Ten finalists, chosen from hundreds of entries from around New Zealand, have been announced for the 2007 New Zealand Post Poetry Awards. The winner - who will be revealed on 17 August - will receive a grand prize of $500, and one finalist will also have the chance to have their poem turned into a song by Black Seeds frontman Barnaby Weir.

Image: Awards judge, poet Andrew Johnston.Ten finalists, chosen from hundreds of entries from around New Zealand, have been announced for the 2007 New Zealand Post Poetry Awards. The winner - who will be revealed on 17 August - will receive a grand prize of $500, and one finalist will also have the chance to have their poem turned into a song by Black Seeds frontman Barnaby Weir.

Image: Awards judge, poet Andrew Johnston.Themed 'Liberate your Words', this year's competition has been judged by award-winning New Zealand poet Andrew Johnston.

Johnston says he was astonished by the range of tones and voices that came across the ten very different poems.

"In every case their energy and curiosity leapt out at me, and sometimes their imperfections make them much more interesting than poems that are polished but predictable. I'm confident the authors have what it takes to write even better poems, and it's exciting to imagine what they might go on to do."

The competition was open to all Year 12 and 13 students attending New Zealand secondary schools.

This is the first time the competition has offered the prize for a shortlisted poem to be recorded by Black Seeds performer Barnaby Weir. The song will be performed, distributed to radio stations and made available for free download on iTunes and Digirama.

The overall competition winner will take away a $500 cash prize and a $500 grant to their school library. All ten finalists will have their expenses paid to attend a poetry masterclass at Victoria University in Wellington, and receive a package of book tokens and literary subscriptions.

This is the first year New Zealand Post has supported the competition, which is run by Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters.

The finalists:

Zoe Newman, Year 13, Dargaville School - "Something less than nothing (but still I kiss you silver)"
Laura Lincoln, Year 12, Karamu High School, Hastings - "So here we are"
Michaela Ball, Year 13, Cashmere High School, Christchurch - "Scarlet Lips"
Chloë Nannestad, Year 12, Epsom Girls Grammar, Auckland - "Mosaic"
Alisha Vara, Year 13, Rangi Ruru Girls School, Christchurch - "lifetime(s)"
Sam Wells, Year 12, Wellington College - "Lazy Boy"
Sue Mun Huang, Year 12, Karamu High School, Hastings - "Father, Ph.D"
Michael Trigg, Year 13, Wellington College - "Act One"
Sarah Zydervelt, Year 12, Nayland College, Nelson - "A Leaving Message (for Eriko)"
Shannyn Boyd, Year 12, Hutt Valley High School, Lower Hutt - "The Pact"

25/7/07