Live updates from the 2026 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

Tonight’s the night we celebrate the best children’s books in Aotearoa! Finalists across six categories will find out if they’ve scooped a prize, and one book will be crowned overall winner of the prestigious Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award.

One of the coolest things about this year’s awards is that it is nestled in the middle of the very first New Zealand Children’s Book Week. Since Saturday August 15 there have been super fun events up and down the country with children’s writers and illustrators, bookshops, libraries and even trains.

To recap who and what is in the running for tonight’s prizes, here’s The Spinoff’s report on the finalists.

Big names include Graci Kim, whose smash hit novel Dreamslinger is up for the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award, and Rachael King whose second book in the gorgeous Violet and the Velvets series about a school band is up for the same prize. Giselle Clarkson’s stunning Omnibird is up for the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction alongside newcomer to the awards, chef Al Brown. There’s multi-award winning Gavin Bishop among a truly mighty bunch up for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration.

Tune back in around 6pm when I’ll do some red carpet pics ahead of the ceremony starting at 6.30pm on the dot.

Here at Pipitea Marae the buzz is on! There’s palpable nervous energy in the room as clusters of writers and publishers are now gathering ahead of a 6.30pm start. I’ve been trying to find out of Minister Goldsmith is brave enough to come back (he was heckled last year)… will update.

Please enjoy some warm up pics to get you in the zone in the meantime …

This is Al Brown and Hope McConnell who created Hooked! Up for the Elsie Locke Award for non-fiction.

And this is the stage all set… those seats will all be full very soon.

And these two are from The Children’s Bookshop who are all ready to go with all of tonight’s finalists. It’s extremely wholesome when authors buy each other’s books and get them signed.

So far I’ve spotted Wellington Mayor Andrew Little yakking over by the canapes. And I bumped into a resplendent Graci Kim (below) whose bestselling novel Dreamslinger is up for a Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award finalists.

Graci Kim in a fabulous electric blue cut out with Sarah Forster (legendary founder of The Saping, live blogging beside me tonight! Hi Harriet (will not be papped but she’s wearing the most lovely dress).

The venue music has been hushed and a beautiful live little orchestra of student players has started up. They’re incredibly good: currently playing Hine E Hine.

Look at this lot! My photo is unfortunately blurry but you can see the star power nevertheless! We have Summer from Penguin NZ (left), James, friend of The Spinoff, Toby Morris in a dreamy shirt; and the most brilliant Kimberly Andrews in the best jumpsuit of the night and also day.

Found out the name of this brilliant band! They’re an ensemble from the Porirua Youth Orchestra and they’re playing Aotearoa’s number one fave – honestly this string rendition is a delight!

The room is filling up now and the volume is rising as the writers, publishers, family and friends take their seats. Had to take my jersey off … it’s hot in here!

Counting down to kick off now… (still no sign of Minister Goldsmith. But the guy is busy after all.)

Kurt Komene (Taranaki, Ngāti Tawhirikura) welcomed everyone into the room and a hush immediately fell and a big dividing wall was rolled out to enclose the audience (and cut them off from the wine and food, for now).

Komene’s mihi was answered with Tūtira mai ngā iwi that everyone stood to sing together. There were some soaring voices in the room! Beautiful!

After a karakia, Komene welcomed our emcee, the inimitable Meriana Johnsen (Kai Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Rangitāne). Meriana hosted last year too and was a smash hit: so warm, so vibrant and carried the energy of the night all the way through to the end (which will be around 8.45pm … hang in their people).

Is it uncool to comment on the emcee’s fit? I feel I have to acknowledge Meriana’s stunning strapless top with full volume sleeveage giving old Hollywood, love it.

Oh Meriana’s got the room whooping and clapping already – this is the energy our brilliant writers deserve. It’s a nerve-wracking time for most – awards rewards hours, weeks, months, years of hard work and the putea can really help out, too.

The slides on the screen have flipped over to show all of the books covers for this year’s finalists: big round of applause. Meriana gave a mihi to all of the creators, “this is why we are here tonight!”

Kate tautokos all of the people who made the very first Children’s Book Week happen (this week!) and says it’s no mean feat keeping books and reading alive in “these difficult times”. She says it’s “near madness” how the odds are stacked against this mighty community of devoted artists. She thanks  the reading community who works so hard to bring books to tamariki across the country. “Not to mention the armada of committed volunteers to give year after year…. ” But “most of all I want to thank the writers and illustrators sitting here. Whatever the night’s outcomes all of you deserve congratulations.”

Kate acknowledged how much courage and bloody minded persistence it takes to write a book let alone publish one and be shortlisted for an award. She’s saying so many brilliant things but ole slow digits here can’t pin ’em all down. Please someone remind me to request her full speech so we can republish it!

Oh she said the words “reading activism” and a jolt when through the room. She’s talking about the word children’s writers and illustrators do with children: reading to them, sharing their mahi with them, teaching, building communities and showing the way. Nailed it Kate.

Chair of the Book Awards Trust Nicola Legat (tireless advocate for all things books and legend) has the job of thanking supports, sponsors and welcoming political figures. Labour’s Rachel Boyack, Labour’s spokesperson for the arts, is here and Wellington Mayor Andrew Little, too.

Nicola pointed out the frankly EPIC work the Book Awards Trust have done to promote this year’s finalists: booklets printed in the thousands and distributed via The Listener and a ton of other places I didn’t quite catch. The outcome is a big bump in booksales: “really meaningful in a difficult climate”.

Thousands of young readers contributed over 450 reviews of this year’s finalists – a beautiful way to incorporate the target market in the awards process.

The finalists too have been touring around the country speaking to hundreds of students, culminating in huge event at National Library today created in collaboration with the fabulous librarians at Wellington City Libraries.

Huge and deserved cheers and claps for Joy Sellen who administrates this whole circus and for Belinda Cooke, awards trust manager. Thanks so much Joy and Belinda and team!

Nicola thanked the sponsors who I’m going to cut and paste here: “The New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults and their associated programmes are made possible through the generosity, commitment and vision of funders and partners: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Wellington City Council and Libraries, BookHub presented by Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, Wheelers Books, New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa, the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, and NielsenIQ BookData. The Awards are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa.”

And of course the judges!! Hours of reading and deliberations and hard decisions… can’t wait to see what they are soon.

Now it’s time for videos of students across the country reading books, making costumes and spinning yarns based on this year’s finalists. The future of Aotearoa film is looking good! OMG the one for Rachael Craw’s The Lost Saint: take it to Netflix.

Lots of “ooohhhs” and “Awwwws”.

Meriana quipped that the kids “are our best and worst critics.”

First category is up next… Bookhub Picture Book Award!

So the format of these things is that all finalists go up onto the stage to get claps and papped. Then they all go back down to their seats, then the winner is called back up.

All of the finalists are making their way to the stage, they are:

A Guide to Rocks by Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata) (Huia Publishers)

Koro Wētā by Heather Haylock, illustrated by Sarah Trolle, translated by Ngairo Eruera (Ngāti Ranginui, Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa) (Oratia Books)

Left to Nowhere by Ian Chapman (One Tree House)

Pūkeko Who-keko? by Toby Morris (Penguin Random House)

The Only Dinosaur in School by Leonie Agnew, illustrated by Julia Hegetusch (Muaūpoko) (Scholastic New Zealand)

I think I’m gunning for A Guide to Rocks…. we shall see momentarily!

Mosgiel school librarian and SLANZA representative Lauryn Urquhart (one of the judges of English and bilingual entries) is speaking about the shortlisting “not an easy job!!”.

But I picked it!! The winner is A Guide to Rocks by Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan!!

It’s a stunning book – I can’t get through it without crying and thinking how grateful I am to have a book that explains how to share your feelings! Who knew that’s the way to go!

Sacha thanks the whole team at Huia and her “amazing editor” Briony. She also mihi’d to the other finalists saying “we just think you’re all amazing. We’ve had the most amazing week – we’ve taken a week off our day jobs and have been out doing events.” “Oh my goodness Josh, please,” says Sacha begging Josh to take over. “this wouldn’t have happened without Sacha and her vision and her aroha for our kids and the tamariki of Aotearoa. It’s been a huge labour of love. We started it year and years ago. We submitted it when we submitted Dazzlehands – it’s been a long journey. This book is about connection and this whole time doing these events and connecting with people has been huge.”

Josh thanks Creative New Zealand for giving him funding for this book and for Dazzlehands: “it has been huge”.

Wooohooo!!! So deserved. I’m crying already.

I have no idea how the judges picked this one. The longlist would have been hard enough (notable absences such as Stacy Gregg, Ruth Paul and Sonya Wilson who all had bangers last year!). The finalists we have are:

Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum by Hannah Tunnicliffe, illustrated by Erica Harrison (Flying Eye Books)

Dreamslinger by Graci Kim (Penguin Random House New Zealand)

Kimi the Kekeno’s Big Adventure by Shelley Burne-Field (Ngāti Mutanga, Ngāti Rārua) (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa)

The Terrible Trio 1: The (not so) Superheroes by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Minky Stapleton (Scholastic New Zealand)

Violet and the Velvets 2: The Case of the Angry Ghost by Rachael King, illustrated by Phoebe Morris (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa)

All amazing books, perfect for getting young readers immersed.

And the winner is…

Simie Simpson (Te Āti Awa), Programmes Manager for Read NZ Te Pou Muramura in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (wearing a beautiful hat) gushed over all of the finalists: “all of these books have been an absolute pleasure to read. The writing is such high calibre – thank you all for writing these and making them possible.”

But the winner is Dreamslinger by Graci Kim!! WOOOOOOP! Graci Kim is one of the most generous and supportive children’s writers in the world and her immersive, sparky fantasy totally deserves this honour. Simpson said Dreamslinger has “meticulous world-building and characterisation are expertly combined with a humming plot,” and admired the inclusive cast that ensures “all readers feel seen and represented”.

Graci is a brilliant speaker, doesn’t miss a beat when a rogue piano note plays during her speech: “thank you for that note!”.

She thanks all of the people behind the scenes and every reader particularly a young reader who has passed away: “you will always be in our hearts.”

“I wrote this book for those of us who have ever felt different and on the outside looking in. If we are exceptions to the rule then that’s an opportunity for us to rise up and become exceptional.”

Someone, bring tissues to the sound / live blogging desk please and thank you.

Again, this is a tough as category with one really mysterious omission from the shortlist… Elizabeth Knox’s Kings of this World! I gotta say I was surprised that didn’t make it through.

But the five books we have here are thrilling, moving, dreamy, special books and they are:

Hiva & Heartbeats by Selina Alesana Alefosio (Mila’s Books)

It’s a Bit More Complicated Than That by Hannah Marshall (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa)

Spider Games: In the City of Spies by Brian Falkner (Bateman Books)

The Lost Saint by Rachael Craw (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa)

The Retreat by Helen Vivienne Fletcher (HVF Publishing Ltd)

I badly want Rachael Craw’s The Lost Saint to take this one out: it’s a damn fine book by a damn fine novelist and if you love time slippage you have to read it.

I’m so tense. It’s really hot in here. Mascara all down me cheeks, too.

Judge Chris Reed praised all of the five finalists, roaming across their many and varied merits before announcing that the winner is ….

Rachael Craw’s The Lost Saint!! YAY! Go Rachael!!! This is really deserved and I hope more readers will discover the magic of Craw’s writing: slips down like a fine wine and will make you remember what it felt like to be young and in love and maybe in a bit of danger, too. All the medieval times fans put your hands in the air for The Lost Saint! (My hands are in the air!)

Craw is wearing a stunning red velvet dress very much on brand with The Lost Saint. She shouted out to legendary publisher Jenny Hellen “I appreciate you Jenny!”, and her agent who is currently in Italy, her family (“they put up with so much – we sequester ourselves away in our rooms to write…”), all of her mates in this very room, “the people who love this as much as I love this and who have given their hearts the way I have given my heart. I want you to know I see you and I know how much it means to be here.”

“I didn’t want to whinge but writing is quite hard and sometimes I just live for a gold star and a pat on the head.” Too damn right!

“This industry is so brutal. It is such a roller coaster ride and just for a bit of perspective … when I wrote this book because I was profoundly depressed because I’d been wildly unsuccessful with a previous submission right in the Covid trenches. I just knew I had to write something for joy to pick myself up out of the pits. I wrote The Lost Saint to make myself happy. I got a new agent and she got me this epic three-book deal with a US publisher … then a month after the first book came out that company went tits up and that company went down the drain. It was crash and burn. Then Jenny [Hellen] picked me up. So I’m going to take my gold star and hold it close to my heart.”

Seriously, tissues!!

Judge, librarian extraordinaire and book reviewer Lucy Black is up on stage welcoming the finalists, who are:

Hooked: Learning to Fish by Al Brown, illustrated by Hope McConnell (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa)

Omnibird: An Avian Investigator’s Handbook by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press, Lerner Publishing Group)

Survive Aotearoa by Bronwen Wall and Jonathan Kennett, illustrated by Kimberly Andrews (Kennett Brothers Ltd)

Taniwha by Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) (Penguin Random House)

Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand)

Will the G Bish take this one out again? I mean Taniwha is yet another triumph of design, text and image weaving seamlessly and with a hot pink cover it’s irresistible!

My heart is with Omnibird but also I adore Whenua which is a stone cold classic … I’m sweating here!

Lucy Black said that all five books assume their young readers are up for a challenge … but the winner is:

Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand)!!

Big, big shouts of joy from the crowd here! Izzy Joy has collaborated with many artists in this room and is a dedicated, sincere and talented artist who has created a book that will stay in families for generations.

“I’m really overwhelmed,” says Izzy Joy as she takes the stage to thank all of the people involved in helping her with this book: her kaumatua, her māmā, her twin. “Toitū te whenua!”

Where would writers be without illustrators! With stick people that’s where. “The breadth of talent we have here is phenomenal,” says Judge Lucy Black. She said it was very hard to create a shortlist, let alone land on a winner.

This category is stuffed with famous names, like Ned Barraud and Matt Tait who have been in this room many times, the king Gavin Bishop, and Izzy Joy again!

At Home on the Farm by Ned Barraud (Scholastic New Zealand)

Folk Remedy 1: The Hidden World of the Yōkai by Jem Yoshioka (Andrews McMeel)

Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi by Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau) (Allen and Unwin Aotearoa)

Taniwha by Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) (Penguin Random House)

Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand)

It would be pretty awesome if Izzy Joy took this one, too… but I think maybe Mat Tait might have it this year. Kupe is truly remarkable …

“The bold illustrative style of Kupe and the great octopus of Muturangi words is at one with the words … it maximising use of vibrant colour to make the story pop off every single page,” said black…

You guessed it! The winner is Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi by Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau) (Allen and Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand)!!!

Allen & Unwin is having a great night!! Tait thanks everyone who gave him support, including his publishers, but most of all the tamariki of Riwaka primary school because “without their guidance and beautiful work I’m not sure I would have found my way into illustrating this book the way that I did.”

Sniff, sniff! I hope you’re all so proud Riwaka primary school!! Wooop!!!

This category celebrates books written entirely in te reo Māori, some translated and others originally written in te reo*

*Kupe me te Wheke nui a Muturangi by Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau) (Allen and Unwin Aotearoa)

Matariki ki te Ao by Miriama Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga) and Rangi Matamua (Tūhoe), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu), translated by Pānia Papa (Ngāti Korokī-Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta) and Leon Blake (Tūhoe, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Wāhiao, Waikato, Ngāti Whāwhākia, Ngāti Porou, Taranaki, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Whānau a

Apanui by Te Aitanga a Hauiti (Ngāi Tai) (Scholastic New Zealand)

Taku Ikura Tuatahi by Qiane Matata-Sipu (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu), translated by Stacey Morrison (Ngāi Tahu, Te Arawa waka) (QIANE+co)

*Te Onehaumako by Zeb Tamihana Nicklin (Pāhauwera, Ruapani, Tūhoe, Tāmanuhiri) (Huia Publishers)

I’m not qualified to have a hunch here! Who is it going to be…

Te reo Māori submissions were assessed by a specialist panel convened by Te Wairere Puāwaitanga O Te Whakaaro Ngaia (Waikato-Maniapoto, Taranaki Tūturu, Te Ātiawa, Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue), who took to the stage to celebrate the five finalists, all of which have “an undeniable reading appeal that ask our readers to connect deeply.” 

“My strongest recommendation to you [the finalists] tonight is simple: please, keep writing! Your stories are needed now more than ever.”

Oops one of the finaliasts wasn’t read out but Meriana swooped in and saved the day: big cheers for Te Onehaumako by Zeb Tamihana Nicklin (Pāhauwera, Ruapani, Tūhoe, Tāmanuhiri) (Huia Publishers) …

But the winner is…

Kupe me te Wheke nui a Muturangi by Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau) (Allen and Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand)!!

Mat Tait is on a roll!! What a night for Allen & Unwin, too with three wins so far tonight!

Mat (who is by the way wearing a stunning red shirt and black blazer) headed back to the lectern to collect his second award. He spoke in te reo Māori and thanked his publishers, whānau, collaborators and those cool kids at Riwaka primary school. Kia ora Mat!! Double congratulations!

He Taonga te Toka by Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata), translated by Kawata Teepa (Tūhoe, Te Whakatōhea ) (Huia Publishers)!!! 

Kawata Teepa is a well-known translator and is represented on stage by Eboni Waitere of Huia (beautiful in red dress and black blazer and fedora) who thanked Nicola Legat and the book awards trust for “changing up the face of these awards”. Huia is having a huge run at the moment: six Huia books were just selected for the inaugural IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books for Young Readers in Indigenous and Endangered languages, a feat.

Waitere talked about the time she paired up this new young writer Sacha Cotter with illustrator Josh Morgan and … match made an iconic partnership in work and in life: “we’re publishers, we’re matchmakers…”

Josh Morgan thanks Kawata and asked for all the finalists to come back up on stage again for a photo. It’s so beautiful in here tonight!! I wish you were all hear to soak up these vibes they are so, so good it’s like the sun is finally shining.

Huia has now scooped two awards tonight and Cotter and Morgan too! This book is profound. If you’re in a fam who struggle to talk about feelings then this book truly opens the door. It’s the book Aotearoa has needed for decades and now it is here and winning the awards!

Meriana invites up the finalists for this special as award (it was a game-changer for me in 2025 so I have a huge soft spot for this category! A big old boost to a new author is afoot…)

The fab finalists are:

Folk Remedy 1: The Hidden World of the Yōkai by Jem Yoshioka (Andrews McMeel)

Hiva & Heartbeats by Selina Alesana Alefosio (Mila’s Books)

Hunt for Niu Tupu by Inangaro Vakaafi, illustrated by Maka Makatoa (Mila’s Books)

Te Onehaumako by Zeb Tamihana Nicklin (Pāhauwera, Ruapani, Tūhoe, Tāmanuhiri) (Huia Publishers)

The Lost Words by Kimberley Kearney (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tuhoe), illustrated by Taylor Terewai Tiave (Ngāpuhi) (Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand)

Note there are TWO here from Mila’s Books which is run out of Pōneke by one of the hardest working teams I’ve ever met. Mila’s Books are winners tonight for sheer smarts and heart and brilliance. My son and I got Inangaro Vakaafi to sign our copy of Hunt for Niu Tupu after hearing her read it: our mouths watered! We want niu tupu!

Judge Chris Reed (Ngāti Porou, Pākehā), Tāmaki Makaurau-based Head of English, said each of these book is a taonga and show the continuing strength of emerging writers and illustrators in Aotearoa and the many and varied forms a first book can take.

The winner is…

Te Onehaumako by Zeb Tamihana Nicklin (Pāhauwera, Ruapani, Tūhoe, Tāmanuhiri) (Huia Publishers)

HUGE cheer!! This is so awesome – Te Onehaumako is in te reo Māori (original, not a translation) and Reed says is “an important book that will spark meaningful conversations about sustainability and our shared environmental responsibilities”.

This is, I think but will triple check later, the first time a book in te reo Māori has won this award and marks a shift in the publishing landscape. Huia in the house! Huge cheers for Zak as he takes the stage to accept his award. Congratulations!!!

Simie and Te Wairere thanked everyone for entering these awards and said that there’s no doubt the finalists in this year’s awards reflect the world we live in.

They did it for The Bomb and they’ve done again for A Guide to Rocks!!

More in a sec I just had to tell you asap…

Simie Simpson said this book is storytelling at it’s finest, and that this book belongs in every home and school in the country. Judges praised the book for its quintessentially New Zealand text and painterly illustrations, describing it as a book that “teaches, entertains and empowers”. They said the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award recognises a category winner that achieves outstanding overall excellence – a sincere, standout work that offers exceptional writing, illustration and design, and has the lasting quality to endure in Aotearoa beyond the awards.

“This feels like a dream!” says Sacha. “I’m a writer I need like two years to put something together. There’s so many reasons we created this book. it’s such a tough world and we wanted to make something that would help. That would encourage people to reach out when they are having a tough time. I looked at my little boy when I was making this book and he was so beautiful and expressive and was so completely him. And the thought of the pressures of society getting to him and forcing him to become less was unbearable. I want him to keep being him and I want that for everybody’s children. If this book helps whanau have those conversations then I’m really proud.”

An emotional Josh said that this book went through a few iterations and thanked “the amazing, talented, brilliant and beautiful team at Huia for trusting us.” This is Huia’s fourth award to night!! “I think through working with Huia,” said Morgan, “I’ve gained so much. They were the first people to refer to me as a Māori illustrator.” Josh said that a good friend of his passed away recently, one of his first collaborators, and it’s moments like this that really show how collaborations can be so meaningful.

“Stuff AI!!” said Josh to uproarious cheers. He thanked all the work that went into the events this week connecting kids with illustrators and writers.

We’re all in tears. This is the best.

The Huia team are all up on stage singing a waiata – what a moment for the country’s leading indigenous publishing house. Smashing it!

It’s a tropical vibe in here with all the shining faces! The musicians are playing the happy people from the stage… the night is drawing to a close.

“What a way to close, with a book about aroha!” says our host Meriana Johnsen. She thanked the judges once again and they are:

English and bilingual entries: Simie Simpson (Te Āti Awa), programmes manager for Read NZ Te Pou Muramura in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and a returning judge from 2019; award-winning author, editor, and mentor Cassie Hart (Kāi Tahu, Pākehā); Tāmaki Makaurau-based head of English Chris Reed (Ngāti Porou, Pākehā); Mosgiel school librarian and SLANZA representative Lauryn Urquhart; and Pōneke school librarian Lucy Black, who brings over two decades of public and school library experience.

Te reo Māori submissions: Te Wairere Puāwaitanga O Te Whakaaro Ngaia (Waikato-Maniapoto, Taranaki Tūturu, Te Ātiawa, Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue), a Waikato-based te reo Māori kaiako and qualified translator. Eva Mahara (Waikato, Ngāti Te Wehi), Content Editor for te reo Māori at the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, and Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Tūwharetoa), a Māori language academic, writer, educator and Associate Professor at Te Pūtahi a Toi, Massey University.

Meriana closed the formal part of the night with a karakia.

Now it’s off for some HELL pizza and hugs with the winners! Thanks for following along out there folks. May the force (of books) be with you!