Commonwealth win

Auckland author Mo Zhi Hong has won Best First Book Prize for South East Asia and the South Pacific at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2009 in London for his debut novel The Year of the Shanghai Shark. Shanghai Shark is the story of a young boy’s rite of passage as he enters into the bustling, cosmopolitan street life of the contemporary Chinese cities of Dalian and Shanghai, under the tutelage of his uncle, a professional pickpocket. Winners representing four regional areas go on to compete for the overall Best Book and Best First Book awards, which will be held this year at Auckland’s Aotea Centre on May 16 as part of Auckland Readers & Writers Festival.