Michael Gifkins Prize 2024 shortlist announced
Text Publishing and the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) have announced the shortlist for the 2024 Michael Gifkins Prize for an unpublished novel.
The four manuscripts on the shortlist, chosen from a longlist of 13, are:
- ‘Beneath’ by J S Michaels, ‘a beautiful literary novel that speaks of love of the land and the complex relationship between abuse, grief and class’
- ‘The Birds Began to Sing’ by Jeffrey Buchanan, ‘a warm and humorous coming-of-age story set in small-town New Zealand during the 1960s as a young boy’s secret life collides with the disappearance of a local barman’
- ‘The Swan Hunter’ by Helen Crampton, ‘a quietly melancholic exploration of opposing beliefs and perspectives as part of the search for meaning in life’
- ‘The Universe Gun’ by Patrick Hunn, ‘an outlandish romp that seamlessly blends the everyday with the absurd, challenging the very substance of the lives we lead’.
The shortlist was chosen by Text from a longlist selected by writer and editor Michelle Elvy and the inaugural Michael Gifkins Prize winner, Ruby Porter. Of the longlist, they said: ‘We noticed strong themes that connected current-day conflict with historically rooted issues or future-imagined realities. There is careful attention to time and place, and many capture a locally situated sense of land, sea and air. We admire the ambition of these entries, and feel they all deserve a place on the list.’
The author of the winning manuscript—who will receive a contract for world rights from Text, along with an advance of NZ$10,000—will be announced in July.
Category: Awards Local news
