Ellen Bernstein, left, won the alumni fiction category of Writer 2025 for her story 'Being and Belonging’, while Tui Bevin won the alumni poetry category for her poem ‘Somewhere to Never Forget’.
A priest, a detective, and now a winning writer: life has had an interesting trajectory for Ellen Bernstein – the 2025 alumni fiction winner of Writer.
A police detective, based in Aotearoa’s Far North, Bernstein says winning the alumni fiction section of the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka’s annual creative writing competition has left her “incandescent with delight” and believes the encouragement of the win may be life-changing.
She received the alumni fiction award, while Tui Bevin was recognised in the alumni poetry category. Both are thrilled to be acknowledged, alongside the other recipients across the competition’s categories:
Student poetry: Ellen Murray
Student fiction: Stella Weston
Staff poetry: Anna Williams
Staff fiction: Jennifer Haugh
Alumni poetry: Tui Bevin
Alumni fiction: Ellen Bernstein
- Read the full winning entries here:
Bernstein’s winning story, titled Being and Belonging – matching this year’s story prompt, explores the experiences of a rookie cop on the beat in South Auckland.
This year’s judge, Dunedin author Breton Dukes, says the obvious trope here would be violence, addiction and poverty.
“Instead, we get a much better story, a quiet story about a low-key arrest, which features a kind, but firm sergeant, an officer who is embarrassed when his pants rip and a really thoughtful, really nervous, engaging protagonist.”
Bernstein studied Theology at Otago, majoring in Biblical Studies, graduating with a BTheol in 2012.
She says she wasn’t previously a writer of short stories but since seeing the University competition announcement and putting pen to paper on her winning entry, she hasn’t stopped writing them.
“When I read the Otago alumni email which contained the invitation to write a short story for Writer 2025, it was the nudge I needed, and it’s been like uncorking a shaken champagne bottle.
“The enjoyment comes from my sense that creative writing may be where I feel most alive, and all my other pursuits and careers have merely been avoiding the inevitable.”
The alumni poetry winner Tui Bevin says this year’s prompt really appealed, as being and belonging is something she thinks about a lot, especially when writing poetry and memoir.
Her winning poem Somewhere to Never Forget reflects on her parents’ firm ideas about place and culture in comparison to her own uncertainty.
“Even though Dad died 22 years ago, I can still hear him saying various things including the ‘never forget where you came from’ quote.”
Bevin graduated in 1979 with a BSc in Psychology, and in 1998 with a Master of Public Health. Prior to her retirement she worked for 17 years researching eye surgery outcomes at the Otago Medical School.
She says she was very excited to win the alumni poetry section – especially because the University of Otago has been a huge influence in her life.
“We came to Dunedin in the early 1960s for my father, Kaj Westerskov, to teach at the University. He established postgraduate studies on wildlife management at the University, a first for Australasia. Myself, my two siblings, my husband and two of our children are all Otago graduates.”
This is the sixth year the competition has been offered – and it once again drew high-quality entries from all the University’s campuses, and from around Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.
Dukes says this year’s prompt provided an array of fascinating pieces of creative prose and poetry, and he urges all those who entered and didn’t win not to feel dispirited.
“Firstly, judging is completely subjective. I picked pieces that grabbed my heart, another reader would judge differently. Results aside, the real achievement is the bravery it takes to put yourself down on the page.”
He also encourages all entrants to keep going.
“Creative writing is a skill that is developed through practice, through honest reflection, and through close reading. It is not easy. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be so glorious when you get it right, or close to right!”
The competition was established in 2019 as part of the University’s 150th celebrations. It is organised by University Publications Editor Lisa Dick and English and Linguistics Programme Senior Teaching Fellow Nicola Cummins and supported by the University Book Shop, Otago University Press, Dunedin City of Literature, Otago Access Radio, and the Otago Daily Times.
This year a special publication celebrating all the winning entries was released.