The Annotated Tree Worship Highly Commended in NZ Heritage Book Awards

The winner in the fiction category was Dame Fiona Kidman's powerful novel about capital punishment in New Zealand, This Mortal Boy.

The runner-up was David Hill's wonderful YA historical novel Finding.

Jack reading from his novel
all photographs: Bronwyn Lloyd (18/10/18)

However, fiction judge Fiona Farrell announced that she'd insisted on creating a special category for Jack Ross's The Annotated Tree Worship, since - as she explained - experimental fiction has its own vital place in the literary firmament, too.

Church of St. Michael and All Angels

Here's the fiction shortlist:

NZSA Canterbury Heritage Book and Writing Awards 2018

Judge: Fiona Farrell

NZSA (Canterbury)

1. Harvest by Christine Carrell (Nugget Stream Press 2017)
2. The Life of De’Ath by Majella Cullinane (Steele Roberts Publishers, 2018)
3. Finding by David Hill (Puffin 2018)
4. This Mortal Boy by Fiona Kidman (Vintage Penguin Random House 2018)
5. The Annotated Tree Worship: List of Topoi / Draft Research Portfolio by Jack Ross (Paper Table 2017)
6. Gone to Pegasus by Tess Redgrave (Submarine Press 2018)