Marking a significant milestone for Māori literature on the international stage, author Tania Roxborogh has been shortlisted for the prestigious Étoiles Bleues Literary Prize. She is the first New Zealand author and first Māori author ever to be shortlisted.
Roxborogh’s award-winning novel Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea was translated into French and published by Au vent des îles last year as Charlie Tangaroa et la Créature des Abysses. This edition has been shortlisted in the Teen category for the 2026 Étoiles Bleues Literary Prize and was also included in the selection process for France’s largest children’s literary prize, the 38th Prix des Incorruptibles.
Organised by Le Collectif Génération Mer, the Étoiles Bleues Literary Prize recognises works that explore the ocean, ecology and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The shortlist is announced during the Paris Book Festival and features three titles per category. Winners are determined through public vote, with readers invited to engage directly with the shortlisted books from April through to September 2026.
The Prix des Incorruptibles is unique – the winners of the award are decided entirely by young readers, ranging from primary through to secondary school. Each year, students across France and French Polynesia read titles selected through a national committee process involving more than 1,200 children’s literature professionals across 124 reading committees. This process ensures that books are widely read and considered before the final selection is announced and voted on by students.
Speaking to the significance of both awards, Roxborogh commented, ‘It’s thrilling to think that a story grounded in the moana, the land, and the atua of Aotearoa will now be read by so many young readers on the other side of the world.’ Roxborogh is expected to attend the Paris Book Fair 17–19 April, and she will also be presenting at the Rochefort Pacifique Cinema & Littérature 23–26 April.
Blending Māori mythology with contemporary storytelling, Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea follows a one-legged teenage boy, descended from Tangaroa and Tāne Māhuta, who must prevent a looming conflict between powerful forces.
Huia Publishers Executive Director Eboni Waitere commented, ‘We are delighted to see Tania’s work recognised at such a prestigious international level – it is a significant affirmation of the power of Māori storytelling, both locally and globally.’
Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea is available for purchase from all good bookstores and from Huia Publishers’ website for $25.00.
Tania (T K) Roxborogh, of Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, Scottish, German, and Irish descent, lives in Canterbury, New Zealand. She is a veteran educator and a multi award-winning author of more than thirty-five published works, both fiction and non-fiction. Her children’s novel, Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea won the Margaret Mahy medal in 2021. Tania is currently a part time PhD student researching how to help teachers imbue mātauranga Māori into their teaching of Shakespeare.
