Winners Announced for 2025 Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards

The Lysaght-Watt Trust Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards were held on the evening of Thursday 6 November, in Hāwera.

This year’s judges, Tania Roxborogh, Melinda Szymanik and Matt Rilkoff, shared their thoughts on the overall calibre of entries and provided comments on each winning piece. Although Matt was unable to attend the awards, his feedback was included in the presentation. The judges noted that the works were strongly grounded in the South Taranaki landscape and encouraged local writers to keep writing.

The winners for this year are:

Short Story

Secondary School Section

First Place: “I Want to Go Home” Celia Gribble – Stratford High School
Second Place: “The Remnant” Celia Gribble – Stratford High School
Third Place: “Greener” Chelsea Jean Babalcon – Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls
Highly Commended
“The Weight of Excellence” Celia Gribble - Stratford High School
“Til She Wasn’t” Lauren Kalin – Te Paepae o Aotea
“Badge of Honour” Toby Flynn – New Plymouth Boys High School

Open Section

First Place: “Memories of Vertigo at 1300 Metres” – Anne Bayliss – New Plymouth
Second Place: “The Sacredness of Stuff” Philippa Harrison - Hāwera
Third Place: “Crusty Exterior” Rebecca Clarke – New Plymouth
Highly Commended
“Shifting” Linda Cox – New Plymouth
“When the Wheels Come Off” – Rolland McKellar – Ōkato
“The Fence” John Sargeant – New Plymouth

Poetry

Secondary School Section

First Place: “Dear Pīhanga” Addison Pryce – Te Kura
Second Place: “Ōkato (in my head)” Lucinda Moorby – Sacred Heart Girls’ College
Third Place: “Jenga Blocks” Lauren Kalin – Te Paepae o Aotea
Highly Commended:
“Ōkato 4:17pm” Lucinda Moorby – Sacred Heart Girls’ College
“The Ghost of Ōakura” Corey Barrett – New Plymouth Boys High School
“Things That Stay in Ōkato” Lucinda Moorby – Sacred Heart Girls’ College

Open Section

First Place: “The Daughter of God” Erana Hokopaura-Watkins - Hāwera
Second Place: “Three Sheets to the Wind” Koren Miller - Hāwera
Third Place: “Hopeless Romantic” Molly Sears – Manaia
Highly Commended:
“Hill Country Rain” Philippa Guthrie – New Plymouth
“This is not a Dress Rehearsal” – Koren Miller – Hāwera
“Love and Rubbish Ten past Ten Sunday Night Wash Night” Philippa Guthrie – New Plymouth

Research Article

First Place: “The Mattress” Kayla Malone - Sacred Heart Girls’ College
Second Place: “The Great Lemon Heist” Lauren Kalin – Te Paepae o Aotea
Third Place: “A Small Price to Life” Claudia Taylor - Sacred Heart Girls’ College

A copy of the finalist’s winning entries can be found in the 2025 Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards Finalist Book. You can order a copy from any South Taranaki LibraryPlus for $5.