Author Becky Manawatu has won The Sargeson Prize, the country's biggest short story competition, taking home $15,000 for her work, The Vase. First offered in 2019, the competition showcases new work from emerging and established writers with an open and secondary schools categories. It's sponsored by the University of Waikato and its named after celebrated New Zealand writer Frank Sargeson.
Becky's first novel, Aue, won two Ockham New Zealand Book Awards in 2020 and she also won Best Crime Novel at the Ngaio Marsh Awards. But her previous accolades and her established name didn't sway the judges, as the judging is conducted blind - and the author's name is not allowed on submitted manuscripts.
First place in the Secondary Schools Division went to Brooke Smith, a student at Auckland's Waiuku College, for her entry Piece of the Furniture. Brooke takes home $2000 and a week-long summer writing residency at Waikato. All winning stories will be published by Newsroom in its literary section, ReadingRoom. Becky Manawatu speaks to Culture 101 following her victory.
