Here are the best short stories and novel extracts from the Pikihuia Awards for Maori Writers 2011, as judged by Keri Hulme, Katie Wolfe, Erima Henare and Reina Whaitiri. The book contains the stories from the 18 finalists for Best Short Story written in English, the five finalists for the Best Short Story in Maori and the six finalists for the Best Novel Extract. For over ten years, the Maori Literature Trust and Huia Publishers have been responsible for this unique and increasingly popular biennial writing competition. The awards and their subsequent publications have become much anticipated as they bring more undiscovered gems to the attention of the New Zealand reading public. Past winners and finalists include James George, Briar Grace-Smith, Kelly Ana Morey and Paula Morris.