5 September 2013

Professor's 'Big Music' takes top book prize in New Zealand

Kirsty Gunn, Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Dundee, has been awarded the Top Book prize in the 2013 New Zealand Post Book Awards for her novel 'The Big Music'.

The New Zealand Post Book Awards celebrate excellence, identifying the very best books written by those born or living in New Zealand The books were judged in four main categories (Poetry, Fiction, Illustrated Non-fiction, and General Non-fiction) with four finalists being chosen for each category. Only one of the 16 finalists receives the honour of being awarded the title of Top Book and this year that honour belongs to Kirsty.

The judges said of 'The Big Music' that it was 'as big as the music at its heart' and that Kirsty had excelled herself with 'the book of her career'.

The book is an original and powerful work that tells the story of John Sutherland who is dying, and at the same time creating a musical composition that will define his life. This is the first time since 2009 that a fiction entry has won the top book award.

Chief Judge John Campbell said, ''The Big Music' is a wonderful literary achievement, in a year where finalists went the extra distance for their books.'

'The strong links between Scotland and New Zealand span centuries and the fact I have awarded a prize like this in Auckland for my Highland novel set in Sutherland may be seen as another small connection made between the countries,' said Professor Gunn. 'I am delighted that my book has been recognised in this way - that critics, readers, bookshops support 'The Big Music', a work of fiction that challenges our whole idea of what a novel is. That means a great deal to me.'

Professor Gunn is Convenor for the University's Creative Writing Programme, which includes both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. For more information about 'The Big Music' please visit Kirsty's website - www.kirsty-gunn.com.

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