NZ Booklovers Awards 2025 winners announced

The winners of the 2025 NZ Booklovers Awards have been announced.

The winning titles are:

Best Adult Fiction Book

• The Space Between (Lauren Keenan, Penguin)

Best Lifestyle Book

• Kai Feast: Food Stories & Recipes from the Maunga to the Moana (Christall Lowe, Bateman Books)

Best Young Adult Book

• Migration (Steph Matuku, Huia Publishers)

Best Junior Fiction Book (joint winners)

• The Grimmelings (Rachael King, A&U)
• The Raven’s Eye Runaways (Claire Mabey, A&U)

Best Children’s Picture Book

• The Squeakling (Kristin Kelly, illus by Ronja Schiller, Scholastic NZ).

NZ Booklovers director Karen McMillan said: ‘Our winning novel combines the best of historical fiction with the tautness of a thriller. Our lifestyle-winning book is a taonga that honours the legacy of whānau and the joy of sharing kai. The young adult winner is an exploration of cultural survival and personal transformation. Our joint junior fiction–winning novels are exceptional, with vivid storytelling and rich characters. The winning children’s picture book is written with humour and tenderness and will engage young readers and foster a love of books.’

In their seventh year, the awards showcase both Aotearoa New Zealand and international titles and aim to support the local publishing community and New Zealand authors. Winners were chosen from a shortlist announced in February, with each category winner receiving NZ$500.

NZ Booklovers is a platform with a ‘team of contributors and reviewers, fellow readers and writers who are passionate about books and believe literature inspires and enhances people’s lives’.

Category: Awards Local news