Ockham New Zealand Book Awards

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our major literary Awards – celebrating the best books written, illustrated and published in New Zealand each year.

Books are judged in four categories: Fiction (the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction), Poetry (the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry), Illustrated Non-Fiction (the Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction), and General Non-Fiction.

There are also four Best First Book Awards (The Mātātuhi Foundation Best First Book Awards) presented and, at the discretion of a specially appointed judge, Te Mūrau o te Tuhi Māori Language Award.

The awards’ longlist is announced in late January or early February each year (for books published during the previous calendar year) and the shortlist in early March. The awards ceremony is held in mid-May, as a marquee event at the Auckland Writers Festival.

The awards are governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa (a registered charity).