Lynley wins first writer fellowship

Young writer Lynley Edmeades has been chosen as the first winner of the Lavinia Winter Fellowship, honouring the memory of a Masterton woman who died three years ago.
Originally from Putaruru but now from Wellington where she works in a bookshop, Lynley, 28, is spending six weeks as an artist-in-residence at the New Pacific
Studio, Mt Bruce, having secured the fellowship offered by the extended family of Lavinia, who was in her own right a poet and actress.
Lynley said she was delighted to have been chosen as the fellowship's first winner and hopes the experience of being able to take time out to further her chosen career without the pressure of day-to-day work commitments will pay off. "It's an amazing opportunity to push my writing career forward."
She was one of many applicants who put their names forward for the award and said she hopes to concentrate both on poetry and a short novel.
Wairarapa archivist Gareth Winter - the father of Lavinia - said he and Kay Flavell had adjudicated the applications and jointly chosen Lynley as the winner.
"Her curriculum vitae and the references she provided convinced us she was the sort of person we wanted, she is a stunning young woman."