‘Outrageously Good’ Debut Takes Top Fiction Honours At 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards

Poet, memoirist and scholar Ingrid Horrocks has won the $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize at the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for her fiction debut, All Her Lives, a story collection that follows nine different women across nine different life stages as they resist, nurture and transform.

It is the first time in five years that a book of short stories has won the country’s richest writing prize, and the collection is just the fifth of its kind to take the Fiction honour since the awards began 58 years ago.

Ms Horrocks won the award ahead of two-time previous Acorn prize winner, internationally celebrated New Zealand novelist Catherine Chidgey (The Book of Guilt); food writer, blogger and novelist Laura Vincent (Hoods Landing); and biographer, visual artist, environmental activist and novelist Sam Mahon (How to Paint a Nude).

Fiction category convenor of judges Craig Cliff says Ingrid Horrocks crushes her first foray into fiction.

“Across nine elegant, probing stories that range from the late eighteenth century to the unsettled present, from rural Wairarapa to icy Norwegian ports and rave culture Berlin, All Her Lives explores the shifting expectations and constraints of womanhood. Sparks from one story and one generation ignite elsewhere in the book, illustrating how material conditions, freedoms and ideologies can be shaped, for better or worse, by our forebears.

“Emotionally intelligent and historically alert, All Her Lives is an outrageously good addition to the top shelf of New Zealand fiction.”

Hastings poet and performer Nafanua Purcell Kersel (Satupa‘itea, Faleālupo, Aleipata, Tuaefu) has won the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry for Black Sugarcane – her debut collection that speaks to creation, destruction and regeneration.

Poetry category convenor of judges Daren Kamali says Black Sugarcane is a work of rare linguistic grace and emotional precision.

“Each poem pulses with clarity, restraint, and quiet power, revealing the extraordinary within the ordinary. The collection’s careful architecture and tonal control mark it as a deeply considered achievement for debut author Nafanua Purcell Kersel.

“Black Sugarcane not only enriches contemporary poetry but also expands its possibilities, offering readers a resonant, enduring contribution to the literary landscape today,” says Mr Kamali.

Christchurch novelist, editor and creative writing teacher Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore, Pākehā) has won the General Non-Fiction award for This Compulsion in Us, her first book of non-fiction – a memoir about whakapapa, identity and growing up Pākehā.

General Non-Fiction category convenor of judges Philip Matthews says This Compulsion in Us is an honest, revealing and stimulating work, and a celebration of writing as a timeless way of experiencing and understanding the world and ourselves.

“Tina Makereti is better known as a writer of fiction, and she uses her well-honed literary skills to advantage in this artful and skilfully curated collection of essays, adding up to an alternative memoir of one person’s discoveries about her whakapapa and childhood family, and her place in national society and within Māori literature,” says Mr Matthews.

Each of these three category winning books are published by Te Herenga Waka University Press.

Wellington historian Elizabeth Cox has won the BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction for Mr Ward's Map: Victorian Wellington Street by Street – a book that reveals fascinating stories about a vital capital city, its neighbourhoods and its people at the turn of the twentieth century.

Illustrated Non-Fiction category convenor of judges Lauren Gutsell says Mr Ward’s Map is innovative, engaging, inherently human and a celebration of research and storytelling.

“Elizabeth Cox deployed one historic cartographic document as the foundation for a superbly written publication that bridges multiple world views and time periods – highlighting one source and how it resonates in the contemporary moment.

“While anchored in Victorian Wellington, Cox presents a range of complex issues and histories that have universal reach. This skilfully interweaves impacts of colonial land alienation on tangata whenua, reveals imbalances and intersectional experiences of race, class and gender, and offers a reflection of societal changes and what remains the same,” says Ms Gutsell.

Mr Ward’s Map is published by Massey University Press.

Te Mūrau o te Tuhi, a discretionary Māori Language Award, was presented this year to member of the Māori Queen’s Council of Twelve, professor, and tohunga of Māori language and thought Tā Pou Temara (Ngāi Tūhoe) KNZM for Te Āhua o Ngā Kupu Whakaari a Te Kooti, an analysis of the prophetic sayings of Te Kooti, published by Auckland University Press.

In presenting this award, judge Hone Morris (Ngāi Te Rangitotohu, Ngāti Mārau, Ngāti Maru, Ngāi Te Ao Kāpiti) says: “Ko Te Āhua o Ngā Kupu Whakaari a Te Kooti, he mahi rangahau nui whakahirahira e wānanga ana i te rētōtanga, te mana, me te toitūtanga o ngā kupu whakaari me ngā whakataukī, me te hononga ā-ngākau ki te whakapono, ki te whenua, ki te hītori, me te tangata. He mea whakarite te hanganga o te pukapuka nei ki tētahi tupuna whare hei arataki i te kaipānui mai i te tūāpapa o te whare ki tōna whatumanawa, e whakakitea ana te kupu tapu mā ngā whakataukī, ngā kupu whakaari, ngā waiata, me ngā ingoa o ngā whare nā Te Kooti Arikirangi Turuki i tapa. E whakaatu ana a Tā Pou he tapu atua tō te reo poropiti, he maha ōna paparanga tikanga, ā, he kawenga matatika kei runga i te kawe o aua kupu. Mā tēnei pukapuka ka whakarangatira te reo Māori, ka whakahoki i te mauri o te mātauranga Māori, ā, ka waiho he wāhi mā te kaipānui hei whakaaroaro, hei wānanga, ka mutu, kia ū ki tōna ake māramatanga.”

“Te Āhua o Ngā Kupu Whakaari a Te Kooti is a significant scholarly work that examines the depth, authority, and enduring power of kupu whakaari and whakataukī, and the intimate connections to faith, land, history, and people. Structured metaphorically as a whare tūpuna, the book guides the reader from the foundations of the whare through to its heart, revealing the sacred nature of language through whakataukī, kupu whakaari, waiata, and named houses of Te Kooti Arikirangi Turuki. Tā Pou Temara demonstrates how prophetic language conveys divine tapu, layered meaning, and moral responsibility. This work enriches te reo Māori, restores the mauri of mātauranga Māori, and creates space for readers to reflect, interpret, and arrive at their own understandings.”

The Poetry, General Non-Fiction, Illustrated Non-Fiction, and Māori Language award recipients each received $12,000.

Four Best First Book Awards, sponsored by the Mātātuhi Foundation, were also presented at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards ceremony.

The Hubert Church Prize for Fiction was presented to Auckland author John Prins for his short story collection Pastoral Care(Otago University Press).

“A youth group leader seeks solace from an AI chatbot. Two brothers disagree about the future of the family bach. A teacher positions himself for another career change. In John Prins’ lively story collection, both men and women battle to balance domestic and work spheres, how they perceive themselves and how they act. Funny, assured, thoughtful, of the moment and of this place, Pastoral Care is a grand debut,” say the Fiction category judges.

Auckland poet Sophie van Waardenberg has taken the Jessie Mackay Prize for Poetry for No Good (Auckland University Press).

“Sophie van Waardenberg’s honed ability to hold the reader’s focus is impossible to ignore. No Good is a stupefying kiss. The poet shares her insights on grief, love and friendship with generosity. She makes the work of editing look effortless. The ‘Cremation Sonnets’ sequence is particularly impressive for the confidence with which this debut poet tackles the inexpressible, non-literary realities of bereavement,” say the Poetry category judges.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern, has won the E.H. McCormick Prize for General Non-Fiction for her memoir A Different Kind of Power (Penguin, Penguin Random House).

“Good political memoirs and biographies are rare in New Zealand, but former prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s first book, A Different Kind of Power, is exceptional. A singular figure with both national and global appeal, her time in office was marked by several catastrophic events, including the country’s worst terror attack, the deadly White Island eruption, and the defining pandemic. Ardern’s thoughtful and rewarding account sheds important light on those years, and on a Kiwi childhood that somehow inadvertently prepared her for the rigours of leadership,” say the General Non-Fiction category judges.

The Judith Binney Prize for Illustrated Non-Fiction has gone to emeritus professor of botany Philip Garnock-Jones for his book He Puāwai: A Natural History of New Zealand Flowers by (Auckland University Press)

“Built out of a career dedicated to research and scientific discovery, He Puāwai: A Natural History of New Zealand Flowers cements Philip Garnock-Jones as one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading botanists. Detailed, accessible and stunningly beautiful in its design, his first book is a celebration of scholarship and the power of stereoscopic photography,” say the Illustrated Non-Fiction judges.

Each Mātātuhi Foundation Best First Book Award winner received $3,000 and a 12-month membership subscription to the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa.

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, BookHub presented by Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, The Mātātuhi Foundation,and the Auckland Writers Festival.

The awards ceremony, emceed by Miriama Kamo and attended by politicians, publishers, writers, and the book-loving public, was held on Wednesday 13 May at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Aotea Centre as part of the 2026 Auckland Writers Festival programme.

To find out more about the winners’ titles go to https://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/2026-awards/winners/

Notes:

The 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards judges were: For the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction:  novelist, short story writer and reviewer Craig Cliff (convenor); novelist, poet and Arts Foundation Te Tumi Toi Laureate Alison Wong; bookseller, writer and reviewer Melissa Oliver (Ngāti Porou); and artistic director of the Vancouver Writers Fest and respected Canadian literary juror Leslie Hurtig. For the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry: poet, musician and multi-disciplinary artist Daren Kamali (convenor); poet, writer, performer and editor Jordan Hamel; and writer, musician and translator Claudia Jardine. For theGeneral Non-Fiction Award: journalist, author and reviewer Philip Matthews (convenor); academic and writer Georgina Tuari Stewart (Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu, Pare Hauraki); and screen director, producer, and author Dan Salmon. And for the BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction: art historian and curator Lauren Gutsell (convenor); photographer, moving-image artist, writer and academic Natalie Robertson (Ngāti Porou, Clann Dhonnchaidh); and non-fiction writer and former magazine editor Rebekah White.

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are the country’s premier literary honours for books written by New Zealanders. First established in 1968 as the Wattie Book Awards (later the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards), they have also been known as the Montana New Zealand Book Awards and the New Zealand Post Book Awards. Awards are given for Fiction (the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction), Poetry (the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry) Illustrated Non-Fiction (the BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction) and General Non-Fiction. There are also four Best First Book Awards for first-time authors (The Mātātuhi Foundation Best First Book Awards) and, at the judges’ discretion, Te Mūrau o te Tuhi, a Māori Language Award. The awards are governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa (a registered charity). Current members of the Trust are Nicola Legat, Richard Pamatatau, Elizabeth Jones, Garth Biggs, Renée Rowland, Kim Tairi, Suzy Maddox and Elena de Roo. The Trust also governs the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and National Poetry Day.

Ockham Residential is Auckland’s most thoughtful developer. Through creating elegant and enduring buildings that are well-loved by those who make them home, Ockham hopes to enhance Auckland – and to contribute to its many communities. Founded in 2009 by Mark Todd and Benjamin Preston, Ockham supports a number of organisations in arts, science and education. These include the Ockham Collective, their creative and educational charity, the acclaimed BWB Texts series, the People’s Choice Award in New Zealand Geographic’s Photographer of the Year Award, and Ponsonby’s Objectspace gallery. But its principal sponsorship of the New Zealand Book Awards, a relationship now in its eleventh year, is perhaps Ockham’s most visible contribution. Says Mark Todd: “Our communities would be drab, grey and much poorer places without art, without words, without science – without critical thought. That’s why our partnership with the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards means the world to us.”

Creative New Zealand has been a sustaining partner of New Zealand’s book awards for decades. The national arts development agency of the New Zealand government encourages, promotes and supports the arts in New Zealand for the benefit of all New Zealanders through funding, capability building, an international programme, and advocacy. 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 supports organisations which work to increase the readership and sales of New Zealand literature at home and internationally.

Acorn Foundation is a community foundation based in the Western Bay of Plenty that encourages people to establish an endowment fund to support causes they love in the local community forever. Donations are pooled and invested, and the investment income is used to make annual donations to local charities, while the capital remains intact. Acorn has now distributed over $25 million to causes important to their donors. Community foundations are the fastest growing form of philanthropy worldwide, and there are currently 18 located across the country, with more than 85% of New Zealanders able to access a local foundation. The Prize for Fiction at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards has been provided through the generosity of one of Acorn’s donors, the late Jann Medlicott, and will be awarded to the top fiction work each year, in perpetuity.

Mary and Peter Biggs CNZM are long-time arts advocates and patrons – particularly of literature, theatre and music. They have funded the Biggs Family Prize in Poetry at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters since 2006, along with the Alex Scobie Research Prize in Classical Studies. They have been consistent supporters of the International Festival the of the Arts, the Auckland Writers Festival, Wellington’s Circa Theatre, the New Zealand Arts Foundation, Featherston Booktown, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Featherston Sculpture Trust, the Martinborough Music Festival, the Featherston Heritage Festival, and the Wairarapa’s Kokomai Arts Festival. Peter was Chair of Creative New Zealand from 1999 to 2006 and is active across numerous governance roles, including Chair of the Featherston Booktown Trust, which he and Mary founded in 2015. Peter led the Cultural Philanthropy Taskforce in 2010 and the New Zealand Professional Orchestra Sector Review in 2012. He was appointed a Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit for arts governance and philanthropy in 2013. Mary has been the driving force behind the growth and success of the popular annual Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival.

Founded in 1921, Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand is the national association for bookshops. It helps booksellers grow and succeed through education, information, advocacy, marketing campaigns – such as Bookshop Day – and services – such asBookHub. Launched in 2023, BookHub is an e-commerce platform that enables people to browse books, buy books and find local bookshops, directly connecting readers with independent bookstores across the motu. Local bookshops are essential community hubs, and champions of Aotearoa New Zealand books and of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

The Mātātuhi Foundation was established by the Auckland Writers Festival in 2018 to support the growth and development of New Zealand's literary landscape. To achieve this outcome, the Foundation funds literary projects that have the potential to develop sustainable literary platforms that help grow awareness and readership of New Zealand books and writers, increase engagement with New Zealand children’s literature, or build access to, and awareness of, New Zealand’s literary legacy.

For 26 years, the Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki has been a champion of thought leadership, literary engagement and community building. It is New Zealand’s premier celebration of books and ideas, with annual attendances of over 80,000. The Festival offers a six-day programme of inspiring discussions, conversations, readings, debates and performances for every age, audience and interest. Featuring over 200 of the world’s best writers and thinkers from Aotearoa and overseas and with 25 percent of the programme delivered free, this year’s Festival takes place 12 – 17 May 2026.

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