I was thrilled to be shortlisted once again for the Te Tauihu Short Story Award, a prestigious national competition celebrating New Zealand writing.

On Wednesday night, I attended the award ceremony, where my story Emily’s Ballet Flats was among the finalists. While it didn’t take out the top prize, it was an honour to be recognised for the second year in a row.

A huge congratulations to the winning writers:

Billy’s Place — Terry Carson
My Watercress Kitty — Gayle King-Tamihana
The Elephants — Jessica Le Bas

And well done to the other shortlisted writers!

Here’s hoping that next year, I’ll make it three in a row — and perhaps go one step further.