Third Placing In Book Of The Year Award Witi thimaera receives the third prize in the Wattie ‘Book of the Year’ Award for his book of short stories ‘Pounamu, Pounamu’, from Sir James Wattie, at a function in Wellington Overseas Terminal in September. In first place was Maurice Shadbolt's novel ‘Strangers and Journeys’, and Janet Frame's novel ‘Daughter Buffalo’ took second place. With Witi after the presentation are his publisher David Heap of Heinemann's, his wife Jane, and his father, Tom Smiler of Gisborne.