Text Publishing and the NZ Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) are  thrilled to announce entries for the 2023 Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel are now open.

The Prize seeks fiction manuscripts by published and unpublished authors who are citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand. It celebrates the life and work of the writer and agent Michael Gifkins. The winner will receive a publication contract for world rights from Text, and an advance of NZ $10,000.

Submissions to the 2023 prize will close at midnight NZST on Thursday 14 October 2022. The shortlist will be announced in the second quarter of 2023 and the winner in the third quarter of 2023. The prize will be administered by the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc). Entry forms and terms and conditions can be found here.

The Gifkins Prize is made possible by a generous financial commitment from the Gifkins family and from Text Publishing. It is administered by the NZ Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc. Previous winners of the Gifkins Prize are Ruby Porter, Tom Remiger, Gigi Fenster, Tom Baragwanath, and Emma Sidnam.