The ''Landfall'' Essay Competition is an annual competition open to New Zealand writers. It is judged by the current editor of the long-running literary magazine ''Landfall'' and the winning entry is published in a subsequent issue of the magazine.

History

The ''Landfall'' Essay Competition was first held in 1997 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the literary magazine ''Landfall''. It was begun by Chris Price, who was editor at the time, and was sponsored by the

Otago University Press Otago University Press is an academic publisher associated with the University of Otago. The press is located in Dunedin, New Zealand. The Otago University Press is the oldest academic publisher in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Otago University Press ...

. The competition has been awarded annually since 2009 and is judged each year by the current editor. The aim of the competition is "to encourage New Zealand writers to think aloud about New Zealand culture" and "to revive and sustain the tradition of vivid, contentious and creative essay writing". In 2017 the Charles Brasch Young Writers' Essay Competition, named for ''Landfall'' founder

Charles Brasch Charles Orwell Brasch (27 July 1909 – 20 May 1973) was a New Zealand poet, literary editor and arts patron. He was the founding editor of the literary journal ''Landfall'', and through his 20 years of editing the journal, had a significant im ...

, was launched, which is an annual award open to young writers between the ages of 16 and 21. In 2019, ''Strong Words 2019: The Best of the Landfall Essay Competition'' was published, featuring shortlisted competition entries selected by

Emma Neale Emma Neale (born 2 January 1969) is a novelist and poet from New Zealand. Background Neale was born in Dunedin and grew up in Christchurch, San Diego, and Wellington. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria University of Welling ...

, then editor of ''Landfall''. It was selected by ''

The Spinoff ''The Spinoff'' is a New Zealand online magazine and news website that was founded in 2014. It is known for current affairs coverage, political and social analysis, and cultural commentary. It earns money through commercial sponsorship and su ...

'' as one of the ten best non-fiction works of 2019.

Eligibility and conditions

there are a number of conditions of entry, including: * The competition is open to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. * Essays must not exceed 4000 words. * Essays can be on any topic but must not have been previously published. The winner is announced and published in each November issue of ''Landfall''. The winner receives $3000 and a year’s subscription to ''Landfall''.

List of winners by year

*1997:

Gregory O'Brien Gregory Leo O’Brien (born 1961) is a New Zealand poet, painter and editor. Life Born in Matamata in 1961, O'Brien trained as a journalist in Auckland and worked as a newspaper reporter in Northland. He graduated from the University of Auckl ...

and Joris de Bres. *1999:

C. K. Stead Christian Karlson "Karl" Stead (born 17 October 1932) is a New Zealand writer whose works include novels, poetry, short stories, and literary criticism. He is one of New Zealand's most well-known and internationally celebrated writers. Early l ...

and Peter Wells. *2002: Patrick Evans and

Kapka Kassabova Kapka Kassabova (born in November 1973, in Bulgarian Капка Касабова) is a poet and writer of fiction and narrative non-fiction. Her mother tongue is Bulgarian, but she writes in English. Life Kapka Kassabova was born and grew up in S ...

. *2004:

Martin Edmond Martin Edmond (born 1952 in Ohakune) is a New Zealand author and screenplay writer. He is the son of writer Lauris Edmond. Biography Edmond studied Anthropology and English, graduating MA in English from Victoria University of Wellington. He ...

and Tze Ming Mok. *2006: Anna Sanderson. *2008: Alice Miller and

Kirsten Warner Kirsten Warner (born 1956) is a New Zealand novelist, poet and journalist. Her debut novel, ''The Sound of Breaking Glass'' (2018), won the Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction at the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Early life a ...

. *2009:

Ashleigh Young Ashleigh Young (born 1983) is a poet, essayist, editor and creative writing teacher. She received the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize in 2017 for her second book, a collection of personal essays titled ''Can You Tolerate This?'' which also won ...

. *2010:

Ian Wedde Ian Curtis Wedde (born 17 October 1946) is a New Zealand poet, fiction writer, critic, and art curator. Biography Born in Blenheim, New Zealand, Wedde lived in East Pakistan and England as a child before returning to New Zealand. He attended ...

. *2011:

Philip Armstrong Philip Armstrong (born 23 January 1962) is an English first-class cricketer. He played in one match for Oxford University Cricket Club in 1982. See also * List of Oxford University Cricket Club players This is a list in alphabetical order o ...

. Runner-up: Siobhan Harvey. Commended: Ruth Nichol,

Raewyn Alexander Raewyn Alexander (born 1955) is a New Zealand writer. She has also worked in visual media, producing comics and clothing. She was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, later moving to Auckland. Alexander was editor for the arts magazine ''Ma ...

, and

Natalie Kershaw Natalie may refer to: People * Natalie (given name) * Natalie (singer) (born 1979), Mexican-American R&B singer/songwriter * Shahan Natalie (1884–1983), Armenian writer and principal organizer of Operation Nemesis Music Albums * ''Natal ...

. *2012:

Elizabeth Smither Elizabeth Edwina Smither (born 15 September 1941) is a New Zealand poet and writer. Life and career Smither was born in New Plymouth, and worked there part-time as a librarian. Her first collection of poetry, ''Here Come the Clouds'', was publi ...

. Runners-up:

Majella Cullinane Majella Cullinane, born in Limerick, Ireland is an author based in New Zealand. Background Born and raised in Ireland, Cullinane became a New Zealand resident in 2008. She has a MLitt. in Creative Writing from the University of St Andrews, Sc ...

and

Jane Williamson Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fi ...

. *2013: Tim Corballis. Runners-up:

Eva Ng Eva or EVA may refer to: * Eva (name), a feminine given name Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment * Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...

and

Maggie Rainey-Smith Maggie Rainey-Smith is a novelist, poet, short story writer, essayist and book reviewer. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand. Biography Maggie Rainey-Smith was born in 1950 in Richmond, Nelson. Her father, Reginald Mervyn Rainey, had served w ...

. *2014: Diana Bridge. Runners-up: Sarah Bainbridge, Simon Thomas, and Scott Hamilton. *2015:

Tracey Slaughter Tracey Slaughter (born 1972) is a New Zealand writer and poet. Life Slaughter was born in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, and lived there until she was 10 years old, when her family moved to the Coromandel Peninsula. She studied at the Universit ...

. 2nd: Phil Braithwaite. 3rd:

Louise Wallace Louise Annette Wallace (née Hooper, born 21 November 1959) is a New Zealand television presenter, actress, and director. Early life Born Louise Annette Hooper in Auckland on 21 November 1959, Wallace was educated at St Cuthbert's College. S ...

. Highly commended: Therese Lloyd. *2016:

Airini Beautrais Airini Jane Beautrais (born 1982) is a poet and short-story writer from New Zealand. Background Beautrais was born in 1982 and grew up in Auckland and Whanganui. She studied creative writing and ecological science at the Victoria University o ...

. 2nd: Michalia Arathimos. 3rd: Carolyn Cossey. *2017: Joint first: Laurence Fearnley and Alie Benge. Shortlisted:

Ingrid Horrocks Ingrid Horrocks is a creative writing teacher, poet, travel writer, editor and essayist. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand. Biography Ingrid Horrocks was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton in 1975 and grew up on farms north of Auckland ...

Lynley Edmeades Lynley Edmeades is a New Zealand poet, academic and editor. She has published two poetry collections and held a number of writers' residencies. she is the editor of the New Zealand literary journal ''Landfall''. Biography Edmeades was born i ...

Sue Wootton Sue Wootton (born 1961) is a New Zealand writer, specialising in poetry and short fiction. Biography Wootton was born in Wellington in 1961, and spent much of her early life in Wanganui before moving to Dunedin, where she attended the University ...

Kate Camp Kate Camp (born 1972) is a New Zealand poet and author who currently resides in Wellington. Early life and education Camp was born in 1972 in Wellington, New Zealand. She has a BA in English from the Victoria University of Wellington. Career ...

, and Mark Houlahan. *2018: Alice Miller. 2nd: Susan Wardell. 3rd: Sam Keenan. *2019: Joint first: Tobias Buck and Nina Mingya Powles. 3rd: Sarah Harpur. Joint 4th: Joan Fleming and Jillian Sullivan. Highly commended:

, Himali McInnes, and Derek Schulz. Commended: Justine Jungersen-Smith and Amy Brown. *2020: A.M. McKinnon. 2nd: Tan Tuck Ming. 3rd equal: Anna Blair and Siobhan Harvey. Highly commended: Sarah Barnett, Shelley Burne-Field, Anna Knox, Una Cruickshank. *2021: Andrew Dean. 2nd: Claire Mabey. 3rd: Susan Wardell. Highly commended: Norman Franke, Susanna Elliffe.

External links

''Landfall'' magazine

References

{{Reflist New Zealand non-fiction literary awards 1997 establishments in New Zealand Awards established in 1997