Sunday Star Times Short Story Awards

Congratulations to the top 10 finalists in the Open and Secondary Schools categories of the Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards.

Open category judge Elizabeth Smither selected the top 10 out of 76 sent on by the panel of eight pre-jedges, echoing the comments of many judges when she notes that deciding the finalists and winner "is both a pleasure and a torment". The top 10, in no particular order, are:

Emma Gallagher of Wellington with 'The Building of Widows', Richard Pearce of Auckland with 'Stick in a Box', Anna Keir of Christchurch with 'Stalking Ella Ryman', Nina Seja of Palmerston North with 'The Raft of Dannevirke", Sue Francis of Waimate with "The Concentrators', Gail Brooks of Wellington with 'Samson and Delilah', Margot Schwass of Wellington with 'Taxi', Natasha Dennerstien of Wellington with 'Old Yello', Thom Conroy of Palmerston North with 'The Open Well', and Greg Fleming of Auckland with 'The Competition'.

The top 10 in the Secondary Schools division, as selected by judge Fleur Beale and in no particular order, are:

Rita Maxwell of Opotiki college with 'False Speculation', Birgetta Swanberg of Northcote College, North Shore, with 'To My 10-Year-Old-Self', Ruby Porter of Northcote College, North Shore, with 'Changed', Duncan McKechnie of Rutherford College, Auckland with 'Greater Expectations', Emily Osbourne of Epsom Girls Grammar, Auckland, with 'Mandarins', Anna Krepinsky of Rangitoto College, North Shore, with 'Gardening Lessons', Emily Draper of Epsom Girls Grammar, Auckland with 'The Outsider', Lucy Diver of St Cuthberts College, Auckland with 'Forbidden Fruit', Alisha Lewis of Epsom Girls Grammar, Auckland, with 'Like Little Bits of Snow', Lucy Diver of St Cuthberts College, Auckland, with 'Taking Flowers'.