No doubt about it, it’s been astellar year for New Zealand fiction. Many of our best writers had novels out, several debut writers made asplash, while the quality of non-fiction was also high. In this year’s Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, which hands apulse-raising $64,000 prize to the winning author, the talent has blazed through. Half the finalists have previously made an appearance at these awards.
Stephen Daisley, an Australiabased expat, who won this prize in 2016 for is the sole male among the 10 fiction finalists. Catherine Chidgey has also won before (twice), as has Pip Adam, Eleanor Catton and Emily Perkins. Anna Smaill was longlisted for the Booker for 2015’sbut this is her first Ockham finalist spot. Aremarkable six out of 10 finalists come from one outfit, Te Herenga Waka University Press or THWUP, the publisher
