Congratulations to Feana Tu’akoi, winner of the 2022 Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for her manuscript ‘A Perfect Failure'. Feana has long been a supporter of the Waikato Literacy Association and often been one of the selected authors inspiring young writers at our Young Authors Day.
The Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award is for an original junior novel manuscript. It is administered by Storylines and sponsored by Scholastic NZ. It is awarded annually, when merited, to the author of a work of fiction for children between eight and 12 years of age. As part of the prize the manuscript is guaranteed publication.
The award was established in 1995 to recognise the outstanding contribution made by the late Tom Fitzgibbon to the growth and status of children’s literature in New Zealand.
For many years Head of the English Department at North Shore Teachers’ College and the Auckland College of Education, Tom founded the Children’s Literature Association of New Zealand and later became the first chair of the New Zealand Children’s Book Foundation, forerunner of Storylines.
Feana Tu‘akoi is a Kirikiriroa-based writer, with a strong background in educational writing. She has over 220 published titles to her name, including stories, poems, picture books, school readers, plays, articles, activities, chapter books and radio stories. Seven of her nine trade books for children have been named in various awards and her work has been translated into several languages.
Feana is 2022 Massey University Writer in Residence. Feana began writing when her four children were pre-schoolers, as she was unable to source books that included Tongan characters, Tongan ideas, or even Tongan legends. She considers it vital for her children to be able to see themselves in print and to read about people and situations that make sense to them. Much of her writing has included Tongan characters and bicultural families like her own. Her hope is that Pacific children who read her work will recognise the value in their own stories and feel empowered to become our writers of the future.
Selected bibliography:
- What Is a Fish?, te reo edition He aha te Ika? (Scholastic 2007).
- What Is a Reptile?, te reo edition He aha te Ngārara? (Scholastic 2007).
- What Is a Mammal?, te reo edition He aha te Ngoteūû? (Scholastic 2007).
- What Is a Bird?, te reo edition He aha te Manu? (Scholastic 2007).
- What Is an Amphibian?, te reo edition He aha te Kirihātua? (Scholastic 2007).
- Freaky Fish, illustrated by Eleanor Meecham [Kiwi Bites] (Puffin 2008).
- The Water Fight, illustrated by Christopher White (Mallinson Rendel 2008).
- Jonah’s First Day, illustrated by Samantha Asri, te reo edition Te Rā Tuatahi Mō (Scholastic 2010).
- Lest We Forget, illustrated by Elspeth Alix Batt, te reo edition Kei Wareware Tatou na Kāterina Mataira nga kupu Māori (Scholastic 2011).
- Awards:
- 2022 Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for ‘A Perfect Failure’
- 2022 Massey University Writer in Residence
- Storylines Notable Book Awards 2012 Picture Books List for Lest We Forget
- Storylines Notable Book Awards 2009 Junior Fiction List for Freaky Fish
- Storylines Notable Book Awards 2008 Non-fiction List for What Is a…?series
- New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2008 Non-fiction Finalist for What Is a Fish?
- LIANZA Elsie Locke Award 2008 Finalist for What Is a…? series
(Information courtesy of Storylines trust)
