Celebrating the south’s top writers
Sophistication and unpredictability has taken top marks at the annual Dan Davin Literary Awards.
Winners were announced at ceremony last night at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill last night.
Sandra Lock won the adult poetry section with her poem titled Bali Stitches.
Judges said the poem was surprising, unpredictable and lively in its presentation of an experience.
The senior short story winner was Madeleine Doherty’s story called Blood and marriage.
Judges described her story as ‘‘fresh and amusing’’.
‘‘There was some great detail here that created strong images and motifs of falseness that recurred in different ways.’’
The junior winner was Jackson Bevin, with The Winner revolves around a story of jealousy and prejudice played out in a class spelling bee.
Senior and junior category judge Heather McQuillan said the way the writers handled words came in to play during judging.
‘‘I was delighted when I came across well crafted sentences.
‘‘Precise language, used to provide detail of commonplace things, was extremely powerful.’’
Turn to page 15 to read the senior and junior entries.
Below is Lock’s winning Stitches
While my sisters went to Bali stitches were sewn into my leg.
8 cm on the outside invisible ones inside
The Lotus in the mud, my time on the red sofa. poem: Bali It called to me from the kitchen
Books attached to my hands little bodies by my side the red sofa called them too.
I sat not at a desk, nor for food but for the rest of those 8cms.
I read to me
I read to them they became teachers and hairdressers; my hand writing assessed my hair brushed and tugged
The ‘‘to-do’s’’ left. The kitchen left. For the red sofa.