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Tom Fitzgibbon Award facts for kids

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Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award
Tom Fitzgibbon Award logo.png
Country New Zealand
Reward NZ$1,500
First awarded 1996 (1996)

The Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award is a special prize in New Zealand. It celebrates new writers who create amazing stories for children. This award is for authors who have not yet published a book. They must write an original story for kids aged 7 to 13 years old. The award is given out every year if there's a great story. It also helps the winning author publish their book with Scholastic NZ.

What is the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award?

The Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award is a top literary award in New Zealand. It helps new writers get their start. If you write a fantastic story for children aged 7 to 13, this award could be for you! The winner receives a cash prize. They also get the chance to have their book published by Scholastic NZ. This means more kids can read their wonderful stories!

Who Can Enter the Award?

To enter the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award, you need to be a new writer. This means you cannot have had a fiction book published before. This rule applies to both print and digital books. There are a few small exceptions. For example, if you've only self-published a very small number of copies. Or if you've had short pieces in magazines. But generally, it's for authors who are just starting out.

Past Winners of the Award

Many talented writers have won the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award. Here is a list of the winners and their amazing book titles:

Year Author Title
1996 Iona McNaughton Summer of Shadows
1997 Heather Cato Dark Horses
1998 Vince Ford 2MUCH4U
1999 Shirley Corlett The Stolen
2000 Alison Robertson Knocked for Six
2001 no award
2002 Janet Pates Mystery at Tui Bay
2003 Jillian Sullivan Shreve's Promise
2004 Brigid Feehan Stella Star
2005 Heather McQuillan Mind Over Matter
2006 Vicki Simpson Yo, Shark Bait!
2007 Kris Stanhope (published as Michael Fartarsky) Why I Hate School
2008 Elizabeth Hegarty Salt River
2009 Anna Gowan Hollie Chips
2010 Leonie Agnew Super Finn
2011 Kathy Taylor Iris's Ukulele
2012 no award
2013 Juliet Jacka The Night of the Perigee Moon
2014 Suzanne Main How I Alienated My Grandma
2015 Tom E. Moffatt Barking Mad
2016 Anne Kayes Tui Street Tales
2017 Christine Walker The Short But Brilliant Career of Lucas Weed
2018 James T. Guthrie Bullseye Bella
2019 no award
2020 Belinda O'Keefe A Recipe for Disaster
2021 Carol Garden Kidnap at Mystery Island
2022 Feana Tu’akoi A Perfect Failure, published as Lopini the Legend
2023 Claire Aramakutu Koro's Star
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