• PEN America to Honor Patti Smith, Hearst’s Frank Bennack at 2020 PEN America Literary Gala

    Ceremony to take place May 19 in New York City (New York, NY) – PEN America today announced Patti Smith as the recipient of the 2020 PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, to be conferred upon the iconic writer and performer at this year’s PEN America Literary Gala, on May 19. PEN America is recognizing Smith for […]

    Continue reading
  • Youth Mentorship Programme Seeks Emerging Young Writers

    Four secondary school students will each have the opportunity to be mentored by one of New Zealand’s best professional authors in order to develop their craft and hone their writing skills. The NZSA Youth Mentorship Programme offers these aspiring young writers (aged 15-18) a mentorship, from May to November, giving them the opportunity to gain valuable […]

    Continue reading
  • Writer Maria Gill wins 2020 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal

    NZSA member and creative non-fiction writer Maria Gill is the 2020 winner of New Zealand’s top literary prize for children’s writers, the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture award. Given annually since 1991, the award honours lifetime achievement and an outstanding contribution to New Zealand publishing for children and young adults. Storylines Chair, Christine Young, […]

    Continue reading
  • New Zealand’s Premier Book Awards’ Longlist Packs a Punch – The 2020 Ockhams

    The 40 books longlisted for the 2020 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards announced today are a wide-ranging and inspiring collection reflecting the diversity of contemporary Aotearoa and the excellence of our writers, artists and publishers. Traversing cultural, historic, artistic and political landscapes, the longlisted books explore who we are as a nation, from our social […]

    Continue reading
  •  Talia Marshall named as first Emerging Māori Writer in Residence IIML

     Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) is delighted to announce the appointment of Talia Marshall as its inaugural Emerging Māori Writer in Residence. Talia (Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Takihiku) is an essayist and poet whose work appears on Newsroom, The Spinoff, Pantograph Punch, Takahē, and […]

    Continue reading
  • 2020 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literary Awards

    2019 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literary Awards

    Continue reading
  • The Results of the NZSA Christchurch Branch Heritage Literary Awards

    The winners of the Heritage Literary Awards were announced on Thursday 24th October 2019 at St Michael’s and All Angels in Christchurch. This event was organised by NZSA Canterbury as part of the Christchurch Heritage Week supported by the City Council, Scorpio Books and Wily Publications Ltd. The Mayor, Lianne Dalziel attended and presented the prizes […]

    Continue reading
  • CLNZ/NZSA Writers’ Award 2019 has been won by Christchurch writer Rebecca Macfie

    Rebecca Macfie has won the $25,000 Writers’ Award for her biography of Helen Kelly – the first woman to lead the New Zealand labour movement. “Helen Kelly modernised the union movement and took a special interest in improving worker health and safety. The biography is in the capable hands of an experienced journalist and author.”– […]

    Continue reading
  • Tavita Nielsen-Mamea named as 2020 Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence

    Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) is delighted to announce the appointment of Tavita Nielsen-Mamea as the Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence for 2020. Tavita’s first play Au Ko Tuvalu played at the 2019 Wellington Fringe Festival, where it was awarded Outstanding Ensemble and Tavita the Most Promising Emerging Artist. It […]

    Continue reading
  • Catherine Robertson named 2020 International Institute of Modern Letters Writer in Residence

    Congratulations to NZSA member Catherine Robertson! Acclaimed novelist Catherine Robertson has been appointed the Victoria University of Wellington International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) and Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence for 2020. Ms Robertson’s fiction is celebrated for its witty, precise, and emotionally involving depictions of contemporary life. All six of her novels, which […]

    Continue reading
  • Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo share Booker prize 2019

    Judging panel break rules in choosing The Testaments and Girl, Woman, Other as joint winners The judges of this year’s Booker prize have “explicitly flouted” the rules of the august literary award to choose the first joint winners in almost 30 years: Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo. Booker judges split between huge event novel and obscure […]

    Continue reading
  • Sunday Star Times and Stuff.co.nz Short Story competition opens – deadline Nov 8

    The much anticipated Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards are open for entry. A fixture on the writing scene since 1984, the awards have launched the careers of some of New Zealand’s most respected authors, including Eleanor Catton and Sarah Quigley. Some winners, like Barbara Anderson, Linda Olsson and Eleanor Catton, were unknown when they won, […]

    Continue reading