Dick Scott, Bill Manhire and Fiona Farrell were honoured at last night's 2007 Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement at Premier House in Wellington. Prime Minister Helen Clark said all three have added something special to NZ's cultural landscape through their work. They each receive $60,000 in recognition of their significant contribution to NZ literature.

Image: Fiona Farrell's writing "has the rare feature of being both witty and profound", said Helen Clark.Dick Scott, Bill Manhire and Fiona Farrell were honoured at last night's 2007 Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement at Premier House in Wellington. Prime Minister Helen Clark said all three have added something special to NZ's cultural landscape through their work. They each receive $60,000 in recognition of their significant contribution to NZ literature.

Image: Fiona Farrell's writing "has the rare feature of being both witty and profound", said Helen Clark.Helen Clark described Dick Scott as "an independent and original writer of New Zealand history", whose history Ask that Mountain "is recognised as one of New Zealand's most influential books."

"Bill [Manhire] has had a significant influence on the development of contemporary New Zealand literature and his standing, both within the New Zealand literary community and internationally is much deserved."

Fiona Farrell's work "reflects on and provides fresh insight into the experience of being a New Zealander," said Helen Clark.

Historian Neville Peat, who was awarded the 2007 Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers' Fellowship earlier this year, attended the awards ceremony where his achievements were also acknowledged.

Creative New Zealand Chair Alastair Carruthers thanked the writers for the outstanding contribution they had all made to New Zealand literature.

"By acknowledging our leading literary figures in this way, we not only pay tribute to their individual contributions, but also recognise the importance of having a strong body of New Zealand literature which reflects our unique culture, and helps us better understand where we live," Carruthers said.

About the awards

The Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement, along with the Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers' Fellowship, were established in 2003.

Every year, New Zealanders are invited to nominate their choice of an outstanding writer who has made a significant contribution to New Zealand literature in the genres of non-fiction, poetry and fiction. The nominations are assessed by an expert literary panel and recommendations forwarded to the Council of Creative New Zealand for approval.

19/9/07