A first-time novelist has made it to the finals of this year's Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
Becky Manawatu's novel Auē, dedicated to her cousin Glen Bo Duggan who was beaten to death when he was 10 years old, joins Owen Marshall's Pearly Gates, Carl Shuker's A Mistake and David Vann's Halibut on the Moon in contention for the $55,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for fiction.
Auē tells the story of Ārama, an 8 year old whose parents have died while his elder brother, Taukiri, has abandoned him, so he lives with his aunty and her abusive partner on their farm. The book was partly motivated by Glen's death at the hands of Peter Wayne Ryder, his mother's partner.
Glen lived with Manawatu's family for two years before moving; she was 11 when he died. Speaking from her home on the West Coast, Manawatu, now 37, says his murder remains strong in her mind.
"It is an event that never leaves; it's not just me but my whole family who are forever affected by it. That this book has done so well, hopefully, it will continue to open up conversations about children in New Zealand."
The novel received five-star reviews from local critics, with Herald writer and Newsroom literary editor Steve Braunias said it was the best book of 2019. Canvas reviewer Elizabeth Heritage described Auē as a difficult but rewarding read.
