Lincoln University tutor and award-winning New Zealand poet James Norcliffe has received a further accolade for his writing in the form of the Sir Julius Vogel Trophy for the best science fiction/fantasy novel published in New Zealand in 2006.
James, who is a Senior Tutor in English with Lincoln University’s Foundation Studies and English Language Centre, won the award for his novel Assassin of Gleam which he describes as a “dark Gothic fantasy”. It is set in an ancient fictional fiefdom called Gleam, where freedom and hope have been extinguished by a tyrannical ruler, the Markgrave.
While best known as a poet, with six published poetry collections to his credit, the former Burns Fellow (2000) has also written four novels for children and young adults, plus a collection of short stories.
The Assassin of Gleam is the first book in a trilogy planned by James which will explore the mysterious and secretive world of Gleam.
The Sir Julius Vogel Award was announced in Wellington in June and presented to James at a function in Christchurch at his publishers, Hazard Press.
Administered by the National Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand, the Sir Julius Vogel Awards recognise excellence in science fiction, fantasy and horror stories by New Zealand writers.
Coinciding with winning this latest award, a new poetry collection by James Villon in Millerton has just been published by Auckland University Press. Some of the works in this collection are the result of time spent last year on a fellowship funded jointly by the US State Department and Creative New Zealand which took him to the University of Iowa’s International Writing Programme. This is probably the most prestigious writing school in the United States of America and it was attended by some 25 writers from around the world. From Iowa he then travelled to a writer’s residency position in Nebraska City.
For James it was his first visit to the United States but he is no stranger to life overseas having resided and worked in Asia for a number of years.
With prizes, publications and the American visit it has been a busy past 12 months for James as the year has also included winning a place on the Tasmanian Writers’ Island of Residencies Programme, which gave him a period in residence at the Hobart Writer’s Cottage.
“I tend to be a binge writer,” he says, “so every time I am able to score a little writing time I grab it.”
James has been a staff member at Lincoln University since 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Ian Collins, Journalist
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Tel: 64 3 325 2811 ext 8549
Email: Ian Collins