jackson McCarthy

Non-fiction: ‘Good Catholic’ by Ruby Macomber

Fiction: ‘Raumati’ by Stella Weston

Overall Winner: Ruby Macomber

Congratulations to all three winners and huge thanks to all those who submitted, to judge Kate de Goldi and also to Penguin Random House New Zealand for their support.

View the winning submissions via the links above.

Writers shortlisted for the awards include: Angela Tolifau, Anthony Pita (Highly Commended), Darla Rennie, E. Wen Wong, Ella Quarmby, Fineen Hingston, Holly Gao, Josi Hamill, Lauren Gibson, Lucy Barge, Maddie van Leeuwen, Ruby Macomber (for Fiction)  and Sarah-Kate Simons.

The Michael King Writers Centre is currently working on a new framework for our Young Writers Programme and hopes to be able to offer more exciting opportunities in 2022.  If you would like to join the newsletter database please email: administrator@writerscentre.org.nz with YWP Database in the Subject Line.