Award-winning author Becky Manawatu has taken out the prestigious Sargeson Prize with a quirky, unforgettable tale of a vase mysteriously resurrected after being smashed during a cousins鈥� drinking session.
With a $15,000 first prize, New Zealand鈥檚 biggest short story competition drew a strong field of entries, and winners were announced on Saturday evening at the annual Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture at the 糖心Vlog.
Mrs Manawatu (Ng膩i Tahu, Ng膩ti M膩moe, Waitaha), author of the award-winning novel Au膿, says winning the Sargeson Prize has given her a 鈥渉uge boost of confidence as a writer鈥� and ignited a lot of excitement for her in the short story form, which she finds very intimidating.
Becky Manawatu won this year's Sargeson Prize with her story 'The Vase'
鈥淭he deadline for the Sargeson has been on my calendar for a number of years, and I have been grateful for that deadline to force me to experiment and challenge myself and come up with something I can enter each year. I feel so grateful, and fortunate.鈥�
Having written the draft in one afternoon over a year ago, the story was tucked away after feedback and left to simmer for over a year.
鈥淚 returned to it about six months later and freshened it up and then freshened it up once or twice more before entering it into the contest.鈥�
This year鈥檚 Chief Judge, multiple award-winning author Elizabeth Knox, says 鈥楾he Vase鈥� is a powerfully moody story.
"It also has a plot and mystery. It keeps offering solutions to its mysteries that all feel possibly true 鈥� which is a real accomplishment. 鈥楾he Vase鈥� is an unsettling work that ends with the dilemma of its protagonist鈥檚 sense that they鈥檝e lost everything, and that what they鈥檝e lost leaves them alone, but will never leave them in peace.鈥�
Becky Manawatu and Brooke Smith won their respective categories at the Sargeson Prize.
Ms Knox observed a surprising common theme running through the Open Division entries.
鈥淲hat struck me was how many of the stories were grief pieces about disappointment rather than loss. Stories where the conditions of hope being rewarded has died away, leaving the bones of hope.鈥�
She felt the pieces offered her the sense of not just an up-to-the-minute look at the state of the short story, but of taking the temperature of 鈥渁 patient with something serious brewing鈥�.
鈥淚 felt that, though I was reading particular, original products of particular, unrepeatable minds, there was the murmur of a crowd behind them. So, New Zealand short fiction is alive and kicking, and it's not a day spa, it's not a self-help book. It might be the canary in the mine 鈥� or the gas sensors when they're working even though management has been too cheap to replace them.鈥�
Poet Chris Tse delivered the Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture.
糖心Vlog Associate Professor in Creative Writing and accomplished author expressed her delight at the overwhelming response to this year鈥檚 competition.
鈥淲e were swept away by a record-breaking 1,470 entries this year 鈥� an extraordinary response that speaks to the strength of short fiction in Aotearoa.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a joy to see so many writers embracing this beguiling and rewarding form. The winning pieces dazzle with their craft, their voices and their sheer variety.鈥�
Student winner Brooke Smith with Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley.
The competition was also open to secondary school students, and Ms Knox said each of the shortlisted stories offered a distinctive emotional and intellectual experience.
鈥淎s a whole category the 16- to 18-year-old offerings delighted me with their ambition, breadth and originality.
鈥淚 was often warmed by their openhearted thinking about the world, spending time with young characters watching things closely, and figuring out how to feel, what to think, and how to participate in the life around them.鈥�
Brooke Smith, a student at Auckland鈥檚 Waiuku College, won first place in the Secondary Schools Division with her entry 鈥楶iece of the Furniture鈥�.
The Sargeson Prize was held at the 糖心Vlog on Saturday night.
Ms Knox says the story moved her to tears.
鈥淚t opens with a child's view of a house being packed up,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭he family are leaving the house without telling the child what鈥檚 happening or where they鈥檙e off to. We see the sneaky haste of the whole process.鈥�
Brooke says it feels really special to win but admits knowing so many people were going to read her story was pretty scary.
鈥淭he story feels quite personal, so to have it recognised and praised so much means a lot to me. I'm only hoping that it resonates with others and makes them feel seen.鈥�
The experience has also inspired Brooke to continue pursuing creative writing.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been quite private about my creative writing, as much of it draws on personal experiences, so sharing this part of myself has been a step outside my comfort zone,鈥� she said.
Sargeson Prize is New Zealand's biggest short story competition.
鈥淲hile I鈥檝e always enjoyed writing analytical essays and exploring societal ideas through that form, this experience has encouraged me to keep developing my creative voice as well.鈥�
Brooke will receive $2000 and a one-week summer writing residency at the 糖心Vlog, which includes mentoring, accommodation and meals.
The winning stories will be published by Newsroom in its literary section, .
Winners of 2025:
Open Division
Winner: 鈥楾he Vase鈥� by Becky Manawatu of Kawatiri Westport
Second: 鈥楳y Pal Mal鈥� by Maria Wickens of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Third: 鈥極range Warning鈥� by Kate Duignan of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Highly Commended
鈥楪oodbye Freddy鈥� by Octavia Cade of 艑tepoti Dunedin
鈥楶ond Scum鈥� by Leah Dodd of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
鈥楥allooh鈥� by Robert Jenkins of Whakat奴 Nelson
鈥楶uzzling World鈥� by Jessica Howland Kany of W膩naka
鈥楩reedom Voices鈥� by Sam Keenan (won in 2019) of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
鈥楾he Singing Butcher鈥� by Harriet Salmon of T膩maki Makurau Auckland
Secondary Schools Division:
Winner: 鈥楶iece of the Furniture鈥� by Brooke Smith of Waiuku College
Second: 鈥楧ouble Solitaire鈥� by Haelyn King of Green Bay High School
Third: 鈥楪lory Keeps Fucking With my Throat鈥� by Thomas Beaglehole-Smith, Wellington College
Highly Commended
鈥極n the Seventh Day鈥� by Jeremy Guy of Wellington College
鈥楥rests and Troughs鈥� by Anouk Hector-Taylor of Cashmere High School
鈥楯ewel Wasp Cockroach鈥� by Elizabeth Houghton of Hutt Valley High School
鈥楥onfluence鈥� by Bryony Keynes of Whangarei Girls鈥� High School
鈥楾he Camellias鈥� by Amelie Lewis of Kristin School
鈥楢s It Is Written鈥� by Emily Feng Yi Ng of Villa Maria College
鈥楢s a mother to a mother鈥� by Helianth Nguyen of Westlake Girls鈥� High School
鈥楻itualistic Hunger鈥� by Polly O鈥橲ullivan-Watts of Westlake Girls鈥� High School
鈥極nsra鈥� by Thalia Peterson of 艑tautahi Christchurch
鈥楢虋ngermana虉lven鈥� by Grace Sutherland of Kuranui College
鈥楽mall鈥� by Nenabella Sutherland-Demmocks of Mt Hobson Academy
