2015 NEW VOICES - Emerging Poets Competition - Winner Announced

2015 NEW VOICES - Emerging Poets Competition

The Divine Muses Poetry Reading and Penguin Random House New Zealand are pleased to announce the winner, runner up and highly commended entries in the 2015 NEW VOICES - Emerging Poets Competition.

The winner of the 2015 NEW VOICES - Emerging Poets Competition is Manukau Institute of Technology student Ria Masae for her poem, ‘Native Rivalry’. Writing of the winning entry, our judge commented, “I chose this poem as the winner because it is a beautiful poem, with layers I can ruminate on, and though I read this poem over and over, I never tired of it, in fact I always found a little something more to enjoy each time. It is a sharp observation, yet written with affection, and is very easy to love.”

Our huge congratulations to Ria who holds a BA from the University of Auckland, and is currently studying towards a BCA at MIT.  Her work has been accepted for publication by Blackmail Press, Potroast, Ika,and Otoliths. She is a member of SAPC (South Auckland Poets Collective).

Runner up this year was Auckland University of Technology Masters in Creative Writing graduate, Georgina Monro for her poem, ‘Student Nurse’. This, says Allan, “is a compassionate poem, which utilises figurative language to express modes of communication in unusual forms.”

Monro is a graduate of the Masters in Creative Writing program at Auckland University of Technology. She has been a finalist in the Going West Poetry Slam and the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival Slam.

Additionally there were two Highly-Commended entries are, ‘Murmur’ by Auckland University Philosophy graduate, Sahanika Ratnayake and ‘Colour me true’ by Michelle Chote who is in her 2^nd year of study in Italian and French.

Ria Masae and Georgina Monro join our winners and runners up, many of whom have gone onto have work widely published in journals here and overseas, including Elizabeth Welsh, Elizabeth Morton and Rosetta Allan.

There were over 70 entries to this year’s competition. Of those works submitted, Allan said, “The breadth of subject matter was vast, and the forms of poetry went from Rhyming iambic pentameter, right through to freeverse.”

With thanks to our supporters:

Penguin Random House New Zealand http://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.nz/

Gus Fisher Art Gallery, University of Auckland www.gusfishergallery.auckland.ac.nz/

National Poetry Day https://www.facebook.com/NZPoetryDay