Since 2016, an anonymous donor has been sponsoring the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, officially making it one of the world’s richest literary awards – around $55,000! Now we know the name of this generous person – long-time Acorn supporter and retired Bay of Plenty radiologist Jann Medlicott!
Jann was an avid reader from her early childhood in Kohi, rural Taranaki. Whether working as a barmaid or completing her medical training at the University of Otago, she always found time to read captivating novels in between shifts or medical textbooks. By the time she moved to England for work, she had a collection of nearly 1,000 books.
In 2011, Jann retired from the private radiology practice, which included being a partner in MEDEX radiology in the Bay of Plenty. Sadly, not long after that, she was diagnosed with a recurrence of pelvic cancer. “The cancer diagnosis was a wake-up call and a reminder that we’re all on a continuum between being and not being, and that I’d better get a move on,” says Jann. That’s why she decided to finally name herself as the person behind the generous literary donations.
The newly named Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction will be presented at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards on 12 May.
“I have an absolute commitment to where I am from, that’s why I want to support our writers. I can unequivocally say that our literature is as good as any in the world. We need to look at new and innovative ways to support our writers.”