2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Award finalists announced
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Loading... - Helena Foster
- 02 Mar 2022
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Literary luminaries and first-time authors are among the 16 authors of books shortlisted for the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
The shortlist was selected from a longlist of 40 books by four panels of specialist judges for fiction, poetry, illustrated non-fiction and general non-fiction. Half of this year’s finalists live in Auckland, while seven are from Wellington. Just one South Island writer, Joanna Preston, is based in Canterbury.
“These novels are packed with life in an array of ordinary and extraordinary forms; they all swell with vitality,” Rob Kidd, convenor of the judges for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, said of the finalists for that award.
This year the fiction winner will take home $60,000.
Saradha Koirala, convenor of judges for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry, said its four finalists pushed poetry to new limits.
“In a time of global instability, Aotearoa poets have reconnected to their sense of self, exploring identity and challenging our collective history,” she said.
Chanel Clarke, convenor of the judges for the Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction, said its four finalists brought insight and depth to varied and valuable content.
Nicholas Reid, convenor of judges for the General Non-Fiction Award, said the finalists stood out for their contribution to the ongoing narrative of what it meant to be a New Zealander.
The winners of the Ockham awards, including the four Crystal Arts Trust Best First Book award winners, will be announced on May 11.
The general non-fiction, poetry and illustrated non-fiction category winners will each win $10,000. The winners of the first book awards will each receive $2500.
The shortlist (*represents debut authors)
Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction
· A Good Winter by Gigi Fenster (Text Publishing)
· Entanglement by Bryan Walpert (MÄkaro Press)
· Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly (Te Herenga Waka University Press)*
· Kurangaituku by Whiti Hereaka (Huia Publishers)
