Awards News

The judges selected for the inaugural New Zealand Post Book Awards bring with them a wealth of literary expertise as they set about choosing the country’s best books published in 2009.

This year sees an increase from three to five judges as part of a new, streamlined structure of the country’s premier book awards.

Entries are now open for the inaugural New Zealand Post Book Awards 2010. These Awards celebrate excellence, identifying the very best books written by New Zealanders, published in 2009.

How to enter the Awards
Deadlines
Further info

Fewer categories, more judges and bigger prizes are key features of plans to streamline the New Zealand Book Awards from next year.

Books will be judged in four main categories: Poetry, Fiction, Illustrated Non-fiction and General Non-fiction, with a finalist list of 16. A ‘Book of the Year‘ will be chosen from the finalists.

Call for expressions of interest / nominations

“It is important that this judging panel covers a wide range of skills and expertise, and we are calling for expressions of interest from those who’d like to sit on that panel, to judge New Zealand’s best books published in 2009. In the past some of this country’s most highly respected authors, academics, reviewers, publishers and booksellers have sat on the panel of judges.

Perkins Writes Story of her Wife to Win Montana Medal

Emily Perkins has won the 2009 Montana Medal for Fiction or Poetry for her taut and chilling book, Novel About My Wife.
The work - published by Bloomsbury - is described by 2009 Montana New Zealand Book Awards Judges’ Convenor, Dr Mark Williams as highly assured fiction by a writer working at the height of her powers.

Ka riro i a ‘He Pātaka Kupu’ Te Tohu Tuhinga Reo Māori

Kua riro i a ‘He Pātaka Kupu’ Te Tohu Reo Māori i ngā Tohu Pukapuka a Montana; koinei te pukapuka taki kupu tuatahi kua tuhia te katoa ki te reo Māori.

Montana New Zealand Book Awards Fiction Finalist Makes History

Tuesday 2 June, 6am

Debut novelist, Eleanor Catton is a finalist in this year’s Montana New Zealand Book Awards for her book, The Rehearsal; a work that has launched her onto the international stage, being snapped up by major-league publishers in the US and UK.