2026 Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture and Sargeson Prize

We are delighted to welcome Becky Manawatu as our guest speaker.

A superstar of Aotearoa literature, Becky is a much-loved author whose novels have captured the hearts of readers across the country and beyond. Join us to hear from one of New Zealand’s most celebrated writers about her work and life in fiction.

Becky Manawatu (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe, Waitaha) is a West Coast author. She was born in Nelson and grew up in Waimangaroa. Her debut novel, Auē, won Aotearoa’s leading fiction prizes and became one of the country’s all-time fiction bestsellers, published overseas in English and multiple translations. In 2025, Becky won the Sargeson Prize for an unpublished short story and the Keri Hulme Award for her novel Kataraina, which was longlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for fiction. This year she is a University of Canterbury Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence, living in Christchurch.

The lecture is co-hosted by the Friends of Hamilton Public Libraries.

Sargeson Prize

At the lecture we will announce the winners of the 2026 Sargeson Prize  – Aotearoa's biggest short story competition. The Sargeson Prize, sponsored by the University of Waikato, is coordinated by writer Catherine Chidgey and offers a prize pool of $20,000, with the overall winner receiving $15,000. The winning stories will be published by Newsroom in its literary section, ReadingRoom. This year the competition attracted more than 1,500 entries and is judged by Becky Manawatu.

The Sargeson Memorial Lecture presents a unique opportunity for the Waikato writing community to engage with a leading literary figure, enjoy light refreshments, and network with fellow writers, industry professionals and academics.

The lecture and prize announcement will be held at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts, at the University of Waikato, starting at 5.45pm. Ticket scanning and refreshments will be available from 5pm.

Free parking is available on the weekends. Parking is available at either Gate 1 or Gate 2B.

Please register your attendance by clicking the 'Reserve a Spot' button above and bring your e-ticket with you on the evening to be scanned. If you are attending in person, remember to bring your e-ticket with you on the evening, as it will be scanned at entry.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can still reserve your spot and join the event via livestream.