The Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement is presented annually in three categories: fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The award is managed by Creative New Zealand and decided by the Arts Council following public nominations and recommendations from an external panel of experts.

Kent Gardner, Chair of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, says this year’s recipients fully embody the spirit of these awards, which take into consideration writers’ national acclaim, international recognition, and leadership within the New Zealand literary sector.

“All three recipients bring multiple gifts to their work. Dame Lynley Dodd has achieved global success by combining her talents as a writer and illustrator to make reading a joy for countless children. Neville Peat’s natural history writing is compelling for the combination of analytic rigour and passion for the environment. Aprirana Taylor’s poetry is product of years of experience writing and performing for the eye, the ear and the stage as an actor and teacher,” Kent says.

This year’s recipients will be celebrated at an event in Wellington on 12 December to be attended by the Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage.

Lynley Dodd

Fiction

Lynley Dodd is an internationally celebrated writer for children. Her titles, including the Hairy Maclary series, are highly regarded and much loved by her readers locally and internationally. Her stories are known for their lively sound qualities, curious animal characters, and the memorable illustrations that accompany the text. Dodd has received numerous awards, both for her writing and illustration. In 2002 she was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to children’s literature.

Neville Peat

Non-Fiction

Neville Peat has published more than 40 works of natural history environmental writing and biography, including regional natural histories, histories of Antarctica, and studies of native birds. Peat’s awards include Book of the Year for Natural Heritage at the 1996 Montana New Zealand Book Awards for Wild Dunedin: Enjoying the Natural History of New Zealand’s Wildlife Capital (Otago University Press, 1995) with Brian Patrick, and a Storylines Notable Non-Fiction Book listing in 2007 for Winging It: The Adventures of Tim Wallis (Longacre, 2006). In 2007 he was awarded the Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers’ Fellowship, for his project on the Tasman Sea. He has also written titles for younger readers.

Apirana Taylor

Poetry

Apirana Taylor (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Ruanui) has published six collections of poetry, four short story collections, two novels, and three plays. His work is in multiple anthologies, and he has published in other mediums, including sound and video recordings. He writes for children and the theatre, acts and teaches drama. Taylor’s first collection of poetry, Eyes of the Ruru, established his powerful voice among Māori writers. Taylor’s novel Five Strings was published in May 2017 by Anahera Press. He has held writing fellowships at Massey University and the University of Canterbury and performed internationally.