Two VUP books finalists in NZ Post Book Awards

Two Victoria University Press authors, Kate Camp and Gigi Fenster, are finalists in the NZ Post Book Awards announced today.

Kate Camp

Kate Camp is a finalist in the Poetry section for her collection Snow White's Coffin, which was written while she was in Berlin last year on the Creative NZ Berlin Writer’s Residency. Ms Camp said, 'It's really exciting. I worked on this book so intensively and it still feels new to me. It's amazing for it to get this recognition.'

Ms Camp’s fourth book of poetry, The Mirror of Simple Annihilated Souls, won the Poetry category at the 2011 NZ Post Book Awards.

Gigi Fenster

Gigi Fenster is a finalist in the Fiction section for her first novel, The Intentions Book. Ms Fenster said, 'As a first time writer, it's incredible to be selected for the Fiction category. It's an honour to be named amongst the wonderful writers who have been recognised by this award in the past.'

Victoria University Press Publisher, Fergus Barrowman, said, ‘I am delighted by the recognition given to these two great books. For VUP these finalist nominations for Kate Camp and Gigi Fenster plus the two Best First Book awards for Helen Heath and Lawrence Patchett are welcome recognition of the high calibre books and writers we’ve been publishing. In the past 17 months we’ve published six fiction titles, all of which were first books, and 14 poetry collections, four of which were first books. It’s been a stellar year.'

Two Victoria University Press writers were announced as winners of the NZSA Best First Book awards last week. Helen Heath won NZSA Jessie Mackay First Best Book of Poetry awards for Graft and Lawrence Patchett won the NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book of Fiction for his short story collection, I Got His Blood On Me.

The winners of all categories of the NZ Post Book Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Auckland on Wednesday 28 August.