1957 POETRY PRIZE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28618, 21 June 1958, Page 15

1957 POETRY PRIZE

Award To Allen Curnow (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. June 20. The Jessie Mackay memorial prize for poetry for 1957 has been awarded to the Auckland poet, Allen Curnow, for his “Poems 1949-57,” published in Wellington by the Mermaid Press This is New Zealand’s major poetry prize of £25, and is awarded annually through the P.E.N. Club with the aid of the New Zealand Literary Fund. The judge of the award for 1957 was Mrs J. B. Mackay (Ruth Gilbert), of Wellington, who said: “Mr Curnow’s difficult but rewarding poetry with its strong sense of form, its command of the just image, and its sure technique was unequalled by any other volume of verse considered for this award.”

The annual prose award —the Hubert Church prize—is being judged by Mr A. E. Currie, of Wellington, and will be announced later.

At the annual meeting of P.E.N., held in Wellington recently, the following officers were elected:— President, Mr M. H. Holcroft; executive vice-presidents, Messrs A. E. Currie and C. S. Perry: secretary, Mr Louis Johnson: treasurer, Mr Alistair Campbell: executive. Mesdames J. B. Mackay and E. B. V. Phillips. Messrs Denis Glover, Anton Vogt. John Pascoe, and Professor F. L. W. Wood.