New Zealand writers invited to enter major awards

The 2010 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Awards are now open and New Zealand writers with a passion for the mind, body, spirit genre are encouraged to enter.

The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literature Awards, run in conjunction with the New Zealand Society of Authors, comprise two national awards that aim to recognise excellence in writing.

The Awards offer some of the largest prizes for literature in New Zealand with two major prizes of $10,000 each – one for an unpublished manuscript and one for a published book.

Adonia Wylie, spokesperson for the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust and member of the judging panel, says that many talented New Zealand writers have entered the awards over the past seven years, encompassing a wide range of beliefs.

“We’ve had a range of fantastic works entered over the years, covering everything from food’s ability to nourish us on all levels, to explorations of spirituality from fresh new perspectives. We’ve seen works exploring how to make the world of business a more humane process and place to work, and a fictional account of the life of Jesus from Judas’ perspective.”

Ms Wylie says the Trust’s founder, Ashton Wylie, was an Auckland businessman with spiritual awareness at the core of his interests, particularly in the area of personal development and positive relationships.

“In keeping with his legacy, the awards were established to encourage the expansion of the mind, body and spirit literature genre in New Zealand. We are looking for works which encompass a wide range of beliefs, and have the power to enlighten, amuse and educate the reader, while having a profound impact on the reader’s spiritual thoughts and opinions.”

Last year Norman Maclean of Gisborne won the $10,000 unpublished manuscript category for his work Jesus on our own Ground, and Gwendolyn Toynton of Christchurch won the book category for Primordial Traditions Compendium 2009.

Tina Shaw, Programme Manager, The New Zealand Society of Authors, says that the Awards provide important support for New Zealand writers.

“We are lucky to have many incredibly talented, hardworking writers in New Zealand and the Ashton Wylie Awards provide them with much deserved and needed support. I would encourage all New Zealand writers with an interest in the mind, body, spirit genre to enter.”

To be eligible for the awards, authors must be New Zealand citizens residing here. Unpublished manuscripts must be submitted by 31 March 2010, and be between 20,000 and 100,000 words in length. Published books must be submitted by 31 May 2010, should be 48 pages or longer, and must have been published between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust’s own venue, Hopetoun Alpha in Auckland in August.

Submission forms and entry details are available from The New Zealand Society of Authors national office, phone: 09 379 4801, email: office@nzauthors.org.nz or post: PO Box 7701, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141.

ENDS


NOTES:

ABOUT THE ASHTON WYLIE CHARITABLE TRUST

The late Auckland businessman Ashton Wylie was a philanthropist with a wide range of interests particularly in the area of personal development and positive relationships. The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust was set up at Ashton's request and was named after him.

Ashton Wylie believed that if one wanted to change the world, one had to first change oneself. Changes are then made by example as ultimately, one can change for the better others that reside within one’s sphere of influence.

The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust was set up following Ashton Wylie’s death in 1999 with the mandate of having human relationships as its focus, and its main intent being to promote more loving relationships.

For further information visit: www.hopetounalpha.co.nz.


THE NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF AUTHORS

The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) is the principal representative for the professional interests of authors in New Zealand. It began as the NZ PEN Centre in 1934 in Wellington. From 1934 onwards the organisation campaigned for a public lending right, and in 1973 the Authors' Fund was established. In 1975 PEN initiated the NZ Writers' Guild to represent writers in their dealings with broadcasting and professional theatres.

The NZSA runs a range of programmes, which encourage emerging writers, and actively represents writers’ interests on a number of fronts with publishers and others.

The Society's major goals are the full representation and support of writers; an ongoing interest in writers being rewarded and recognised for their professional work; the protecting of freedom of expression and cultural diversity celebrated through literature.