NZSA Best First Book of Non-fiction 2009

Nga Tama Toa: The Price of Citizenship, C Company 28 (Maori) Battalion 1939-1945  - Monty Soutar

David Bateman, ISBN 978-1-86953-593-3, $69.99 hbk

The fascinating story of C Company Māori Battalion told through personal recollections, eyewitness accounts, numerous anecdotes and fantastic photographs. At times heart-rending, at times heart-warming, this impressive book captures the special ‘spirit’ of the Māori Battalion — a remarkable book that documents the stories of those who were at the battlefront and at home.

NZSA BEST FIRST BOOK OF NON-FICTION 2009

Mates & Lovers: A History of Gay New Zealand - Chris Brickell

Godwit, ISBN 978-1-86962-134-6, $49.99 pbk

First Catch Your Weka - David Veart

Auckland University Press, ISBN 978-1-86940-410-9, $49.99 pbk

‘First catch your weka,’ Heaphy advised, ‘stuff it with sage and onion and roast on a stick’. Thus began a great tradition of New Zealand cooking – from Heaphy to the Edmonds Cookery Book, Alison Holst to Allyson Gofton, on to the meal on your plate today. First Catch Your Weka tells the story of what New Zealanders cooked through the recipes we used, illuminating our cuisine and our culture.