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Congratulations to the 2024 Te Tauihu Short Story Awards finalists
English Language Section
Finalist Judge: Paula Morris
First Prize ($1000): My Alice by Jillian Robinson
Judge Paula Morris said:
This story stood out for me because of its tone, which managed to avoid sentimentality even while the narrator describes a much-loved grandmother. The narrator’s dry humour makes the difference here, particularly with characterisation and with the story’s ending.
There’s fluency to the writing here and a style in evidence from the opening: this drops us straight into the story without preamble. I particularly liked the author’s handling of scene, with just the right pace in the pikelet-making section, managing to balance point of view, action and dialogue at the same time.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Second Prize ($500): Rosie and the Wolf by Tania Norfolk
Judge Paula Morris said:
A number of the submitted stories dealt with trauma and death, and this subject matter can ensnare a story writer. In such a compressed form, some writers will tilt into melodrama, sentimentality or abstractions. This story avoids those traps by combining the story of a childhood friend lost to illness with the (topical) trauma of dealing with a flood, and by dealing with both subjects with a light and sure touch.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Third Prize ($300): The Thief by Angela Barnett
Judge Paula Morris said:
This story takes a familiar situation – a woman attending a funeral – and subverts it with an imaginative narrative about theft and coincidence. The author is adept with dialogue and also with maintaining tension in the story through subtle hints at conflict.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Other shortlisted stories:
Te Reo Māori Section
Finalist Judge: Vaughan Rapatahana
First Prize ($500): Ko te Haerenga by Atakohu Middleton
Judge Vaughan Rapatahana said:
I think that, without any doubt, our first prize winner is Ko te Haerenga. Well-written, well-paced, suspenseful, as dark as the night on which the activity takes place.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Highly Commended:
Note: There were fewer than 10 entries in this section, so judges chose three stories eligible for consideration.
Finalist Judge: Paula Morris
First Prize ($1000): My Alice by Jillian Robinson
Judge Paula Morris said:
This story stood out for me because of its tone, which managed to avoid sentimentality even while the narrator describes a much-loved grandmother. The narrator’s dry humour makes the difference here, particularly with characterisation and with the story’s ending.
There’s fluency to the writing here and a style in evidence from the opening: this drops us straight into the story without preamble. I particularly liked the author’s handling of scene, with just the right pace in the pikelet-making section, managing to balance point of view, action and dialogue at the same time.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Second Prize ($500): Rosie and the Wolf by Tania Norfolk
Judge Paula Morris said:
A number of the submitted stories dealt with trauma and death, and this subject matter can ensnare a story writer. In such a compressed form, some writers will tilt into melodrama, sentimentality or abstractions. This story avoids those traps by combining the story of a childhood friend lost to illness with the (topical) trauma of dealing with a flood, and by dealing with both subjects with a light and sure touch.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Third Prize ($300): The Thief by Angela Barnett
Judge Paula Morris said:
This story takes a familiar situation – a woman attending a funeral – and subverts it with an imaginative narrative about theft and coincidence. The author is adept with dialogue and also with maintaining tension in the story through subtle hints at conflict.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Other shortlisted stories:
- A Father's First Steps by Josie Laird
- Bloodbath by Kieran Stone
- Braemar Seniors Parkour Club by Roly Andrews
- Rainman by Pam Henson
- Supi Run (Mate Whakaahuru) by Steph Le Gros
- Taciturnity by K-T Harrison
- The Ice-breaker by Pip Pam HensonHarrison
Te Reo Māori Section
Finalist Judge: Vaughan Rapatahana
First Prize ($500): Ko te Haerenga by Atakohu Middleton
Judge Vaughan Rapatahana said:
I think that, without any doubt, our first prize winner is Ko te Haerenga. Well-written, well-paced, suspenseful, as dark as the night on which the activity takes place.
Click here to read the story. (Opens in a new window.)
Highly Commended:
- Ko te rā tū tēnei by Hāmihi Duncan
- Te Hapori Karawēne by Dr Darryn Joseph
Note: There were fewer than 10 entries in this section, so judges chose three stories eligible for consideration.
Due to the limited number of entries received, judge Nuki Takao was unable to award finalist prizes in this section.