Farr wins short story award

Tracy Farr’s ‘Once had me’ has won the open section of the Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards 2014.

Farr said the awards had always been a fixed point on her writing calendar but that she’d had to set it aside while working on her first novel.

‘This is very welcome recognition that I remember how to craft a short story, after focusing for years on my novel (The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt)’ said Farr.

‘I wrote the first draft all in one day in April this year, 11 pages densely packed with scribble, the day after I visited the little rural church that inspired the story,’ said Farr.

Farr said the award, which is in its thirtieth year, had previously been won by some of New Zealand’s best writers including favourites Sarah Quigley, Eleanor Catton, Sarah Laing and Barbara Anderson.

‘It’s important and exciting, a great annual showcase for NZ short fiction. Because it has a large-circulation national Sunday newspaper as its platform, this award reaches a good broad audience, too,’ said Farr.

It’s been a big week for the Wellington-based author who has also just secured herself a Creative New Zealand Fellowship which will help fund the writing of novel number two in early 2015.

The Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards is one of New Zealand’s most prestigious writing awards. In 2014 it was judged by Emily Perkins and Sarah Quigley. Farr receives a cash prize of $1,000, a Kobo eReader and a $100 Paper Plus voucher.