Compelling manuscripts crafted by thirteen talented writers, have been chosen to take part in this year’s programme. Each writer will receive a detailed assessment of their manuscript from one of New Zealand’s leading writers and approved assessors, followed by a Q+A session where they receive follow up support. NZSA member writers spend months polishing their stories for entry into this competitive and successful programme.

Our congratulations to the NZSA CompleteMS 2021 recipients: (l to r, top to bottom) Jillian Robinson, Sarah Ell, Tess Redgrave, Manuia Heinrich, Helen Waaka, Jane Arthur, Scott Butler, Rachel Smith (photo credit Raymond Sagapolutele), Melanie Kwang, Anna Woods, Kate Mahoney, Jane Woodham, and Ruth Bayley.

Pictures and profiles of CompleteMS recipients of 2021

These writers have crafted manuscripts that cross a range of writing areas: YA high fantasy; fiction/creative non-fiction short stories; children’s fiction; historical fiction; suspense/thriller; contemporary/historical fiction with a time-slip/time traveller twist; memoir; fiction of the recent past; literary/contemporary fiction; and a Dunedin-based psychological thriller.

80 entries were received for this year’s CompleteMS assessment programme. Always fiercely contested, in 2021 applications to this programme almost doubled. The selection panel of Geoff Walker, Kyle Mewburn and Caroline Barron had their work cut out for them.

The selection panel commented: ‘The amazing total of no fewer than 80 entries was testament perhaps to the extra amount of time that some writers have had over the past 18 months – a unexpected bonus from Covid. 

The quality of many of the entries was so high that one of our judges commented that she was ‘blown away’ by the overall quality of the writing and the thematic breadth of the submissions. This was particularly evident in YA, where there was some lively and very inventive dystopian fiction and time travel. Also strong were memoir of various kinds and literary fiction. 

It’s been a great pleasure for the three judges to work through these riches. It was a shame to have to restrict ourselves to only thirteen projects. There were many more almost as good, and it was very difficult to make our choices.’

Many past recipients have produced final manuscripts that have achieved publication and acclaim.

CompleteMS Manuscript Assessments are offered by by NZ Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (Pen NZ) every year with the intent of fostering and developing emerging talent with the support of established practitioners. The NZSA has run highly successful manuscript assessment and mentoring programmes for writers since 1999 that are supported by funding from Creative New Zealand.