Award-winning writers, journalists, reviewers, respected academics, curators and booksellers are among the 12 experts selected to judge the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

The $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction will be judged by novelist, short story writer and lecturer in creative writing 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.

Judging the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry will be 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 will be 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 Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction will be judged by former Alexander Turnbull chief librarian and author Chris Szekely (convenor); arts advocate Jessica Palalagi; and historian and social history curator Kirstie Ross.

New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa chair Nicola Legat says each of this year’s judging panels represent a wide range of readers and experts in literature.

“These awards are high stakes for longlisted, shortlisted and winning authors and so it’s critical to get it right. These 12 fine judges have great depths of knowledge and diversities of experience, as befits their responsibilities,” she says.

The New Zealand Book Awards Trust is currently inviting submissions for the second tranche of entries for the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Online entries for titles published between 1 September 2024 and 31 December 2024 opened on Thursday 12 September and close 5pm on Wednesday 23 October 2024. Submissions for titles published between 1 January and 31 August 2024 have closed.

Click here for eligibility criteria and a Call for Entries information pack, then enter online here.

Category longlists will be announced on 30 January 2025, and the shortlist of 16 books on 5 March 2025.The finalists and winners will be celebrated on 14 May 2025 at an awards ceremony held as part of the Auckland Writers Festival.

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are supported by Ockham Residential, Creative New Zealand, the late Jann Medlicott MNZM and the Acorn Foundation, Mary and Peter Biggs CNZM, Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, The Mātātuhi Foundation and the Auckland Writers Festival.

Visit the New Zealand Books Awards Trust website to find out more here.