CLNZ / NZSA Writers’ Award

A $25,000 Award to a New Zealand Writer

The Writers’ Award is proudly brought to you by the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) and Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ).

The award was established to provide financial support for writers wishing to devote time to a specific project, and to cover reasonable research expenses relating to it. Writers with work in a broad range of non-fiction genres, including educational works, can apply. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. It is the clear intention of the CLNZ / NZSA Writers’ Award that a book will be published as a result of winning the award; see examples of previous winning projects below.

Dates for 2021:

The CLNZ / NZSA Writers’ Award will open for applications on Thursday 3 June 2021, and will close at 4pm Friday 2 July.

First: Read the CLNZ / NZSA Writers’ Award Guidelines

Next: Consider reading this ‘Award Alchemy’ article from our NZ Author Magazine (pdf) or listening to Tracey Farr in the NZSA Live! podcast episode ‘Panel Discussion on the Business of Being a Writer’ (starting minute 1.50) on putting together the best application you can.

Then: Fill in the CLNZ / NZSA Writers’ Award Application Form

Past Winners 

2020 – Nick Bollinger for his project Revolutions Per Minute: The Counterculture in New Zealand 1960-1975: read the full media release here

2019 – Rebecca Macfie her biography of Helen Kelly – read the full media release

2018 – Nic Low (Ngai Tahu) for his project, Uprising – read more on CLNZ website

2017 – Ben Schrader for his project, Won and Lost: Saving New Zealand’s Built Heritage 1885-2016 – read more on CLNZ website

2016 – Neville Peat for his project, The Invading Sea – read more on CLNZ website