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Mary Rokonadravu

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Mary Rokonadravu
NationalityFijian
OccupationStory writer
Notable work
Famished Eels (short story)
  • The Nightwatch (short story)
AwardsCommonwealth Short Story Prize (2015) & (2022)

Mary Rokonadravu is a story writer from Fiji. She was the first Fijian to win the Pacific regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize twice in 2015 and 2022.

Career

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Rokonadravu was the first Fijian to win the Pacific regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize for her short story "Famished Eels" in 2015.[1][2][3] She was also shortlisted for the same award in 2017.[4][5]

She has directed a prison writing programme at Suva's seven correctional facilities for four years and in 2008, she published shedding Silences, the Pacific's first anthology of prison writing.[6] In 2017, Rokonadravu launched a writing competition under the banner of the Fiji Media Watch Group.[7][8]

Rokonadravu was again awarded with the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for her story The Nightwatch in 2022.[9]

Awards

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Year Work Title Result Ref.
2015 "Famished Eels" Commonwealth Short Story Prize Won [1][9]
2017 "The Big, Insignificant History of Peter Abraham Stanhope" Nominated [9][10]
2022 "The Nightwatch" Won [9][11]

Bibliography

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Short stories

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  • "Famished Eels" — A short story narrating inter-family and regional relations.
  • "Sepia"[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Flood, Alison (April 28, 2015). "First-time Fijian author scoops award in Commonwealth short story competition". The Guardian.
  2. ^ "FOCUS: Mary's Famished Eels Story Tops Region". Fiji Sun. April 30, 2015.
  3. ^ Stolz, Ellen (June 26, 2015). "Local wins writers award". FBC News.
  4. ^ Mere, Satakala (April 8, 2017). "Mary – A Fiction Writer Inspired By Real Life". Fiji Sun.
  5. ^ "Shortlist Announced: 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize". The Bahamas Weekly. April 4, 2017.
  6. ^ "Call for Fiji's prison rehabilitation program to engage better with community". ABC Radio Australia. July 20, 2020.
  7. ^ Satakala, Mere (May 6, 2017). "Writing Competition For Press Freedom Day". Fiji Sun.
  8. ^ "Writing competition for Media Day". The Fiji Times. May 3, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d "Fijian writer Rokonadravu wins Commonwealth Short Story Prize Pacific category". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  10. ^ Obi-Young, Otosirieze (April 4, 2017). "The 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize Shortlist Announced". brittle paper.
  11. ^ Tadulala, Koroi (May 23, 2022). "Renowned Fijian author wins Short Story Prize". FBC News.
  12. ^ Morris, Paula (July 27, 2017). "Book of the week: an essay by Paula Morris on race and literature". The Spin Off.