The 2024 $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction has been awarded
Internationally acclaimed writer Emily Perkins MNZM has won the $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction for her novel Lioness at the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
This prestigious prize was awarded on stage in Jann Medlicott’s memory by Acorn Foundation CEO, Lori Luke. She was joined at the awards by Legacy Giving Manager, Campbell Higgins, Acorn Foundation Chair Michelle Malcolm and Acorn Trustee Brian Cloughley.
The Fiction category’s convenor of judges, Juliet Blyth, said that Lioness is a searing and urgent novel crackling with tension and intelligence. “Disturbing, deep, smart and funny as hell, Lioness is unforgettable.”
All four of the 2024 Fiction category finalists have won the National Fiction prize previously, with two of the four (Stephen Daisley, 2016, and Pip Adam, 2018) having won in the nine years since Jann Medlicott began to support this important award.
In 2020, when avid reader, long-time Acorn supporter, and retired Bay of Plenty radiologist Jann Medlicott was named as the benefactor of one of the world’s richest literary prizes, she discussed her true appreciation for New Zealand after a life of extensive travel. “I have an absolute commitment to where I am from, that’s why I want to support our writers. I can unequivocally say that our literature is as good as any in the world. We need to look at new and innovative ways to support our writers.”
Read more about this year’s Ockham NZ Book Awards winners here.