Writer wins new honour

By GILBERT WONG

For the second year in a row, an Auckland writer has been awarded the Meridian Energy Katherine Mansfield Fellowship, allowing her to work in Menton, France.

Catherine Chidgey - whose second novel, Golden Deeds, was runner-up at this year's Montana New Zealand Book Awards - was last night awarded the $50,000 fellowship.

It will allow her to work on a new novel in the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Room at the Villa Isola Bella in the south of France.

Auckland writer Stephanie Johnson is the present fellow.

"It's a great honour and one that will give me time to complete my next novel," Chidgey said yesterday.

Only 30, she has had a charmed career, with her first novel, In a Fishbone Church, winning Commonwealth and Montana best first book awards.

She has been the Buddle Findlay Sargeson fellow in Auckland.

Golden Deeds, published this year, has earned praise from reviewers in Britain and Australia.

Chidgey plans to leave for France by next March, and will spend six to eight months writing.