3 days ago
Welcome to the New Voices of Aotearoa list
A new competition 'aimed at identifying, nurturing and increasing readership and sales for brilliant new emerging writing talent' has arrived.
The New Voices of Aotearoa is a just-announced annual competition where 10 writers – either nominated by their publishers, or nominated by themselves – are selected and celebrated as 'the country's ten best upcoming authors to read and follow'. The 10 writers for 2025 were chosen by a 'heavy weight' judging panel including celebrated writer Lee Murray, who said that 'choosing just 10 from over 30 worthy nominations generated some robust discussion.'
The new competition was created by The Coalition for Books, a membership organisation 'tasked with delivering strategic initiatives with the aims of reaching and engaging more audiences with a diverse range of New Zealand books and authors, and enhancing the visibility and sales of New Zealand books.'
The 10 selected writers do not receive any money but will be the subject of a promotional campaign that begins today, June 12, including interviews, videos, stickers and bookmarks that will go to libraries and booksellers, digital posters and social media assets. There will also be local events with the New Voices writers over the next few months (details to come). Coalition for Books chair Melanie Laville-Moore says 'the initiative shines a spotlight on the 10 best new voices in Aotearoa writing each year, making it easy for readers to know who to look out for in store and online.'
The inaugural New Voices of Aotearoa are:
Wellington essayist Una Cruickshank (author of The Chthonic Cycle); Raglan journalist, videographer and nature writer Kate Evans (author of Feijoa); Gisborne trapper, environmentalist and author Sam Gibson (author of Sam the Trap Man); Auckland actor, producer, radio host and author Matt Heath (author of A Life Less Punishing); Christchurch editor and writer of techno-thrillers, science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction Judy Mohr (author of Dancing in the Purple Rain); Wellington novelist Olive Nuttall (author of Kitten); Wellington taangata turi-raised anthologist and novelist Michelle Rahurahu (Ngāti Rahurahu, Ngāti Tahu–Ngāti Whaoa) (author of Poorhara); Auckland novelist and reviewer Josie Shapiro (Author of Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts); Auckland novelist and podcaster Saraid de Silva (author of AMMA); and Auckland television screen writer and producer and author Gavin Strawhan (author of The Call).
All of the 10 writers are authors of adult fiction or nonfiction (the competition excludes writers of children's books). New Voices of Aotearoa 2025 was judged by reviewer and former books editor of The Dominion Post and books and culture editor of the New Zealand Listener Guy Somerset; author, editor, podcaster, and curator of the Nelson Arts Festival's literary programme Pukapuka Talks Kerry Sunderland; fiction writer, and mentor for the Māori Literature Trust's Te Papa Tupu programme and the NZ Society of Authors Jacquie McRae (Tainui and Ngāti Koata); editor, manuscript assessor, mentor and revered former publisher Harriet Allan; Unity Books Wellington buyer and writer Melissa Oliver; and five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner and recipient of the New Zealand Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in Fiction, Lee Murray.
To qualify for New Voices of Aotearoa, authors nominated must have published their first book in print between March 2024 and June 2025, or have their second book scheduled for publication before December 2025. They must be either New Zealanders by birth, have New Zealand citizenship or be long-term residents of Aotearoa.
The Coalition for Books expects that the New Voices of Aotearoa brand will grow over time and will become known and trusted. They're comparing the campaign to the Granta Best Young British Novelists which, in 2023, included New Zealand writer Eleanor Catton. The Granta list comes only every 10 years and includes 20 authors under the age of 40. Granta publishes an anthology of the writers' work and has been running the campaign since 1983.
New Voices of Aotearoa has no upper age cap and will happen every year. Nomination details for the 2026 competition are not yet available.
