Call For Judges Of The 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards

The organisers of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are
calling for expressions of interest from readers with a deep
knowledge of New Zealand literature who would like to be
considered as judges of the 2023 awards.

Applications
are invited from members of the public with relevant
experience, and from the literature community. Suitable
candidates may be authors, former publishers, editors, event
organisers, scholars, reviewers, critics, booksellers, or
librarians. The organisers particularly welcome expressions
of interest from Māori applicants.

The Ockham New
Zealand Book Awards offer four principal prizes each year:
the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction; the Mary and
Peter Biggs Award for Poetry; the Booksellers Aotearoa New
Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction; and the General
Non-Fiction Award. There are also four awards for first-time
authors (the Crystal Arts Trust Best First Book awards) and,
at the discretion of a specially appointed judge, Te Mūrau
o te Tuhi, a Māori Language Award.

The judging of
each of the four subject categories is undertaken by a panel
of three judges with the relevant expertise and experience
in that subject. One of the three will be appointed as
convenor. The judges begin their reading in mid-September
2022.

Potential judges may express interest directly
or be nominated by members of the literature community and
book industry. A panel from the New Zealand Book Awards
Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa, which comprises
industry stakeholder representatives, is responsible for
final selection and recruitment. Geographic, cultural and
community representation, as well as relevant qualifications
and experience, will all be considered in the final make-up
of the panels.

Expressions of interest forms and
background information on the judging process and judges’
responsibilities can be downloaded
from the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards website or
supplied on request by emailing [email protected].

Applications
must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday 29 June, and should
include a brief resumé demonstrating the applicant’s
experience for the judging role.

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

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