In just a couple of weeks, we’ll know the winner of the 2004 Bank of New Zealand Katherine Mansfield Award.

According to judge Vincent O’Sullivan (pictured), the standard of writing in many of the entries was exceptionally high. ‘The final choice was between two of the best New Zealand stories I have read for some time,’ he says.

O’Sullivan, who won the supreme Award himself in 1979, is joined on the judging panel by Tessa Duder and Barbara Else.

Duder is judging the $1,500 novice category. ‘Among the final sixteen I’m sure there are writers, young and maybe not so young, who will one day be successful in getting published,’ she says. ‘It was hard singling out a winner from stories of very high quality.’

Else is looking after the young writer’s category, open to secondary school students. This prize is $1,500 to the winner and $1,500 to the winner’s school.

The Katherine Mansfield supreme award is worth $10,000, and the list of past winners includes household names such as Maurice Shadbolt (1963, 1967 and 1995), C K Stead (1961), Frank Sargeson (1965), Keri Hulme (1975) and Daphne de Jong (1981).

The 2004 winners will be announced by Maggie Barry on Thursday 14 October at Premier House, Wellington.