Three of New Zealand's leading writers - Patricia Grace, Vincent O'Sullivan and Judith Binney - have been honoured at the 2006 Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement.

Image: Poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, critic and editor Vincent O'Sullivan.Three of New Zealand's leading writers - Patricia Grace, Vincent O'Sullivan and Judith Binney - have been honoured at the 2006 Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement.

Image: Poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, critic and editor Vincent O'Sullivan.Worth $60,000 each, the annual Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement recognise writers who have made a significant contribution to New Zealand literature.

Prime Minister Helen Clark presented the awards to Patricia Grace for fiction; Vincent O'Sullivan for poetry; and Judith Binney for non-fiction, at a ceremony at Parliament.

"The work of these authors has added significantly to our cultural landscape and by doing so, has helped to define us as a nation," Helen Clark said. "Having a strong body of New Zealand literature reinforces and enhances our unique culture, and helps all of us to better understand the place in which we live.

"Patricia Grace's work has played a key role in the emergence of Maori fiction in English. A writer of novels, short stories and children's fiction her work expresses Maori consciousness and values to a wide international audience.

"Vincent O'Sullivan's poetry, which is what we are honouring him for tonight, goes to the heart of life's big themes - love, politics, philosophy, literature and history. He is one of the 12 New Zealand writers currently at the French literary festival Les Belles Etrangeres and the invitation extended to us this year by that festival illustrates how highly regarded our writers are internationally.

"Judith Binney's work plays a vital role in recording our history, with a focus on Maori communities. Her writing draws on oral histories and communal memories, and uses photographic sources as an integral part of the written historical discourse.

"These three authors have won numerous awards which are an acknowledgement of how we as New Zealanders benefit from their work."

The Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement, along with the Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers' Fellowship, were established in 2003 as part of the Government's additional $1 million (inc GST) per year to the literary sector, announced in May 2002.

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

Chair of Creative New Zealand Christopher Doig stressed the importance of supporting and valuing New Zealand literature.

"These three writers have given enormous pleasure to readers around the world, from small children and their parents, to library users, to leading academics.

"Creative New Zealand is proud of the role it plays both in encouraging and celebrating our writers and their work so they can continue to entrance us with their words and encourage us to think about our place as New Zealanders."

Historian Rachel Barrowman, who was awarded the 2006 Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers' Fellowship earlier this year, attended the awards ceremony where her achievement was also acknowledged.