30 September 2011
Wellington’s Sr Anne Powell has beaten a large number of entrants as runner-up in a lucrative writing competition for her latest book of poetry, Tree of a Thousand Voices.
The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust, with the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA), offers one of the largest monetary prizes for literature in the country with two awards of $10,000 for the published book category and an unpublished manuscript. The awards are for transformative writing in the mind, body, spirit category.
Poet Dinah Hawken of the International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University, said, ‘Anne’s poems are unique in New Zealand writing because they come from a contemplative life where the spiritual and natural worlds are undivided’.
Tree of a Thousand Voices launched by Steele Roberts Publishers last December and already into its second printing, was the only poetry collection short-listed in the published books category.
NZSA, chief executive Maggie Tarver says the 2011 awards attracted an impressive response. Describing the short list of five in the book and four in the unpublished manuscript, Ms Tarver said they showed great literary talent.
‘The awards received a remarkable number of works in both categories.
‘Entries were of a high standard and each finalist has produced work of excellent quality which shows a natural aptitude for writing and a true understanding of the mind, body, spirit category,’ she said.
In the published book category, the winner was Keith Hill with The God Revolution.
Meanwhile, the Cenacle Sisters are moving from Johnsonville to Waikanae on November 10. This re-location has been under consideration for some time. The community are grateful to have found two houses ‘almost neighbouring’ and within easy walking distance of the beach, a soul-nourishing place for them and for retreatants.
The community has already had many connections on the Kapiti Coast and look forward to continuing their ministry of retreats, spiritual direction and spirituality programmes, tertiary chaplaincy, the Apostolate of Prayer, and of Retreats in Daily Life in the archdiocese. They are eager to explore new ways of developing Cenacle mission in response to the needs of the large, changing, Kapiti pastoral area.
New contact details for the community are:
Post: 2 Olliver Grove,
Waikanae Beach, 5036
Email: office@cenacle.org.nz
Residential: Srs Anne Powell and Kathleen Ryan – 126 Field Way. Ph: 04 2938344
Srs Clare O’Connor and Mary Jackson Kay – 2 Olliver Grove, Ph: 04 9057213
Image: Srs Anne Powell, Clare O’Connor (back), Kathleen Ryan and Mary Jackson Kay