Secondary school poets from around the country will be able to uncross their fingers tomorrow as the shortlist for this year’s Bell Gully National Schools Poetry Award is announced by a bunch of unlikely team-mates: All Black Conrad Smith (pictured right), Black Cap selector Dion Nash, poet Bill Manhire and author Lloyd Jones.

The announcement will be made at a reception at Bell Gully’s offices, L21, HP Tower, 171 Featherston Street, Wellington at 12.30pm and the winner will be announced on 19 August at a function in Wellington to open the third Bell Gully National Schools Writing Festival, a two-day programme of writing workshops which will be held over the following weekend at Victoria University.

Since 2003, the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Victoria University has teamed up with law firm Bell Gully to invite secondary school poets from around the country to enter their poems for the award.

The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, a $500 book grant for their school’s library, a year’s membership to the New Zealand Book Council and subscriptions to literary journals Landfall and Sport. Nowt to sneeze at… and a jolly good way for Bill to spot new blood for Vic Uni, perchance.