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The Dominion Post
July 22 2002
Civic crèche case book wins top Montana award
NZPA
A City
Possessed, a controversial book about the Christchurch Civic Crèche
case, has won New Zealand's premier literary award.
Dunedin author Lynley Hood won the Montana non-fiction
book award worth $10,000 for the work.
The 600-page book gives an account of the controversial Christchurch Civic
Creche case, which led to the jailing of crèche worker Peter Ellis in
1993 on child abuse charges.
Hood has called for a royal commission into the case.
Her book, which claims systemic flaws in the justice system, also won the
history category, for which she received a prize of $5000 at the awards
ceremony.
Prime Minister Helen Clark announced the winners of the Montana New Zealand
Book Awards in Auckland
on Saturday night.
Judging panel convener Witi Ihimaera said A
City Possessed was an extraordinary book which could not be ignored.
"With great tenacity, Hood leads us to an understanding of how the
events in Christchurch
could have occurred.
"The courage of Dr Hood in pursuing the book's publication has given us
a narrative that, for all its controversy, makes it a stand-out not just in
this year but in any year," Mr Ihimaera said.
Hundreds of New Zealanders obviously agreed with him and the other judges.
A City Possessed was also a clear
winner of the Reader's Choice Award.
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