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Steve Braunias
Steve Braunias edits the Bookroom section of Newsroom, ReadingRoom, is a featured author and writer for the NZ Herald.
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The Ockham New Zealand 2020 National Book Awards will be held tonight, as a virtual ceremony. Steve Braunias takes a look at the good and bad behaviors from previous awards.
Time a distinguished historian was not content with being judged a finalist and had a crisis on stage. With screams. Hardest loser of all time.
Time – it was actually last year – when Stacey Morrison led everyone at the after party in an enthusiastic (and impromptu) “Tutira mai ngā iwi”.
The exchange of wives scandal of 89. It went too well for a couple, who later married; the other couple tried, almost because of a sense of symmetry, but their relationship failed in less than a month.
Time the New Zealand Biography Dictionary he won an award, and publisher Bridget Williams went up to accept the check; Kevin Ireland, enraged that the publisher and none of the book’s writers would get the money, shouted something abusive to that effect and started booing. Many of the DictionaryThe authors joined.
Time Michael Cooper won the non-fiction award for his book The wine atlas, to the chagrin of his critics, who were horrified that a trade book won. But when Hodder Moa Beckett publishers celebrated the award by yelling a bar of cash, critics were quick to fill his boots with the top shelf. The bill was epic.
Time A distinguished novelist, widely inclined to win, came and sat next to one of the judges in the front row. Lots of chatting and pranks, until Maurice Gee won. When it was time to go, he growled “Good!”, And walked away. He did not speak to the judge for about 10 years. Second toughest loser of all time.
Time Glenn Colquhoun won the award for Best Poetry Book, immediately and spontaneously prompting publisher Roger Steele and poetry finalists Jeffrey Paparoa Holman and Robert Sullivan to stand up and perform a poignant haka, “Toia mai”, to what Glenn answered in his acceptance speech with singing Flick the Little Fire Engine – in Maori.
Time The awards were held in Christchurch, and a distinguished Wellington writer came down to his hotel the next morning, sporting a black eye and deep scratches on his face. “Oh,” he explained, without shame, “we got carried away a bit last night.” Her boyfriend took him to the buffet breakfast, and they both went in willingly.
Time that poetry award winner Vincent O’Sullivan attended the after party and danced with Heather Nicholson, winner of the best nonfiction award for her book The Loving Stitch: a weaving and spinning story in New Zealand. O’Sullivan, in addition to everything else, is an incredible dancer.
Time Allen Curnow won the poetry award, to the chagrin of Denis Glover, who was a finalist. Glover was standing at the back of the room yelling insults at his old friend; Curnow cried. A novelist recalled: “I think he knew he was running out of time and that was it for him. He died later that year. And actually, all of that was as sad as hell. “
The orgy from ’07.
Time A well-known writer accepted his award while deep in his cups, staggered back to his table, loudly warned someone that he would give him a fucking hideout if he didn’t see it, attended the after party in a state of alcoholic stupor, and disappeared quickly, for five days. To this day, his whereabouts remain unclear.
Time Nigel Cox sat in his wheelchair and delivered a very emotional and heartfelt speech, thanking the literary community for his life among the books. There was not a dry eye in the room. He died about 48 hours later.
Time – it was actually last year – when Fiona Kidman won the Jann Medlicott Acorn Award from Ockham New Zealand for Fiction for her novel This deadly boy. When asked to share any stories she might have about scandalous behavior at previous literary awards, she said: “Winning the award is delightful and a big thanks to Jann Medlicott for her generosity and loving books enough to give money to the writers. For me, I felt like the Booker. That’s really what I’d like to say. “
Stacey Morrison presents the 2020 Ockham New Zealand National Book Awards tonight on YouTube.
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