Janet Frame Memorial Award goes to Laurence Fearnley

18 November 2016

Final NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Award goes to Laurence Fearnley

NZSA is delighted to announce Laurence Fearnley as the recipient of the Janet Frame Memorial Award 2016

The NZ Society of Authors Janet Frame Memorial Award of $3,000 is awarded to an author of literary or imaginative fiction or poetry with the purpose of supporting a mid-career or established writer in furthering their literary career.

Laurence Fearnley is a novelist and non-fiction writer who lives in Dunedin, a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. She plans to use the award developing her current project - writing a series of short pieces structured in such a way that each story responds to the traditional development and dry-down of perfume. That is, the volume will open with ‘top notes’, develop through the ‘heart notes’ and end with ‘base notes’.

Laurence says "I have long been interested in landscape and ‘place’ and have explored aspects of both in novels such as The Quiet Spectacular, The Hut Builder, Edwin and Matilda. But I am also interested in perfume and scent, and over the past year I have been thinking about ways to approach landscape through smell, rather than through sight (or sound). I believe that by taking notice of the scent of my surroundings, I have come to appreciate a more detailed, intimate relationship with the places I visit."

Selection panel convener Owen Marshall commented "the selection panel were in agreement in their choice of a very strong shortlist of five, all authors who would be worthy recipients of the award. The final selection of a winner was a difficult task, but we are delighted to be able to give the award to Laurence Fearnley. Her application and publishing record are impressive. We congratulate Laurence Fearnley and shortlisted writers Siobhan Harvey, Tracey Slaughter, Tina Shaw and Riemke Ensing. We also wish well all those writers who applied."

The New Zealand Society of Authors Janet Frame Memorial Award has run biennially since 2008, thanks to a gift from the Janet Frame Literary Trust, to support a mid-career or established writer of poetry, literary or imaginative fiction. Past recipients are Emma Neale, Tim Jones, Diane Brown and Elizabeth Smither. This is the final award in a series of five.

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