Encounters of a Vernacular Kind winners
Written by
The Depot is pleased to announce the winner, runner up and highly commended writer of the 2011 Cultural Icons & The Vernacular Lounge Non-fiction Writing Competition, ‘Encounters of a Vernacular Kind’, a narrative competition on the topic of New Zealand’s distinctive local culture through its everyday icons.
The Depot is pleased to announce the winner, runner up and highly commended writer of the 2011 Cultural Icons & The Vernacular Lounge Non-fiction Writing Competition, ‘Encounters of a Vernacular Kind’, a narrative competition on the topic of New Zealand’s distinctive local culture through its everyday icons.
The competition was judged by Graham Beattie, Linda Blincko and Federico Monsalve.
The 1st Prize goes to Anna Harding with her entry A Mall to Remember. Anna wins an eight to ten week writing course at The Creative Hub in Auckland.
The 2nd Prize goes to Philippa Werry with her entry Anyone Can Play. Philippa wins a $500 book package from Random House New Zealand
The judges would also like to Highly Commend author Derek Jones with his entry A Sense of Itself .
“Judging proved somewhat harder than I had anticipated as the nine shortlisted entries were all of a high standard and I offer my congratulations to all of them.” Graham Beattie
“Each writer had chosen a unique subject by which to articulate the vernacular; from familiar places and everyday activities to the characters whose attitudes, dress and demeanour ‘spoke’ distinctly of New Zealand…. I would like to thank each writer for entering this competition, for affording me much pleasure in encountering so many aspects of the New Zealand vernacular I had previously taken for granted. ” Linda Blincko
“The winning pieces were great at synthesising a community and portraying a palpable, colourful and perceptive microcosm. Congratulations to all.” Federico Monsalve
The Cultural Icons project www.culturalicons.co.nz and The Vernacular Lounge are both initiatives of The Depot with the aim being to identify, discuss and debate New Zealand’s continually emerging cultural identity and to celebrate those who have significantly contributed to it.
The winning entries are available to read online at www.morphmagazine.co.nz and will shortly be available as podcasts on www.jamradio.co.nz.
PRIZES:
1st Prize – A Mall to Remember by Anna Harding wins: An eight to ten week writing course at The Creative Hub in Auckland (www.thecreativehub.net.nz), manuscript assessment, published online on Morph Magazine www.morphmagazine.co.nz, recorded and made available on Jam Radio www.jamradio.co.nz.
2nd Prize – Anyone Can Play by Philippa Werry wins: A $500 book package from Random House New Zealand, manuscript assessment, published online on Morph Magazine www.morphmagazine.co.nz, recorded and made available on Jam Radio www.jamradio.co.nz.
SPONSORS:
The Creative Hub (first prize sponsor)
The Creative Hub provides a variety of writing courses, taught by some of New Zealand’s leading writers and teachers of writing. Located on Auckland's beautiful Princes Wharf, we offer a stunning location in which to have fun and learn new skills. We aspire to the highest standards of excellence, while preserving the sense of fun in exploring your own creativity. Our tutors and workshops leaders include well-known authors Tessa Duder, Paula Morris, Graham Reid, Yvonne Van Dongen, Roger Hall, Tina Shaw, John Cranna and former Penguin publisher Geoff Walker. The Creative Hub is NZ's first writing centre run entirely by professional authors and editors.
The winner of the 2011 Cultural Icons Non-fiction Writing Competition may choose to attend one writing course in 2012 up to the value of $585 incl. GST. Courses available may include: Children & Young Adult Fiction Writing, Introduction to Screen Writing, The Art and Craft of Memoir, Book Publishing – The Inside Story OR Introduction to Creative Writing. See www.creativehub.net.nz for course details.
Random House (second prize sponsor)
Random House New Zealand is a subsidiary of Random House International, the largest English language publisher in the world, owned by the Bertelsmann group.
In addition to their high-profile international titles, Random House New Zealand has a very active, award-winning local publishing division which publishes around 110 titles a year, making them among the most active of local publishers.
Random House New Zealand has been voted Publisher of the Year and Distributor of the Year by the book trade for several years in a row.
The second prize winner of the 2011 Cultural Icons Non-fiction Writing Competition receives a $500 RRP book package from Random House New Zealand ($400RRP of books chosen by Random House, $100RRP chosen by prize winner).
ABOUT CULTURAL ICONS and THE VERNACULAR LOUNGE
The Depot’s Cultural Icons project celebrates people who have contributed significantly to New Zealand’s creative landscape. It is a series of recorded interviews and programmes whose aim is to share the histories, stories and experiences of some of our most significant visual artists, architects, publishers, entrepreneurs, writers, musicians, arts commentators and philanthropists.
The interviews are between friends and contemporaries and form a fascinating cultural genealogy. Warm, informed and often intimate, the dialogues are a rare insight into these iconic people’s creative journeys, their youthful ambitions, their hurdles, successes and their contributions to New Zealand’s arts and culture scene.
The audio interviews are accessible online and provided free of charge. As well as creating a valuable and accessible archive for researchers and students, The Depot also actively promotes the interviews to a wider audience.
Another Depot initiative inspired and supported by the Cultural Icons project is The New Zealand Vernacular Lounge. The Vernacular Lounge is an intimate living room where the influences that shape New Zealand’s distinctive cultural identity as defined by its art, architecture, literature, film and other cultural forms, are discussed, debated, explored and celebrated.
The ‘lounge’, while not peculiar to New Zealand, is traditionally and typically the social hub of the New Zealand home and it is in this spirit and form that the Vernacular Lounge will host and initiate presentations, exhibitions, happenings, recitals, screenings, concerts and performances that explore and develop our cultural vernacular. Currently at The Depot is the NZ Cultural Genealogy Mapping Project, part of the Vernacular Lounge concept, which explores and makes visual the rich landscape of relationships and influences throughout New Zealand’s arts culture.