Nth Shore Writer Rewarded For Literary Excellence

EMBARGOED UNTIL 8PM 22 August 2008

North Shore Writer Rewarded For Literary Excellence
-Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Unpublished Manuscript and Book Awards-

North Shore writer Imre Vallyon has won a major literature prize at the annual nationwide Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Unpublished Manuscript and Book Awards held on Friday 22 August in Auckland.

Mr Vallyon of Albany won the $10,000 award for Heavens and Hells of the Mind, a four volume work that seeks to find a solution to the problems of humanity by invoking the true spiritual values of life which materialism can not provide.

The awards, run in association with the New Zealand Society of Authors, are in their fifth year and recognise excellence in writing in the mind, body, spirit genre.

The judges described Mr Vallyon’s work as “a remarkable and exhaustive work on human consciousness and the wisdom of the ages.”

New Zealand Society of Authors Programme Manager, Tina Shaw, says awareness of the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust literature awards continues to grow every year.

“The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust literature awards offer writers much needed support and encouragement and have become a key event on the New Zealand literary calendar.“

“It feels joyous and exhilarating to be named the winner,” says Mr Vallyon. “I hope there are many people in the world who are in true sympathy with spiritual values and spiritual energies who want to help to transform our world to be a better place to live in.”

The judges for the 2008 awards were Jennifer Eddington, owner of Pathfinder Bookshop; Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust trustee Adonia Wylie; author and editor Stephen Stratford; and convenor of judges, New Zealand author, Richard Webster.

Judge and Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust trustee Adonia Wylie, says the calibre of entries submitted for the awards was very high, which made the judges decision difficult.

“The Trust would like to congratulate Imre on winning the 2008 Book award. His work is an amazing achievement,” says Adonia Wylie.

The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust is the owner of Auckland’s Hopetoun Alpha venue and the legacy of the late Ashton Wylie. The Trust was established in 2001 with the main intent of promoting more loving relationships. The Trust’s Book and Unpublished Manuscript Awards were established in 2004, in association with the New Zealand Society of Authors, to encourage the expansion of the mind, body and spirit literature genre in New Zealand.

ENDS

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