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NZSA announces James Norcliffe as 2027 President of Honour
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa is delighted to announce that James Norcliffe is the NZSA 2027 President of Honour, who will deliver the prestigious NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Lecture in 2027. This prestigious honour is bestowed on a senior writer and long-serving NZSA member in recognition of their contribution to writing, writers and the literary […]
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Aotearoa NZ Book of the Month unites booksellers, libraries and publishers behind local books, sponsored by Libby.
Bookshops and libraries unite for new nationwide campaign to spotlight one New Zealand book every month On 1 November, the Coalition for Books will launch Aotearoa NZ Book of the Month, a new nationwide campaign that will celebrate a single New Zealand book each month across bookshops, libraries, digital platforms and media. The campaign […]
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Wellington Writers Walk announce new chair
October 2026 Pippa Werry is stepping down as Chair of the WWW committee which she has led since 2013, and been Chair since 2022. Over those years she has led the negotiation, fundraising and eventually positioning the first plaque in te reo māori on the Walk, which happened several months ago. The WWW committee introduces […]
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NZ’s reading crisis: charity calls for urgent action to get books back into children’s hands
October 20, 2026 As new figures reveal declining reading achievement and enjoyment among New Zealand children, Kiwi Christmas Books is calling on Kiwis to help turn the tide — one book at a time. New Zealand has a reading problem — and children’s book charity Kiwi Christmas Books says getting quality books into the […]
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Political parties respond to book sector election manifesto
After the release of the Coalition for Books (CFB) election manifesto, the sector reached out to the seven main political parties to ask for their response. We know they are busy on the campaign trail, so we gave them several weeks to reply and followed up our email with a reminder as the deadline for […]
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Meet Your 2026 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureates
We’re thrilled to announce eight new Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureates – outstanding practising artists recognised for their world-class work and profound impact on Aotearoa New Zealand’s culture and communities. Each Laureate receives a $50,000 gift — no strings attached — given in recognition of their extraordinary contribution to date and as a […]
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Lawrence Patchett is awarded the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship for 2026!
16 October 2026 The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) congratulates Lawrence Patchett on winning the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship 2026 to work on his novel.This annual award is made possible by the generosity of the Beatsons. In establishing this fellowship, they have given NZ authors a […]
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PEN International’s resolutions on AI, writers’ rights and the accelerating consequences of international disorder
5 Oct Written By PEN International At its 92nd Congress, held online on 29–30 September 2026, the Assembly of Delegates of PEN International adopted two resolutions addressing some of today’s most pressing challenges: the impact of Generative and Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) on writers’ rights, human authorship and freedom of expression; and the accelerating consequences […]
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SLANZA: Proposed National Library Changes Will Severely Impact School Libraries.
3/9/2026 SLANZA is deeply concerned by the proposed cuts to National Library and Archives New Zealand (ALNZ), including a reported 36% reduction in the National Library Community Engagement and Learning Team that currently supports school libraries across Aotearoa. These changes come at a time when strong literacy support, equitable access to information, and professional library […]
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Linda Collins wins Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize 2026
Judge Emma Neale has read through all 192 poems that were entered from poets across the world (New Zealand, Australia, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, UK, USA, and Venezuela) and selected the winners for our 2026 Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize. The competition is in its 16th year, and this year’s winner is Linda Collins from […]
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The next three years will define the future of NZ books and publishing
The Aotearoa New Zealand book sector says the next government has a defining opportunity: to lift literacy, grow local readership, and back a thriving literature ecosystem that produces New Zealand stories for New Zealand readers. “New Zealanders already love reading, and research consistently shows that reading participation is fundamental to our success as a nation,” […]
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ERITREA: NOBEL LAUREATES OLGA TOKARCZUK AND J.M. COETZEE JOIN PEN INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR PROOF OF LIFE FOR 12 WRITERS DISAPPEARED FOR 25 YEARS
PRESS RELEASE PEN INTERNATIONAL 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 176 writers from around the world, including Ben Okri, Isabel Allende, Anthony Doerr and Yann Martel, sign PEN International open letter to President Isaias Afwerki 18 September 2026, London: Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and J.M. Coetzee, alongside leading international writers including Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International, […]
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