Teenage Poets, Poetry Finalists Announced

Ten Teenage Poets, Two Lucky Winners, One Nationwide Competition - Poetry Finalists Announced

Ernest Hemingway, fish, Taipei, musical scales and kayaks are a taste of the themes preoccupying the ten finalists in this year's New Zealand Post Poetry Awards.

The ten finalists, a tiny proportion of hundreds of entrants from around New Zealand, are competing for a grand prize of cash and the chance for one poem to be turned into a song.

Winners will be announced on August 17 at a ceremony in Wellington.

Themed 'Liberate your Words,' this year's competition has been judged by award-winning New Zealand poet Andrew Johnston.

Andrew Johnston says he was astonished by the range of tones and voices that came across the ten very different poems.

"In every case their energy and curiosity leapt out at me, and sometimes their imperfections make them much more interesting than poems that are polished but predictable. I'm confident the authors have what it takes to write even better poems, and it's exciting to imagine what they might go on to do."

The competition was open to all Year 12 and 13 students attending New Zealand secondary schools.

This is the first time the competition has offered the prize for a shortlisted poem to be recorded by Black Seeds performer Barnaby Weir. The song will be performed, distributed to radio stations and made available for free download on iTunes and Digirama.

The overall competition winner will take away a $500 cash prize and a $500 grant to their school library. All ten finalists will have their expenses paid to attend a poetry masterclass at Victoria University in Wellington, and receive a package of book tokens and literary subscriptions.

This is the first year New Zealand Post has supported the competition, which is run by Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters.

The finalists
Zoe Newman, Year 13, Dargaville School - Something less than nothing (but still I kiss you silver)
Laura Lincoln, Year 12, Karamu High School, Hastings - So here we are
Michaela Ball, Year 13, Cashmere High School, Christchurch - Scarlet Lips
Chloë Nannestad, Year 12, Epsom Girls Grammar, Auckland - Mosaic
Alisha Vara, Year 13, Rangi Ruru Girls School, Christchurch, - lifetime(s)
Sam Wells, Year 12, Wellington College - Lazy Boy
Sue Mun Huang, Year 12, Karamu High School, Hastings - Father, Ph.D
Michael Trigg, Year 13, Wellington College - Act One
Sarah Zydervelt, Year 12, Nayland College, Nelson - A Leaving Message (for Eriko)
Shannyn Boyd, Year 12, Hutt Valley High School, Lower Hutt - The Pact

ENDS

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