Papatoetoe resident Grace Taylor has been awarded the second annual Auckland Mayoral Writers Grant.
Grace’s winning proposal was for City of Undone Darlings, a poetry collection intended for publication in paperback and as an e-book, and for performance.
It was praised for its ability to evoke the social landscape of Auckland with humour and affection.
Other shortlisted writers include Louise Tu’u of Kingsland for Magdalena of Mangere, a script for theatre and film and Professor Tony Watkins' non-fiction piece Taurere: A history of Karaka Bay.
Mayor Len Brown established the $12,000 grant in 2014 to capture Auckland life in the written word.
"I established this grant to support our local literary talent to capture our young city in the written word,” says Len Brown.
"Auckland has a relatively short history, but it is a great history to reflect back on and a great future to look forward to as our city undergoes a major transformation."
"I’m thrilled at the response we’ve had – 55 entries in all, covering a wide-range of styles and genres.”
Dr Scott Hamilton of Glen Eden won last year for his project Fragments of the Great South Road.
Check out the Auckland Writers Festival on now.
