News

• 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards open for entries

  01-03-2020

  The Ngaio Marsh Awards are open to storytellers who are New Zealand citizens (located anywhere in the world) or New Zealand residents, and who have published a crime, mystery, thriller, or suspense novel during the 2019 calendar year. Your book does not have to be ‘detective fiction’. The entry period for the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards is now open for the Best Novel and Best First Novel categories. For entries and questions go to the Ngaio Marsh awards FB page

• National Flash Fiction Day NZ 2020 competition is open! 

  23-02-2020

  The NFFD competition runs February 15 – April 15. The 2019 judges are prize-winning poet Helen Heath and acclaimed novelist and flash fiction storyteller Sandra Arnold. First prize $1000. More on the NFFD Competition page. Submit your best 300-word stories!

• 2020 NZ Public Lending Rights – Deadline 1 March

  15-02-2020

  Do you wish to be compensated for the use of your books in public libraries around New Zealand? A $2,000,000 fund is distributed annually to resident New Zealand authors who meet the criteria set out in the Regulations.
  Register here before 1 March 2020 – don’t miss out!

• New Zealand Society of Authors Waitangi Day Honours announced

  07-02-2020

  A huge shout out to WORD programme director Rachael King who has been named as one of this year’s Honorary Literary Fellows in the New Zealand Society of Authors’ annual Waitangi Day Honours. Rachael was awarded this for her international achievement in securing the release of Behrouz Boochani and bringing him to New Zealand. This upholds the NZSA’s international advocacy position for imprisoned writers, in line with their affiliation to Pen International. Congratulations Rachael! For more on the Waitangi Day Honours and 2020 recipients see: https://authors.org.nz/new-zealand-society-of-authors-wait…/

• Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Longlist Announced

  30-01-2020

  Congratulations to all Ockham New Zealand Book Award longlisters, with special mention of our ANZL members: FICTION – The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox (Victoria University Press), Pearly Gates by Owen Marshall (Vintage, Penguin Random House), Necessary Secrets by Greg McGee (Upstart Press), A Mistake by Carl Shuker (Victoria University Press), Loving Sylvie by Elizabeth Smither (Allen & Unwin); POETRY – Under Glass by Gregory Kan (Auckland University Press), Moth Hour by Anne Kennedy (Auckland University Press); NONFICTION – Wild Honey: Reading New Zealand Women’s Poetry by Paula Green (Massey University Press). Read the full longlist of 40 books here.

• Robert Burns Poetry Prize – congratulations Siobhan Harvey

  27-01-2020

  Congratulations to ANZL member Siobhan Harvey for winning the Published Poet division of the Robert Burns Poetry Competition 2020. This year attracted some poignant entries and nearly 50 published and unpublished writers, with the competition theme “Migration”. Published poet first prize includes $1000, the William Brown and Charles Turner Medal, publication of the winning poem in the Otago Daily Times and invitation to the Dunedin annual Burns Supper celebration. Read the Otago Daily Times announcement here. 

• Bristol Short Story Prize – entries open

  23-01-2020

  The 2020 Bristol Short Story Prize is open for entries. Closing date is midnight (BST) on April 30th, 2020. 1st prize is £1,000, 2nd prize is £500, 3rd prize is £250. 17 further prizes of £100 will be presented to the remaining shortlisted writers. The Sansom Award will be presented to the highest placed story by a Bristol writer. For full details of the 2020 Bristol Short Story Prize, visit www.bristolprize.co.uk/rules

• New Years Honours List – Congratulations Karyn Hay

  02-01-2020

  Congratulations to writer, broadcaster and ANZL member Karyn Hay who has been awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and the music industry in the New Years Honours List. Karyn speaks about her NZOM award, her career –  and her NZ accent – in this Radio NZ interview. You can also hear Karyn discuss her literary career, including her latest novel Winged Helmet, White Horse (Esom House Press), in this 2018 RNZ interview

• Peter Wells Short Fiction Contest open for submissions

  28-11-2019

  The Peter Wells Short Fiction Contest is now open for submissions from LGBTQI writers. First prize is $1000 cash for the winning story, $500 for the runner up and $500 cash for the best writing from a young writer aged under 25. Word limit is between 1200 – 2000 words and the deadline is 5 January 2020. Full entry details here

• Catherine Robertson appointed 2020 IIML Creative Writer in Residence

  16-10-2019

  Congratulations to ANZL member Catherine Robertson who has been appointed the Victoria University of Wellington International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) and Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence for 2020. She will use this time to work on a novel set in Wainuiomata in the 1970s and early 1980s. The story will feature the Wainuiomata Cycling Club, which grew from modest and unlikely beginnings to become one of the most successful in the country. For more information on Catherine’s residency, follow this link.

• 2020 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship Announced

  08-10-2019

  Congratulations Sue Wootton  who is the successful recipient of the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship in a very strong field of New Zealand writers spanning all genres of literary endeavour. She joins a long list of celebrated New Zealand writer recipients including Janet Frame, Witi Ihimaera, Elizabeth Knox and Bill Manhire and most recently, Paula Morris. Sue will use her time in France to work on her sixth poetry collection.

• 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement: winners announced

  07-10-2019

  Congratulations Fleur Adcock and Elizabeth Knox who are recipients of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement, along with Gavin Bishop. Each will be awarded $60,000 in recognition of their outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature. Follow this link for the full media announcement.

• Mātātuhi Foundation Grants for NZ Writers – applications open

  30-09-2019

  Are you a NZ writer with an innovative project in the wings? The Mātātuhi Foundation wants to help NZ writers develop new and imaginative ways to increase their reach and engagement with NZ readers.  Does that sound like you? The next funding round closes on 31 October. View the video for more information, or click here to apply online.

• Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel 2020 – enter now

  13-09-2019

  This prize is open to writers holding New Zealand citizenship or who are permanent residents of New Zealand, and, thanks to a generous financial commitment from the late Michael Gifkins’ family, the winner will receive a contract for world rights from Text, and an advance of NZ$10,000. Deadline: Midnight, 31 October. The prize is administered by the New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc). Entry forms and terms and conditions.

• VUW/CNZ Emerging Māori Writer in Residence 2020 – applications open

  12-09-2019

  Jointly funded by Victoria University of Wellington and Creative New Zealand this residency aims to foster Māori writing by providing the appointee with the opportunity to write full-time within a creative institution for the period of tenure. Applications are invited from Māori writers in all areas of literary activity, including drama, fiction and poetry (page and performance), devised performance, creative non-fiction, graphic novels, etc. The appointment will be for three months, with NZ$15,000 (no accommodation). Applications close 25 November 2019. See here for more details. Further enquiries may be made to Katie Hardwick-Smith, International Institute of Modern Letters, Ph: 04 4636854 or email modernletters@vuw.ac.nz