Kidman wins 2019 New Zealand Book Award for fiction

Wednesday, 15 May 2019 Books+Publishing

Fiona Kidman has won the NZ$53,000 (A$50,200) fiction prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for her novel This Mortal Boy (Vintage).

Judges said that This Mortal Boy, which recreates the events leading to the real-life hanging of the ‘jukebox killer’ Paddy Black in 1955, is an ‘intensely human and empathetic story’, that is ‘moving, memorable, authentic and urgently relevant to our times’.

Four other award categories were also announced, with each category winner receiving NZ$10,000 (A$9470). The category winners are:

Illustrated nonfiction

Tatua: A History of Sāmoan Tattooing (Sean Mallon & Sébastien Galliot, Te Papa Press)

Poetry

Are Friends Electric (Helen Heath, Victoria University Press)

Nonfiction

Hudson & Halls: The Food of Love (Joanne Drayton, Otago University Press)

Māori language award

He Kupu Tuku Iho: Ko te Reo Māori te Tatau ki te Ao (Tīmoti Kāretu & Wharehuia Milroy, Auckland University Press).

Four Best First Book awards, each worth NZ$2500 (A$2300), were also announced. They are:

Fiction

The Sound of Breaking Glass (Kirsten Warner, Mākaro Press)

General nonfiction

We Can Make a Life (Chessie Henry, Victoria University Press)

Poetry

Poūkahangatus (Tayi Tibble, Victoria University Press)

Illustrated nonfiction

Whatever It Takes: Pacific Films and John O’Shea 1948-2000 (John Reid, Victoria University Press).

The winners were announced on 14 May at an event at the Auckland Writers Festival, chosen from shortlists announced in March.

To read more about the winning titles, see the New Zealand Book Awards Trust website.

Category: Awards Local news