Wonderland shortlisted for NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize

The 'Cuba'

I’m truly thrilled that my unpublished novel, Wonderland, has been shortlisted for the NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize 2024, a prize that celebrates writing with a ‘unique and original vision’. The shortlist of four writers – Abigail von Ahsen, Jade Hallamore, Jacqueline Owens and me – was judged by Cassie Hart and Anne Kennedy, … Read more…

Mildura Writers Festival and Residency

Mildura Writers Festival

Next month’s going to be all about Mildura, so I’m going to keep this post short and sweet, as a taste of what’s to come. I’ve been lucky enough to be awarded the inaugural Mildura Writers Festival Residency. The residency is an initiative of Arts Mildura and the Mildura Writers Festival. During the month (July 2015) … Read more…

Once Had Me

The car winds between steep fields that sweep down, green, to meet the road. The high sides of hills make corners you can’t see around. The sun’s out, but everything’s still soaking, the road steaming. Lucy presses the button and the window glass moves down, widens the gap, lets in damp fresh air. ‘Go right, … Read more…

‘Once had me’ wins short story award

Last week, I won the 2014 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award for my story ‘Once had me’. The story was published in the Sunday Star-Times over the weekend. The SS-T Short Story Award, now in its 30th year, has been won by some of New Zealand’s best (and my favourite) writers — including Sarah Quigley, … Read more…

A six-month hunch: CreativeNZ Arts Grant funding

It’s taken me a week to post this, a week in which “t”s have been being crossed, and “i”s dotted (aka six months leave from the day job negotiated). I’ve been awarded an Arts Grant (Literature) by Creative New Zealand. The grant will fund me to write full-time for the first six months of 2015. What … Read more…

Awarded Varuna Second Book Fellowship for 2015

I’ve been awarded one of four two-week Varuna Second Book Fellowships to work on my second novel, The Hope Fault. I’ve been working on the first draft of the novel this year — there are some loose links and hints to it in my blog post from my residency at NZ Pacific Studio earlier this year, … Read more…