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        • Join us Find out about we offer
        • Who we are The story of our establishment in 1934 onwards; our past presidents
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          • Te Kaituhi Māori Te Kaituhi Māori is an exciting evolving space designed to bring together, support, and uplift the voices of kaituhi Māori from across the motu and beyond. Te Kaituhi Māori is run by kaituhi Māori for kaituhi Māori.
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        • Our podcasts The NZ Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc shares its audio history! Oral histories of writers from the 1970s on, notable recorded lectures and workshops
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  • Professional Development
    • NZSA Mentor Programme Giving beginning/emerging writers the opportunity to work closely with an experienced writer as their mentor
    • NZSA Kaituhi Māori Mentorship Programme Giving emerging writers who whakapapa Māori the opportunity to work closely with an acclaimed Māori writer as their mentor to hone their tuhituhi ability and, in the process, evolve and refine a work toward a publishable state  
    • NZSA Kupu Kaitiaki Programme for Kaituhi Māori A programme pairing emerging kaituhi Māori with an experienced te reo Māori pūkenga and literary advisor - Kupu Kaitiaki - to offer valuable feedback on a manuscript written in te reo Māori
    • NZSA Youth Mentor Programme Giving emerging writers who are senior secondary school students mentoring support. With the aim to nurture, encourage, inspire and develop emerging writers with the support of established authors through the mentoring process.
    • NZSA StartWrite writing sample and synopsis assessment programme An excellent opportunity for writers who want to get an appraisal for part of a manuscript. Writers can send in a piece of writing, up to 6,000 words (for poetry up to 20 pages), and a one page synopsis.
    • NZSA CompleteMS Manuscript Assessment Programme The aim of the programme is to provide writers with that essential critical feedback on an advanced work, moving it closer to publication.
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    • Te Kaituhi Māori Professional DevelopmentWriter Toolkit modules and kōrero for kaituhi Māori
    • Perfect Online Pitch An annual opportunity to pitch your (polished) manuscript to a leading New Zealand publisher and, if successful, to submit your full manuscript.
  • Awards
        • NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize Annual and open to published and unpublished authors who are invited to enter manuscripts written across genres ie fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama or children’s writing, to be judged within the criteria set by Laura Solomon, for new writing with a ‘unique and original vision’.
        • NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship Annual award open to (NZSA member) writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama who are working on a new project.
        • Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel This prize ran for six years, with six exciting books being published and released as a result.
        • CLNZ|NZSA Research Grants Annual grant for New Zealand writers that provides assistance to writers wishing to undertake research for a fiction or non-fiction writing project.
        • CLNZ|NZSA Writers Award Annual grant providing financial support for writers wishing to devote time to a specific project, and to cover reasonable research expenses relating to it.
        • NZSA Lilian Ida Smith Award Provides the successful applicant with an award of $3000 to assist them towards completion of a specific project.
        • NZSA Shaw Writer’s AwardA new annual award for mid-career fiction writers working on a new project.
        • NZSA Jessie Mackay & Hubert Church Memorial Awards – A History
  • Members
        • NZSA Membership Benefits Your NZ Society of Authors membership gives you access to a wide variety of benefits.
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        • Latest books by NZSA MembersThe New Books Bulletin is a monthly e-release showcasing published writing in the quarter of their release
        • New Books Bulletin submissionCurrent members of the New Zealand Society of Authors can submit one book per monthly issue. Information submitted must be correct and proofed. Please check before submitting.
        • Professional opportunities within NZSA NZSA offers a number of opportunities for NZSA members – paid opportunities that utilise the skills that members have developed as part of their writing career, and in opportunities to take a more active part in our writing community (some paid, some voluntary).
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        • Writing Groups Local writing groups by region
        • Further Resources Some useful links to resources

Archives: Awards and Grants
  • Writer Maria Gill wins 2020 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal

    Posted on 4 February 2020

    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, […]

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

    Posted on 30 January 2020

    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 […]

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

    Posted on 29 January 2020

     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 […]

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  • 2020 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literary Awards

    Posted on 1 January 2020

    2019 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literary Awards

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  • The Results of the NZSA Christchurch Branch Heritage Literary Awards

    Posted on 30 October 2019

    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 […]

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

    Posted on 23 October 2019

    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.”– […]

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

    Posted on 22 October 2019

    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 […]

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

    Posted on 16 October 2019

    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 […]

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  • Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo share Booker prize 2019

    Posted on 15 October 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 […]

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

    Posted on 14 October 2019

    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, […]

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  • NZSA / Auckland Museum Research Grant + Residency Now Open for Applications

    Posted on 10 October 2019

    NZSA / Auckland Museum Research Grant + Residency Now Open for Applications Applications are now open for a $5000 research grant and residency for writers wishing to work on a project that will utilise the resources of the Auckland Museum Library as part of the manuscript’s development. The grant also offers the recipient the opportunity […]

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  • Wellingtonian wins inaugural Sargeson Prize short story competition – congrats to NZSA members Sam Keenan, Elizabeth Morton, Kathryn van Beek & Xiaole Zhan

    Posted on 10 October 2019

        Thursday 10 October 2019   Judge says short story writing in New Zealand is in excellent health.   Celebrating New Zealand literary talent, the inaugural Sargeson Prize was awarded last night – the country’s richest short story prize – with Wellingtonian Sam Keenan (NZSA Mentee 2016) taking out $5000 and first place in […]

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New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc

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