About NZSA
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) was established in 1934 as the New Zealand PEN Centre and supports the interests of writers in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) is a not-for-profit incorporated society and a registered charitable entity: CC 61705
NZSA supports the interests of all writers by advocating for the right to freedom of expression, for fair reward and creative rights. It promotes Aotearoa New Zealand writers and writing, and maintains a community for writers.
NZSA stands for quality in all forms of writing, and runs training for writers through professional development, mentorship and assessment programmes, and administers prizes, awards, and research grants. NZSA has over 1800 members and a national office that supports 8 regional branches. In 2022 NZSA voted to stand up a 9th Māori branch launching in 2023.
NZSA acts as a communications hub for sharing news with all writers about and across the sector and NZSA has a news blog, issues press releases, a fortnightly newsletter, and a quarterly magazine that contains the latest book-related news, information, activities, writers’ achievements and successes, and opportunities.
Most of NZSA’s activity benefits all writers whether they are members of the NZSA or not. NZSA’s advocacy and its educational and professional development programmes are open to all writers and benefit Aotearoa New Zealand writers and writing across the book ecosystem.
NZSA collaborates across the sector with other book sector organisations and has representatives on many sector boards and committees such as the Public Lending Right Advisory Committee (NLNZ); the Book Awards Trust, PEN Writers in Prison campaigns, Copyright Licensing New Zealand, The Robert Burns Fellowship committee, We Create, and The Coalition for Books. NZSA’s activities benefit the whole book sector, and professional development opportunities are open to all.
As a not-for-profit incorporated society, we hope all writers will become members and contribute to the educational and professional programmes we run, and support our sector collaboration and advocacy that supports Aotearoa writers and writing and the writing eco-system.
Here is the NZSA Constitution, NZSA Accessibility Policy 2020, NZSA Annual WorkPlan 2023 and the NZSA Strategic Plan 2022-2025
Membership continues to steadily grow – from 1,280 in 2009 to 1,850 currently. Help us support writers and Aotearoa New Zealand writing…
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Banner image: Wellington Writers Walk. Quote by Lauris Edmond from ‘The Active Voice’ in Scenes from a Small City, Daphne Brasell Associates Press, 1994
“It’s true you can’t live here by chance,
you have to do and be, not simply watch
or even describe. This is the city of action,
the world headquarters of the verb –”