Lawrence Patchett wins 2026 NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship

The $12,000 fellowship will support his novel in progress, working title After the Eviction.

By The Book Source16 October 20261 minute read

Lawrence Patchett has been awarded the 2026 NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship. The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) offers the fellowship each year to members working on new fiction, non-fiction, poetry or drama.

The fellowship, raised to $12,000 this year, will go toward a novel with the working title After the Eviction. It follows a Waitaha Canterbury man trying to hold on to his community newspaper, his sports club and his family, and looks at how communities form and keep people going. Patchett said the award would give him writing time and let him finish his background research.

Judges James Norcliffe and Dame Fiona Kidman said the project showed considerable promise, pointing to its contemporary themes of community and ecology.

Airini Beautrais and Matt Vance were shortlisted, both for creative non-fiction projects. The longlist also included Lee Murray, Philippa Werry, Majella Cullinane, Elizabeth Smither, Mere Whaanga and Deborah Shepard. Breton Dukes held the fellowship in 2025.

Original source: Kete Books ↗

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