Benn Jeffries, Open Division winner and Reshma Tala, Secondary Schools Division winner, pose with a sculpture of Frank Sargeson.
Benn Jeffries of Wellington was named winner of the 2024 Sargeson Prize with his short story ‘Greywacke’ on Saturday evening at the 21st annual Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture held at the University of Waikato.
Celebrated publisher Harriet Allan, who served as this year’s Chief Judge, says, “Benn’s story squatted firmly in my mind as a story that speaks with power and urgency to where we, in this country, are now.
“It’s a strongly political story; yet unlike many attempts at political fiction, it hasn’t hit you over the head with lecturing, it hasn’t guilted the reader with emotional blackmail, it isn’t didactic nor shoehorns in an agenda. Rather the politics arise seemingly organically (though in reality quite brilliantly) from the story itself.”
Mr Jeffries sees Frank Sargeson as a defining figure in the New Zealand literary canon and says to win a prize in his name is a huge honour.
“When I found out I'd won, I couldn't stop smiling for a week,” he says.
“The story I wrote, ‘Greywacke’, comes out of a fascination with place. Our identity, our histories, and so the stories we tell are all tied to place. ‘Greywacke’ is interested in how these ties affect the now, particularly our relationships.”
The competition was also open to secondary school students, whose work Ms Allan says assured her that the future of writing is in good hands.
“I found it hard to believe that this longlist could be written by 16- to 18-year-olds. The pieces were perceptive, lively and so well written.”
Reshma Tala, a Year 13 student at Auckland’s Lynfield College, won first place in the Secondary Schools division with her entry ‘Burgundy Bindi’.
“What made this story stand out for me is that it is told through the single colour red. This is not an easy thing to do, and yet the result is neither monotone nor monochrome,” Chief Judge Ms Allan said.
“I’ve said in the past that short stories need to be like the Tardis, small on the outside but opening to a whole world inside. This is a Tardis. It’s a seemingly simple story, but it is rich and moving.”
As the Secondary Schools Division winner, Miss Tala receives $2000 and a one-week summer writing residency at the University of Waikato, which includes mentoring, accommodation and meals.
Miss Tala says her story was inspired by her childhood and heritage, particularly the years she spent growing up in India.
“Winning the Sargeson Prize means so much to me,” she says. “I'm beyond grateful to be offered the writing residency; it's an opportunity to further develop my skills.”
University of Waikato Associate Professor in Creative Writing and accomplished author Catherine Chidgey says, “We received a record 1306 entries this year, and once again it’s been a delight to gauge the range of topics, from urgent to frivolous, surreal to achingly current, that are engrossing the writers of Aotearoa.”
The winning stories will be published on ReadingRoom, the literary branch of Newsroom, by editor Steve Braunias. Entries for the 2025 competition open on 1 April 2025.