NZSA Heritage Book Awards

The NZSA Heritage Book Awards are not scheduled to run in 2024

The NZSA Heritage Book Awards are proudly bought to you by the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) and celebrate New Zealand writers who have published work in the previous year to the opening date of the awards. First established in 2014 by the Canterbury branch of NZSA, the awards are now well established on the New Zealand writers’ calendar. The awards are open to self-published and traditionally published books and have inclusivity and diversity at the heart of their kaupapa.

The NZSA Heritage Book Awards are national and annual and, as they have grown in popularity, now administered by the National Office of NZSA. The awards are open to entry by NZ citizens and permanent residents of New Zealand. The awards ceremony receives support from the Christchurch City Council and the theme is linked each year to the annual Christchurch Heritage Festival. The theme is announced when the awards open. Past winners have included Fiona Farrell, Witi Ihimaera, Whiti Hereaka and Brian Turner, Caroline Barron, and Fiona Kidman.

In 2021 the winners were ROCK COLLEGE: An unofficial history of Mount Eden Prison by Mark Derby (Massey University Press), EVERYTHING CHANGES by Stephanie Johnson (Vintage), I AM THE UNIVERSE by Vasanti Unka, (Puffin Books, Penguin Random House), HE ITI TE KUPU:  Māori metaphors and similes by Hona Black (Oratia Books).

The NZSA Heritage Book Awards have five categories. The theme for 2022 is Our Stories – Milestones and Moments:

  • Non-fiction
  • Fiction
  • Te Reo Māori (both bilingual and Te Reo only)
  • Children’s
  • Poetry (new for 2022)

Judges for the NZSA Heritage Book Awards 2022:

  • Non-fiction – David Veart and Julia Gatley
  • Fiction – Philippa Werry
  • Te Reo Māori –  Vaughan Rapatahana
  • Children’s – Kyle Mewburn
  • Poetry – Kiri Piahana-Wong

Winners of the Fiction and Non-fiction book awards will each receive $1000; Te Reo Māori book award, Children’s book award, and Poetry book award winners will receive $300 each.

Terms and Conditions for the NZSA Heritage Book Awards

  • Questions marked with an asterix are compulsory to answer
  • A copy of your entry form and Information on how to pay the entry fee is emailed to you when you have submitted your entry successfully. Please check your junk/spam folders if you do not see a confirmation email in your inbox.

Up to 10 book entries can be added to this form. If you have more than 10 entries to add, please complete a new form.

APPLICATION FORM

Courier (do not send through post) two copies of each book that you are entering to :

NZSA Heritage Book Awards
NZ Society of Authors
Kotahitanga, Level 6
19-21 Como St
Takapuna
Auckland 0740

The deadline for your book entry (2 copies of the book you are entering) to be received at our office is 1 August

Entry fees

  • Book: Non-fiction: $45 per entry
  • Book: Fiction: $45 per entry
  • Book: Te Reo Māori $25 per entry
  • Book: Children’s $25 per entry
  • Book: Poetry $25 per entry