Victoria University pays tribute to LOTR scriptwriter

Lord of the Rings producer and scriptwriter Fran Walsh is to be awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature from Victoria University at its May graduation ceremonies.

The Academy Award-winner graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the university in 1981 and has supported the university's scriptwriting programme by making scripts from her movies available to students, the university said in a statement.

She also supported the launch of the scriptwriting major in the Master of Arts in Creative Writing at the university.

Ms Walsh was awarded three Oscars - as a producer of the Best Film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, for script writing and for co-writing the best original song - at the 76th Academy Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles.

- NZPA