News
12 Sept 2024Announcing the 2025 Ockham NZ Book Awards Judges
Burning, bestselling and beautiful books nominated for 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards
Popular books that pack a punch and have hit the mark with readers across the motu in the past year have also found favour with the judges of the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, who reveal their longlists today.
Unforgettable and amusing memoirs, novels that move and unnerve, illustrated books that powerfully illuminate the past and present, and sizzling, considered poetry collections are among the 43 books longlisted from 175 entries.
Established authors dominate this year’s longlist; nine of the books nominated are by first-time published writers. They are represented by 19 publishers, from large multinational publishing houses to bijou presses.
New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa chair Nicola Legat says this year’s longlist is a testament to the talent of their authors and the farsighted publishers who back them.
“Across poetry, prose and non-fiction the list includes books by some of our finest thinkers and most inventive writers. Some tackle today’s burning issues and others are entertaining and escapist reads. All deserve our admiration.
“The 2025 longlist is one of great riches. The judges have a difficult job ahead of them to select the shortlists and eventual winners,” she says.
The 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlisted books are:
*represents debut authors
Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction
Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry
BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction
General Non-Fiction Award
This year the General Non-Fiction judges have longlisted 13 titles, a discretionary allowance that reflects the greater number of entries and range of genres in this category.
The 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlist of 16 titles (four books in each category) will be announced on 5 March. The winners, including the four Mātātuhi Foundation Best First Book Awards recipients, will be announced at a public ceremony on 14 May during the Auckland Writers Festival.
The winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction will receive $65,000 in 2025 and each of the other main category winners will receive $12,000. Each of The Mātātuhi Foundation Best First Book winners (for fiction, poetry, general non-fiction and illustrated non-fiction) will be awarded $3,000.
The Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction is judged by novelist, short story writer and creative writing lecturer Thom Conroy (convenor); bookshop owner and reviewer Carole Beu; and author, educator and writing mentor Tania Roxborogh (Ngāti Porou). They will be joined in deciding the ultimate winner from their shortlist of four by an international judge.
The judges of the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry are poet, critic and writer David Eggleton (convenor); poet, novelist and short story writer Elizabeth Smither MNZM; and writer and editor Jordan Tricklebank (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Mahuta).
The General Non-Fiction Award is judged by author, writer and facilitator Holly Walker (convenor); author, editor and historical researcher Ross Calman (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tahu); and communications professional, writer and editor Gilbert Wong.
The BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction is judged by former Alexander Turnbull chief librarian and author Chris Szekely (convenor); arts advocate Jessica Palalagi; and historian and social history curator Kirstie Ross.
The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are supported by Ockham Residential, Creative New Zealand, the late Jann Medlicott and the Acorn Foundation, Mary and Peter Biggs CNZM, Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, The Mātātuhi Foundation and the Auckland Writers Festival.
To find out more about the longlisted titles go to https://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/2025-awards/longlist/