MA graduate wins Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Emma Martin wrote the winning story while completing her MA in Creative Writing.
Emma Martin, who completed her Masters in Creative Writing in 2010, has been announced as the overall winner of the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
"Two Girls in a Boat" - written during her MA year - won the Pacific section of the competition to become one of five overall finalists before being announced as the winner on 8 June. The Prize received more than 2000 entries this year.
Commonwealth Short Story Prize chairwoman Bernadine Evaristo had high praise for the winner: "The story was chosen for its gorgeous, elegant and spare writing; its nuanced handling of time, place and relationships; its daring, provocative subject matter and clear-eyed exploration of the choice of heterosexual conformity in the face of sexual mutability... With her considerable talent, we hope to see more of her work in the future."
Emma grew up in Dunedin but now lives in Wellington. Since graduating from the MA, she has been published in literary journals and anthologies here and in Britain. She is currently working on a collection of short stories.