This prize is funded by Abby and Joe Letteri, via the Victoria University of Wellington Foundation. It was established to allow a creative nonfiction writer of excellent potential to focus full-time on the completion of a manuscript.

The prize is awarded to a student who, through their folio of work, demonstrates they have excellent potential as a creative nonfiction writer and would benefit greatly from the opportunity afforded by the prize of focusing full-time on completion of a manuscript. The student will not necessarily be the best writer of creative nonfiction on the course. The decision will be based on the excellence and potential of the writer's MA creative nonfiction folio. Also considered will be the degree of benefit from the opportunity afforded by the prize of focusing full-time on completion of a manuscript. The recipient will be chosen by the Director and the MA creative nonfiction workshop convenor of the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) and may take into account the views of external MA examiners.

The prize is awarded at the end of the Masters in Creative Writing course to enable a student to complete a manuscript for publication. The recipient will be chosen in December each year.

The recipient will be asked to write a letter of thanks to the donors upon being awarded this prize.

The recipient will also be asked to write a letter to the IIML detailing how they have used the funding by 20 December of the following year.