Short-listed for the Ockham Prize in 2018, Brannavan Gnanalingam's new novel Sprigs is a powerful examination of masculinity, power and gender in New Zealand. Set at a boys' highschool, Sprigs takes place during a celebratory rugby party where a violent incident occurs. Exploring the impacts of the events with tenderness, empathy and a searing truthfulness, Sprigs is a confronting novel that forces us to examine power and privilege in Aotearoa.