The 2022 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults attracted a record-breaking 199 entries, with 28 titles announced today as finalists. This is the highest number of submissions ever received for the Awards, which are the preeminent celebration of publishing for young people in Aotearoa.
Competing across six main categories, the 2022 finalists offer New Zealand’s young readers an educative, engaging and engrossing selection of books with a uniquely Kiwi flavour.
“This year’s entries explore a vast range of topics, including protest, autism, gender equality, racism, and history, providing a platform for thoughtful and, hopefully, some gritty discussions,” says convenor of judges Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith.
“These big topics are so important for sparking conversations with tamariki and rangatahi. Being able to think about and discuss them critically is crucial given the disruptions over the past few years and the rise of misinformation young people now face.”
But Smith says it is also wonderful to see authors having fun with themes for younger readers, and that plenty of the finalist books will delight and entertain.
The growing strength of books with te ao Māori worldview and the growing number and quality of titles in te reo Māori also stood out to this year’s judges.
“Māori language and world views are taonga unique to Aotearoa. Having these valued in children’s literature is an encouraging sign of the growth of our nation,” says Smith.
Turning to the finalists, the judges describe this year’s Picture Book Award shortlist as “a tutti-frutti of deliciousness”. From quirky and whimsical to rambunctious and mischievous, all the stories feature dollops of humour and a richly diverse illustrative palette.
Picture Book Award Finalists
Bumblebee Grumblebee, David Elliot (Gecko Press)
Lion Guards the Cake, Ruth Paul (Scholastic New Zealand)
My Cat Can See Ghosts, Emily Joe (Beatnik)
The Eight Gifts of Te Wheke, Steph Matuku, illustrated by Laya Mutton-Rogers (Huia Publishers)
The Greatest Haka Festival on Earth, Pania Tahau-Hodges, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)
It was a bumper year for entries in the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award category. The judges say the finalists stand out with not only original concepts but also accomplished world-building, authentic characterisation and settings, and, ultimately, well-written stories for this important age group.
Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award Finalists
Amorangi and Millie’s Trip Through Time, Lauren Keenan (Huia Publishers)
Spark Hunter, Sonya Wilson (The Cuba Press)
The Memory Thief, Leonie Agnew (Penguin Random House NZ)
The Tomo, Mary-anne Scott (OneTree House)
The Uprising – The Mapmakers in Cruxcia, Eirlys Hunter illustrated by Kirsten Slade (Gecko Press)
The field of entries in this year’s Young Adult Fiction Award shows the depth and breadth of stories available to New Zealand’s rangatahi. The five finalists’ stories are beautifully written and emotive, and at times action-packed, tense and gripping, but always relatable, say the judges.
Young Adult Fiction Award Finalists
Coastwatcher, David Hill (Penguin Random House NZ)
Displaced, Cristina Sanders (Walker Books Australia)
Katipo Joe: Wolf’s Lair, Brian Falkner (Scholastic New Zealand)
Learning to Love Blue, Saradha Koirala (Record Press)
Violet Black, Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House NZ)
In the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction it was the books that dared grapple with big, sometimes even uncomfortable, themes that stood out. With powerful stories told in flawless prose, considered design, and impressive production values, the judges say the finalists are a masterclass in engaging non-fiction.
Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction Finalists
Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes, Gavin Bishop (Penguin Random House NZ)
Draw Some Awesome, Donovan Bixley (Upstart Press)
Why is That Spider Dancing? Simon Pollard and Phil Sirvid (Te Papa Press)
How Do I Feel? A Dictionary of Emotions for Children, Rebekah Lipp, illustrated by Craig Phillips (Wildling Books)
Kia Kaha: A Storybook of Māori Who Changed the World, Stacey Morrison & Jeremy Sherlock (Penguin Random House NZ)
This year, the finalists for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration created worlds that visually stimulated the mind, soul, and imagination. The judges say each finalist excelled in bringing words to life with their own unique and diverse artistry.
Russell Clark Award for Illustration Finalists
Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes, Gavin Bishop (Penguin Random House NZ)
Mokopuna Matatini, Story Hemi-Morehouse, written by Pania Tahau-Hodges (Huia Publishers)
Moose the Pilot, Kimberly Andrews (Penguin Random House NZ)
My Cat Can See Ghosts, Emily Joe (Beatnik)
The Eight Gifts of Te Wheke, Laya Mutton-Rogers, written by Steph Matuku (Huia Publishers)
The judges of the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award which is for books written entirely in te reo Māori, praised the language of all submissions, finding the reo beautiful, with the depth and breadth to advance te reo abilities of tamariki of all ages.
Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award Finalists
He Wheke Wai Mamangu Au, Stephanie Thatcher, translated by Pānia Papa (Scholastic New Zealand)
I Waho, i te Moana, Yvonne Morrison, illustrated by Jenny Cooper, translated by Pānia Papa (Scholastic New Zealand)
Ki te Moe Aotearoa, Donovan Bixley translated by Darryn Joseph (Upstart Press)
Mokopuna Matatini, Pania Tahau-Hodges, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)
Te Hipo Huna, Juliette MacIver illustrated by Sarah Davis, translated by Karena Kelly (Gecko Press)
There’s no shortage of new talent emerging in New Zealand’s book scene, and the judges faced the unenviable task of selecting finalists from a whopping 42 Best First Book Award entries.
NZSA Best First Book Award Finalists
Hine and the Tohunga Portal, Ataria Sharman (Huia Publishers)
I am Autistic, Chanelle Moriah (Allen & Unwin)
Mokopuna Matatini, Pania Tahau-Hodges illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)
My Cat Can See Ghosts Emily Joe (Beatnik)
Spark Hunter, Sonya Wilson (The Cuba Press)
The winners of each of the six main categories – Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration, and te reo Māori – take home $7,500 and are then in the running to be named the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, with a further $7,500 prize money. In addition, the judges will award a Best First Book prize of $2,500 to a previously unpublished author or illustrator. The ceremony to announce the winners will take place in Wellington on the evening of Wednesday 10 August.
As well as acknowledging the best and brightest in books for children and teens, a core aspect of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults mission is to foster literacy and a love of reading among New Zealand’s tamariki and rangatahi.
This includes administering the ever-popular HELL Reading Challenge, which has encouraged children to read close to 14 million books since its inception, aided by the bonus of a free pizza for every seven books completed. To add even more interest in 2022, libraries and schools will be able to take tamariki on Hell’s Great NZ Book Trip, where they can discover the rich tapestry of New Zealand literature right around the motu, whether it is the author, a location, or a setting in the story.
Another aspect of the Awards is its programme of popular Books Alive events, in which authors and illustrators interact with Kiwi school children. Following the success of the online programme over the past two years, Books Alive will have a strong virtual component again this year, run in partnership with the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA). In addition, on the day of the Awards ceremony, hundreds of Wellington school children will also be able to enjoy a very full programme featuring many of the shortlisted authors and illustrators in person.
The formidable task of narrowing the field to a shortlist of finalists was met by this year’s experienced judging panel: Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith MNZM (convenor), an author and an educationalist; Adele Broadbent, a children’s bookseller, and reviewer; Kyle Mewburn, one of New Zealand’s most eclectic and prolific writers; Laura Caygill, an experienced public librarian; and Ruki Tobin, Kaihautū / Director Ratonga Māori at Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand.
They were joined by a panel appointed by Te Rōpū Whakahau, the national body that represents Māori engaged in Libraries, Culture, Knowledge, Information, Communication and Systems Technology in Aotearoa, to judge te reo Māori entries. Anahera Morehu (convenor), is Kaihautū Māori / Director Māori at Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kawanatanga; Horowaitai Roberts is Tuahine, Online Content Service and Rauemi Developer – Te Ao Māori at Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, National Library of New Zealand; and Te Amohaere Morehu is a communications specialist. Ruki Tobin also joined te reo Māori judging panel.
The New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults are made possible through the generosity, commitment, and vision of funders and sponsors: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA, Wellington City Council, New Zealand Society of Authors, Nielsen BookData and the 2022 Books Alive venue partner, The National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa. The Awards are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa.
The winners will be announced in Wellington on Wednesday 10 August.
Background
The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand’s children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. Awards are made in seven categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award), Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction (the Elsie Locke Award), Illustration (the Russell Clark Award), te reo Māori (the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award) and Best First Book (The NZSA Award). The main category awards carry prize money of $7,500 and the Best First Book winner receives $2,500. The overall prize, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award, carries a further prize of $7,500.
The awards are governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust | Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa (a registered charity). Members of the Trust are Nicola Legat, Paula Morris, Richard Pamatatau, Melinda Szymanik, Jenna Todd, Anne Morgan, Melanee Winder, and Garth Biggs. The Trust also governs the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day. nzbookawards.nz
Creative New Zealand is the national arts development agency of Aotearoa and has been a key partner of New Zealand’s book awards for decades. Creative New Zealand encourages, promotes, and supports the arts in New Zealand and internationally for the benefit of all New Zealanders through funding, capability building, and advocacy initiatives. It offers financial support for emerging and established artists, art practitioners, groups, and organisations, and provides training and online resources to help artists and practitioners develop professionally, grow audiences and markets, and manage their organisations. In addition, it supports internships and national touring activities to enhance the development of New Zealand arts. Creative New Zealand provides a wide range of support to New Zealand literature, including funding for writers and publishers, residencies, literary festivals and awards, and support of organisations that work to increase the readership and sales of New Zealand literature at home and internationally. creativenz.govt.nz
HELL Pizza was established in 1996 and now has 76 outlets throughout New Zealand. HELL has reinforced its commitment to getting more kids hooked on books by sponsoring the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The associated HELL Reading Challenge, initiated in 2014, continues to grow. HELL says it has “always challenged the norm, and with kids now becoming so engrossed with modern technology, we are bucking that trend and making reading cool again. We want pizza to be the gateway to reading addiction!” The programme rewards students with a free 333 kids’ pizza once they have read seven books and had their achievement approved by a local librarian or teacher. In 2021, 726 schools and public libraries around New Zealand took part and more than 250,000 pizza wheels were distributed, which means that some 1.8 million books were read by Kiwi kids as a result. hellpizza.nz
The Wright Family Foundation’s goal of ‘growing the good’ in New Zealand Aotearoa means literacy features prominently in its aspirations for the country’s youth. Founder and CEO Chloe Wright says they are thrilled to participate in the mahi of the New Zealand Books Awards for Children and Young Adults, believing that reading creates imagination, ultimately leading to the emergence of writers. “Books, whether read or written, bring centuries of people together. Through the written word we gain tolerance and understanding, enabling us to share in the cultures, histories, myths, and magical spaces in time,” she says. The Foundation also supports Kids’ Lit Quiz and the New Zealand Spelling Bee. wrightfamilyfoundation.org.nz
LIANZA, the association for library and information professionals in New Zealand, introduced the first award for children’s fiction in New Zealand, establishing the Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award in 1945. LIANZA added other awards over the years including the Russell Clark Award for Illustration in 1975 and the Elsie Locke Non-fiction Award in 1986. The Te Kura Pounamu Award for literature written in te reo Māori was established in 1996, in partnership with Te Rōpū Whakahau. In 2016 the LIANZA Children and Young Adult Book Awards were merged with the Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, strengthening the 60-year legacy of the LIANZA Awards. lianza.org.nz
Wellington City Council’s new Arts Strategy Te Aho Tini is about artists and writers being central to Wellington City, working on some of the city’s biggest challenges, and generating connected inclusive communities. Te Aho Tini seeks to support and celebrate writing and illustration within future careers. wellington.govt.nz
The National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa helps all New Zealanders access and use the collective knowledge of the nation. It’s their job to collect, connect, and co-create knowledge to power Aotearoa. The National Library has long supported literacy and learning, and recent reading initiatives related to its ‘Growing a Nation of Readers’ strategy include Communities of Readers and Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador. Author Ben Brown was appointed as the first Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador in 2021. Ben advocates for and champions the importance of reading in the lives of young New Zealanders, their whānau, and communities. In 2022 The National Library is supporting the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults by hosting its Books Alive events in the multipurpose spaces of the Tiakiwai Conference Centre facility on the Wellington premises. natlib.govt.nz
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) was established in 1934 as the New Zealand PEN Centre and remains the principal organisation for writers in Aotearoa today. Now representing over 1,800 writers, NZSA advocates for authors’ rights and incomes, acts as a communications hub, administers prizes and awards, and runs a raft of digital and in-person professional development programmes and assessment and mentoring opportunities that support writers at all stages of their writing journeys. The Society works closely with industry partners and collaborates widely across the sector. NZSA is a non-profit Incorporated Society, governed by a Board, with regional branches and a national office.
Nielsen BookData provides a range of services to the book industry, aiding the discovery, purchase, and sales measurement of books. nielsenbook.co.nz
