PRESENTED TO ... Lily Holloway

24 year old former Rangitoto College pupil, writer/poet Lily Holloway, is the AIMES Education Award recipient for 2023.

Lily is a writer, editor, and academic, studying an MFA in Creative Writing at Syracuse University, New York. She received an A+ for her honours thesis, a GPA of 8.0, and graduated with first-class honours in English Literature and Ancient History.

Lily is passionate about arts accessibility and restorative justice for survivors of sexual assault. She says she believes in the power of writing to change lives and heal wounds. She cares about giving back to the communities that have supported her through tough times. It was an assault she experienced that led Lily to start writing in the first place.

At the end of 2021 ‘AUP New Poets 8’ book was published by Auckland University Press. Lily was one of three featured poets and the book contained 23 of her poems.

One critic commented… “Holloway’s selection, ‘a child in that alcove,’ really showcases her versatility and ambition as a writer, with really thorny, evocative lines and images that stay with you.”

Lily also co-founded ‘eel mag’ a literary magazine for queer poets of Aotearoa. She currently serves as a poetry reader for Salt Hill, the Syracuse University literary journal.

Lily received a NZ Society of Authors Mentorship and completed a virtual residency with the Varuna National Writers’ House in Australia. She’s also served on the boards of the NZ Poetry Society, NZ Society of Authors, and the Same Same But Different Queer Literary Festival. For her writing about survivor advocacy, Lily was named one of the YWCA’s ‘25 under 25’ for 2022.

Lily also received a fellowship to study an MFA in Creative Writing at Syracuse University, a programme with an admittance rate of approximately 1.5%. Lily explained this exciting development as an opportunity for her to hone her craft, develop her first solo collection of poetry, and represent Aotearoa in the world of creative writing.

Lily, who was head girl and dux at Rangitoto College in 2016, has set a very high standard right through her writing and education journey that has resulted in many accolades, opportunities and awards. Too many to list in this brief summary of her achievements. AIMES Awards funds will be used by Lily to continue her studies at Syracuse University. She says once she’s finished studying, she would like to teach English or Creative Writing at a tertiary level.