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RAWA Fellowships 2026
RAWA (Readers and Writers Akaroa) delivers a small, friendly literary festival with a big heart. RAWA attracts a high calibre of presenters from across Aotearoa. Our next festival will be held in Akaroa on the weekend of 6-8 March 2026. You can find our full programme here: www.rawafestival.com/2026-programme For RAWA festival 2026, we are delighted […]
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2025 NZ Author Magazine | Annual Best Of
Bringing you the NZ Author magazine in a brand new format — an annual round up of our standout articles in 2025. We’ve chosen a selection of articles and essays from last year’s issues of the NZA for your reading pleasure. Here’s an excerpt from our CE Jenny Nagle: “As we moved to digital editions of our […]
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Nominations for 2026 Sir Julius Vogel Awards now open!
Nominations for the 2026 Sir Julius Vogel awards are now being accepted. The nomination period will close at 11:59pm on 31 March 2026. The SJV awards recognise excellence in science fiction, fantasy, or horror works created by New Zealanders and New Zealand residents, and first published or released in the 2025 calendar year. Anyone can […]
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2026 Randell Cottage writer’s residency awarded to essa may ranapiri
The Randell Cottage Writers Trust is delighted to announce that essa may ranapiri has been selected as Aotearoa New Zealand Writer-in-Residence for 2026. They will take up the six- month residency in July, and will use this opportunity to work on their first novel, Te Rama Tuna | Eeling by Torchlight, a coming of age […]
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Call for entries: Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize 2026
This is a callout to all young writers! To honour our great friend and esteemed colleague, Rod Oram, we are calling for essays from young people campaigning for a more equitable, sustainable and compassionate world. The closing date for entries is March 27, 2026, at 5pm. Rod Oram was a revered journalist and environmentalist, known […]
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Dawn McMillan newest Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)
Congratulations to Dawn McMillan who is the newest Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to children’s literature. A former teacher and much-loved author of both serious and humerous fiction and non-fiction for children, Dawn McMillan has created hundreds of books enjoyed throughout Aotearoa NZ and around the world. Her work, generosity […]
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Entries open for 2026 Ngaio Marsh Awards
Since 2010, the Ngaios have supported, highlighted and celebrated excellence in crime, mystery, and thriller writing from New Zealand storytellers, aka #yeahnoir In 2026 our Ngaios will be presented for: – Best Novel; – Best First-Novel; and – Best Kids/YA Book (biennial prize) Entries closes on 4 February 2026. For more information or to enter a […]
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Lee Child’s Exit Strategy is the New Zealand Christmas Number One, NielsenIQ BookData reveals
Auckland, 18 December 2025 — New Zealand’s most beloved author Lee Child, alongside brother and co-author Andrew Child, has topped the Christmas charts for the 4th year in a row, with their latest thriller, Exit Strategy, to make it the official New Zealand BookScan Christmas Number One, selling just over 2,300 copies in the week […]
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Te Tupu Hauroa Development Grants 2026 open for applications now
Te Waka Taki Kōrero – Māori Literature Trust invites submissions from mid-career Māori writers seeking to undertake development opportunities between February – May 2026. There are two grants available to the value of $6,000 each. Established with the support of Creative New Zealand, Te Tupu Hauroa is the third step in the Trust’s Poutama Programme. The Pikihuia […]
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2026 Landfall Tauraka Essay & Young Writers’ Essay Prize
Writers from Aotearoa New Zealand are invited to submit essays that engage with and reflect on our culture. Join a tradition of bold, thought-provoking writing. Prize: NZ$3000 + 1-year Landfall Tauraka subscription. Entries: close 31 July 2026. The Landfall Tauraka Young Writers’ Essay Prize is an annual award open to writers aged 16 to 25. […]
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Creative writing prizes award “hilarious and terrifying” memoir plus “deeply humane” poetry work
Niamh Vaughan is this year’s winner of the prestigious Adam Foundation Prize in Creative Writing at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. The winner of the Biggs Family Prize for Poetry is Will Salmon. Niamh’s memoir, The World Reversed, was written as part of her Master of Arts in Creative Writing folio at the University’s International Institute of […]
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Friendship feature film script wins top prize
A feature film exploring female friendship has been awarded the 2025 David Carson-Parker Embassy Prize in Scriptwriting at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Written by Eva Brunel as part of her 2025 Master of Arts folio at the University’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML), the feature film Peephole is described by its examiners as “powerful, […]
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