Nominations are now welcome for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement.

Creative New Zealand is inviting nominations for writers who have made an outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature in the categories of non-fiction, poetry or fiction. Writers can also nominate themselves. $60,000 is awarded in each genre.

Those nominated must be New Zealand citizens or residents.

This year Creative New Zealand has improved the process for nomination and selection. Nominators must now include a statement of up to 500 words about why they are nominating a writer. Please refer to the Creative New Zealand website for all the information regarding the new nomination process.

The nominations are assessed by an external panel of literary experts who then forward their recommendations to the Arts Council of Creative New Zealand for approval.

The awards are presented by the Prime Minister in a formal ceremony later in the year.

In 2018 poet, publisher and librettist Michael Harlow received the award for Poetry, critic, curator and poet Wystan Curnow for Non-Fiction, and dramatist and fiction writer Renée for Fiction. For the full list of winners see our website

Nominations close on Friday, 26 April at 5pm.