Past Competition Results

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2024

First place: Denise O’Hagan—The old man and the tree
Runner up: Frankie McMillan—The Folly of Spit: a pseudo sestina
Highly commended: Bronte Heron—First Shave

Highly Commended:

Bronte Heron—First Shave
Nicola Andrews—Heat Tolerance
Sandra Lock—Unfinished Life
Annabel Wilson—On a silver thread

Commended:

Jackson McCarthy—Aubade
Ariana Tikao—Te Tarere o Hikaiti
Hebe Kearney—re-grieving
Lee Fraser—Never Laid a Hand on Me

Shortlist (in alphabetical order)

Nicola Andrews—Heat Tolerance
Lee Fraser—Never Laid a Hand on Me
Bronte Heron—First Shave
Hebe Kearney—re-grieving
Sandra Lock—Unfinished Life
Jackson McCarthy—Aubade
Frankie McMillan—The Folly of Spit: a pseudo sestina
Denise O-Hagan—The old man and the tree
Ariana Tikao—Te Tarere o Hikaiti
Annabel Wilson—On a silver thread

Longlist (in alphabetical order)

Nicola Andrews—Heat Tolerance
Victor Billot—Borderlands
Stuart Broughton—Te Tirit o Waitangi Paint by Numbers
Tallulah Cardno—Paisley
Nicola Easthope—This poem was not written by AI
Rangi Faith—A Discovery from Cape Adare
Lee Fraser—Never Laid a Hand on Me
Bronte Heron—First Shave
Hebe Kearney—re-grieving
Sandra Lock—Unfinished Life
Jackson McCarthy—Aubade
Carolyn McCurdie—Reverberating
Frankie McMillan—The Folly of Spit: a pseudo sestina
Rachel Meadows—Viewport (a clear delineation)
Idoya Munn—Driving to Berwick Forrest
Mikaela Nyman—I see you see me
Denise O’Hagan—The old man and the tree
Grace Shelley—teaching my child to stare wistfully at the ocean in inclement weather
Sina Steele—Glottal stops and afakasi lips
Ariana Tikao—Te Tarere o Hikaiti
Annabel Wilson—On a silver thread

Matariki Short Short Story Celebration 2024

Catherine Bisley—Gnaw
Sara Bucher—Sustenance
Joan Fleming—The poets
Kim Fulton—A place to stand
Zac Hing—One Summer
Tara Leckie—Hand Seller
Aine Whelan-Kopa—Backstroke in a Mud Puddle
Annabel Wilson—A long time to get home
Iona Winter—The curve of the hill home

Read the nine selected stories in takahē 111.

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2023

First place: Austin Haynes—Kawekawe kōrero
Runner up: Tracey Sullivan—bovenwoning
Highly commended: Jackie Davis—The two o’clock session

Shortlist (in alphabetical order)

Cadence Chung—Hector
Jackie Davis—The two o’clock session
Siobhan Harvey—Broom
Austin Haynes—Kawekawe kōrero
Carolyn McCurdie—Returning
Rebecca Palmer—Lizzie Borden
Sara Qasem—I am a Muslim
Sara Qasem—Immigrant
Tracey Sullivan—bovenwoning
Susan Wardell—Someone designs a deathbed spoon

Matariki Short Short Story Celebration 2022

Aine Whelan-Kopa—Matariki Girl
Frankie McMillan—The Resurrection of Jo-fish
Lisa Onland—Tonight’s Scheduled Programming
Emma Neale—Hardy
Leanne Radojkovich—Stick and Poke
Leanne Jepson—This Time
Michelle Levy—Titiro

Read the seven selected stories in takahē 105.

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2022

First place: Laura Amsel—Father
Second place: Nicola Andrews—Haere Atu, Paua Rangers
Runner up: Wes Lee—To those remembered long gone teachers
Runner up: Kirsten Warner—Descent

Shortlist (in alphabetical order)

Laura Amsel—Father
Nicola Andrews—Haere Atu, Paua Rangers
Lewis Broadbent—That Day that I was Dead
Danny Bultitude—Smoke Rises Over Battle Hill, Pāuatahanui
Wes Lee—To those remembered long gone teachers
Kim Slemint—Kawiti
Kirsten Warner—Descent
Karen Zelas—Acuity

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2021

First place: Claire Beynon—Today’s Sky

Shortlist (in alphabetical order):

Sean Beckett—December Still Life With Paring Knife
Claire Beynon—Today’s sky
Claire Beynon—Pas de deux
Rebecca Hawkes—After the blizzard I followed my mother
Wes Lee—Women’s Studies circa 1986
Amy Menard—A Variety Shop in Winter
Tom Weston—Intricacy

takahē Short Story Competition 2021

First place: Nat Baker—Last Bird Island

Shortlist (in alphabetical order):

Nat Baker—Last Bird Island
Tina Cartwright—Octopus
Isabel Haarhaus—Late Night
Paula Moros—Big Yellow Awa
Christine Parker—The view from my window
Richard Simpson—The House Eater
Grace Tong—Deam Time, Isobel
Grace Tong—The girl who was followed everywhere
Jane Warren—Fur

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2020

First place: Cindy Botha—From the Settlers’ Cemetery, Akaroa
Second place: Frankie McMillan—Jenny Worgan, the Midge’s Housewife
Highly Commended: Art Nahill—Cleave
Highly Commended: Art Nahill—My Circus Life
Highly Commended: Jenny Dobson—Zephyr

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2019

First place: Jasmine O M Taylor—Ninox
Second place: Jilly O’Brien—Laying drainage ditches for the new football pitches at Logan Park
Highly commended: Melissa Browne—Now it is winter
Highly commended: Wes Lee—Awe

Hunt Ducker Competition 2019

Thanks to Forest & Bird and National Poetry Day for sponsoring prizes.

First place: Hebe—suburban pukeko
Runner up: Jan Fitzgerald—Albatross return
Runner up: Joan Norlev Taylor—Birds, Sanctuary: Rarangi 3

Shortlist (in alphabetical order):

Cindy Botha—flight of the pīwa-ka-wa-ka
Maggie Buxton—Ngā Tūī o Tangihua
Rosie Copeland—Kererū Outside my Window
Jared Doe—Kāhu
Melanie Harding-Shaw—A Problem Solved
Jenna Heller—kererū
Courtney Hilden—7 Ways of Looking at New Zealand Birds
Amanda Hunt—Rangitata River
Glenda Lassen—Ma te Kanohi Miromiro
Lissa Moore—Kererū
Anna Woods—thirteen ways of looking at a tūī

takahē Short Story Competition 2019

First place: Kath Beattie—When Rachmaninov Held My Hand
Second place: Andrea Ewing—A Birthday
Highly commended: Bernard Steeds—The last moment
Highly commended: Melanie Dixon—Peach Crumble

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2018

First Place: Robyn Maree Pickens—This house
Second Place: Nicola Easthope—Tree of souls
Runner up: Anita Arlov—In the Anteroom
Runner up: Lynley Edmeades—In Other Words

takahē Short Story Competition 2017

First place: Diane Duckworth—Romilly and Flawdinall
Second place: Becky Woodall—Vinegar
Third place: Rose Cook—The Principal

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2017

First place: Ruth Hanover—The Tent
Second place: Wes Lee—One Summer: Orcas in the Bay
Runner up: Joanna Fahey—The Junction Hotel
Runner up: Martin Harvey—The Fan

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2016

First place: Jillian Sullivan—My mother at the edge of town
Second place: James Ackhurst—Spirited Away
Runner up: Riemke Ensing—Caves
Runner up: Janet Newman—The Huntaway
Commended: Kerry Craig—Grandfather
Commended: Mary Cresswell—Aide Mémoire

takahē Short Story Competition 2016

First place: Heather Bauchop—Helicopter
Second place: Leeanne O’Brien—Family Likeness
Highly commended: Emer Lyons—The Girl with the Spoon in her eye
Highly commended: Leanne Radojkovich—Happiness

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2015

First place: Sue Wootton—Calling
Second place: Jillian Sullivan—Summer with a ladder
Runner up: Gail Ingram—by now the graffiti artist
Runner up: Jackie Newell—The One Eyed Monster

Monica Taylor Poetry Prize 2014

First place: Paula King—the sound of floating vessels
Second place: Michael Harlow—The Book of Evidence
Runner up: Terry Locke—Intercession: A villanelle
Runner up: Elizabeth Morton—tomatoes

takahē Short Story Competition 2014

First place: Anahera Gildea—Thief
Second place: Kate Mahoney—Freedom
Runner up: Patricia Bell—The Girl Behind the Bar
Runner up: Eileen Merriman—Step on a Crack

takahē Cultural Studies Competition 2014

First place: John Ewen—When Coal Was King
Second place: Jane McNoughton—A Foreign Country for Old Men and Women
Third place: Diane Andrews—The Prehistory of Tauranga Writers