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Kiwi kids love to read and books featuring animals are hugely popular
What do dragons, phoenixes, Tūī, sheep, kunekune pigs, Kiwi and cats have in common? They all feature in new books by local authors to appear on the 2025 Whitcoulls Kids’ Top 50 Books List, announced today, Friday 19 September 2025, at 5:00am. Compiled from thousands of votes by the nation’s younger readers, the Kids’ Top […]
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The 2025 Graeme Lay Short Story Competition
The Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa is delighted to bring you our annual short story competition, judged by esteemed writer Graeme Lay. Conditions of Entry This competition is open to any writer in or from Aotearoa. All entries must be original and not previously published or […]
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Ockham NZ Book Awards 2026 Judges’ Announcement
Journalists, award-winning writers, reviewers, academics, curators and booksellers are among the 12 experts announced today by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa as the judges of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. The $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction will be judged by novelist, short story writer and […]
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Robert Burns International Poetry Competition Applications Open
The Robert Burns Poetry Competition is a collaboration between the Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature, the Otago Scottish Heritage Council, the Dunedin Public Libraries Association, the Dunedin-Edinburgh Sister City Society and the Combined Clans & Societies Group Otago. Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand, has a familial link to Robert Burns in the […]
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CLNZ Contestable Fund Grants
In 2025, up to $75,000 is available to support strategic projects that demonstrate Aotearoa New Zealand publishing sector growth. The amount applicants apply for is up to them, with the number of successful recipients varying each year depending on the individual merits of the applications received. Successful projects had clearly defined and measurable project outcomes […]
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Applications for the CLNZ 2025 Contestable Fund Grants are now open
Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 round of Contestable Fund Grants. We have $75,000 available to support strategic projects that demonstrate New Zealand publishing sector growth. The Contestable Fund Grants are made possible through the CLNZ Cultural Fund. Applications are invited for projects that have […]
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Applications Invited For 2026 Randell Cottage Writers Residency
Applications are now open for one of New Zealand’s top writing residencies: the 2026 Randell Cottage Writers Fellowship. The fellowship comprises a generous stipend, currently set in the order of $32,000, and six months’ rent-free accommodation in one of Wellington’s oldest heritage homes. The residency will run from July to December 2026. “We’re incredibly proud […]
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Calling all writers! Applications are now open for the 2026 Ireland Wilson Sargeson Fellowships
4 September 2025 The Frank Sargeson Trust is calling for applications from published New Zealand writers for the 2026 Ireland Wilson Sargeson Fellowships. These prestigious Fellowships, named in memory of New Zealand writers Frank Sargeson, Kevin Ireland and Phillip Wilson, are offering in 2026 an increased stipend of $30,000, shared between two fellows, for the […]
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2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize: Longlists Announced
The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA), in conjunction with its generous sponsor ARA Group, is delighted to announce the longlists for the richest individual literary prize in Australasia with prize monies of $150,000 across the Adult and the Children & Young Adult categories. HNSA Chair, Elisabeth Storrs, says, ‘This year’s longlists once again showcase the […]
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Ngaio Marsh Awards finalists 2025
From a young Māori chef to a grieving family torn asunder by internet disinformation, wartime spies to comical Northland drug runners, the finalists for the 2025 Ngaio Marsh Awards offer readers a kaleidoscopic array of unforgettable characters, fictional and real, among compelling tales full of mystery and thrills, touching on vital issues of modern times […]
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Dan Davin Literary Awards 2025
The Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, 12 September 2025, at the Kelvin Hotel, Level 6. We warmly invite our community members interested in literature to join us for this special occasion. This year’s awards are judged by acclaimed author and editor Michelle Elvy. During the evening, Michelle will deliver a lecture and announce […]
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🖋 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY POETRY COMPETITION 2025 🖋
Theme: “The Mind Unmasked” Mental health is layered — messy, complex, invisible, loud, silent, and deeply human. This October, we’re inviting poets from around the world to share their truth through poetry. Whether you’ve lived it or you’re holding space for someone else’s journey, your voice matters. There’s no need for perfect metaphors — just […]
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