It's never too late to chase your passion.

Janine Williams has proven that - winning the Arts Foundation's inaugural Lynley Dodd Children’s Writers Award - which comes with a whopping $30,000.

A latecomer to writing, Williams - who is known by her pen name J.L.Williams - is blown away by being the first to claim the award "intended for authors who have established their identity in the field of children’s literature, showcasing richness, range, and depth in their work" - as well as being "designed to support their practice and ensure their work continues."

Williams enthuses she's “incredibly happy, that such a huge stroke of good fortune should have come my way”, adding “It will be life-changing as it will enable me to write full-time. I can also enrol in courses or pay for coaching that I would otherwise never be able to afford. And such a wonderful endorsement by the legendary Dame Lynley Dodd will be a huge boost to my credibility as a writer.”

The award was decided by an independent panel comprising of respected New Zealand authors David Hill, Tim Tipene, and Tessa Duder, after whittling down a longlist of nominees (not open to application).

The panel stated, “Janine Williams came closest to fulfilling Dame Lynley’s wish; that the award should provide a boost of confidence and financial support to a talented emerging writer, just as the Choysa Bursary had helped her early in her own career.” 

A path well travelled

Williams has earned plenty of plaudits for her historical junior fiction, with her novels Holding the Horse and its sequel Like the Wind selected as Storylines Notable Books.

Originally from Whanganui before moving around the country during childhood with stints in Dunedin, Levin, and Auckland - writing is something that was on the back burner for Williams. Along with raising her five children and jobs in other fields, Williams has also previously turned her hand to running a pottery studio and being a note-taker for deaf tertiary students.

Since turning her attention to writing, Williams has been making every opportunity count.

Her manuscript Seaside Countdown was shortlisted for the Storylines Joy Cowley Award for a picture book text in 2015. In 2020, she won the Storylines Janice Marriott Mentoring Award for her manuscript Holding the Horse. This historical junior fiction set in New Zealand in 1946 became her first novel and was shortlisted in the NZSA Best First Book category at the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

She now lives in rural Northland with her husband, managing a small orchard business and her award-winning writing career.

Award origins

This new award was only announced last month, thanks to the generosity of Dame Lynley Dodd.  The creative mind behind the iconic Hairy Maclary series (among many other books) was inspired by a pivotal moment in her own career Lynley’s career when a financial gift transformed her path, enabling her to continue writing and ultimately becoming a celebrated writer and illustrator.

“The Bursary I received in the late 1970s gave me the vote of confidence I needed at just the right moment. I have always felt immensely grateful for such a life-changing piece of luck.

"Knowing what the win did for me, I have always thought how marvellous it would be to be able to do the same for another writer. At last, I have the opportunity to realise my dream!”

Arts Foundation General Manager Jessica Palalagi explains "This new Award will alternate with the Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award, which recognises children's illustrators. We couldn’t be more grateful for these arts champions, whose backing directly supports artists who do the crucial work of telling our stories to our tamariki children across generations.”