The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) congratulates Tim Jones on winning the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship 2022!

Tim Jones is a Pākehā author who lives in Te Whanganui-a-tara / Wellington. He received the NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Award for Literature in 2010, and his recent books include poetry collection New Sea Land (Mākaro Press, 2016) and climate fiction novella Where We Land (The Cuba Press, 2019).

“I’m honoured and delighted to receive the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship for 2022,” said Tim Jones. “It’s great that this fellowship recognises the importance of supporting mid-career and senior authors, and I’m honoured to follow in the footsteps of the wonderful authors who have previously received it. I’d also like to thank the judges for selecting my project, and to thank Peter Beatson and The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc).”

“I’ll be using the funding, and the writing time it allows, to help me work on revisions to my novel in progress, which has the working title ‘Emergency Weather‘. It’s a near-future climate fiction novel that looks at what it’s like for ordinary people to be addressing – or trying to avoid addressing – the climate emergency as the weather gets more extreme, the seas rise, and politicians continue to run round in tight little circles of inaction.”

The judging panel of Siobhan Harvey and Philippa Werry commented: “The NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship is a major New Zealand literary award. As Judges, we are aware of the significant contribution the fellowship makes to the selected writers’ publishing success. As such, we encourage more New Zealand writers who fulfil the application criteria to apply for this important fellowship in future.

We thank the Beatson whãnau, particularly Peter Beatson for his input into the judging process, and for continuing to support authors through the Fellowship.”

The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc)  congratulates winner Tim Jones, along with runner-up Vivienne Plumb and the three shortlisted applicants:- Louise Wallace, Kimberly Andrews and Wes Lee.

This annual award is made possible with thanks to the generosity of the Beatson’s. In establishing this fellowship, they have given NZ authors a valuable opportunity to be economically secure while they bring a project to completion.  It’s a commitment and affirmation for New Zealand writers. The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) is most grateful.

In 2021 the fellowship was awarded to Whiti Hereaka who used the time to complete the research and development for a new novel. In previous years, recipients have included: Siobhan Harvey, Frankie McMillan, Sue Wooton, Jillian Sullivan, Tina Makereti, Michael Harlow, Emma Neale, Mandy Hager, Carl Nixon, Glenn Colquhoun, Sue McCauley and Marilyn Duckworth.

The NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship is an annual award open to any NZSA members working on a new fiction, non-fiction, poetry or drama project. Find out more about the fellowship.

Photo credit: Sonali Mukherji