The Wellingtonian Awards

The annual Welly Awards were held last week at the Town Hall with literary luminary Bill Manhire taking out the education category.

The education category, in association with Wellington City Council, celebrates those individuals who have made education their life's mission.

Bill Manhire is the director of the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington, the southern hemisphere centre for new and emerging writers. Wellington has developed a powerful creative writing culture which he has led.

Bill's also won several New Zealand Book Awards, and was honoured with the 2007 Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement.

Other education category nominees were Graeme Jarratt, former principal of Rongotai College and Dr Gillian Turner, a senior lecturer in physics and geophysics at Victoria University.

This year is the 21st Wellingtonian of the Year Awards, known endearingly as The Wellys, with restaurateurs Steve Logan and Al Brown taking out the Supreme Wellingtonian of the Year Award.