A host of former winners and a healthy injection of first-time writers are in the running for some of the top literary prizes in Aotearoa, with the nominations in for the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

From the 175 entries, the judging panels have whittled down the longlist for the prestigious awards to 43 books across four categories. 

New Zealand Book Awards Trust chair Nicola Legat states “Across poetry, prose and non-fiction the list includes books by some of our finest thinkers and most inventive writers. Some tackle today’s burning issues and others are entertaining and escapist reads. All deserve our admiration.

“The 2025 longlist is one of great riches. The judges have a difficult job ahead of them to select the shortlists and eventual winners.” 

The competition for the $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction is especially fierce, with three former winners among the ten nominations.

Becky Manawatu (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe, Waitaha) is one of the headline names, with Kataraina - the sequel to her 2020 winning book Aūe - in the running for the richest prize in New Zealand literature. She's up against 2011's fiction winner Laurence Fearnley's latest novel At the Grand Glacier Hotel and 2013 champion Kirsty Gunn's Pretty Ugly.

There are also a couple of former finalists looking to go one better, with Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore, Pākehā) up for The Mires and Damien Wilkins nominated for Delirious. 

There's also buzz around novelist Carl Shuker's chances. There was plenty of noise when The Mistake (now a feature film) didn't make the 2020 shortlist. Many in the fiction world are tipping big things for his 2025 contender, The Royal Free.

Award-winning poet Louise Wallace's foray into novels with Ash has earned her a nomination, along with former NZ Young Adult Fiction winner Shilo Kino for All That We Know.

Two of the nine first-time authors to make the longlists round out the impressive fiction field with Amma by Saraid de Silva and Michelle Rahurahu (Ngāti Rahurahu, Ngāti Tahu–Ngāti Whaoa) with Poorhara earning recognition.

Another debut book is in the mix is Rex Letoa Paget's Manualiʻi for the $12,000 Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry. He's in fine company, with former winner and highly decorated poet C.K. Stead the biggest name with In the Half Light of a Dying Day.

Internationally acclaimed speculative writer Lee Murray - a five-time winner at the Bram Stoker Awards and freshly minted Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit - looks to add to her accolades with Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud.

Former NZ Society of Authors Janet Frame Memorial Award for Literature winner Emma Neale is back on the Ockham longlist with Liar, Liar, Lick, Spit, as is Robert Sullivan (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu) with Hopurangi - Songcatcher: Poems from the Maramataka.

Multi-faceted artist Richard von Sturmer is put forward for Slender Volumes - not to be confused with fellow poetry longlister Slim Volume by James Brown - while two-time Katherine Mansfield Award winner Tracey Slaughter makes the top 10 with The Girls in the Red House are Singing, along with Carin Smeaton (Hibiscus Tart) and Alison Glenny (/Slanted). 

The $12,000 General Non-Fiction Award longlist contains a potential history maker. 

Airini Beautrais is no stranger to the Ockham NZ Awards - and its previous incarnations - having sensationally won the 2021 Jann Medlicott fiction prize for Bug Week & Other Stories (only the second short story collection to do so) and the Best First Book Award for Poetry in 2007 with Secret Heart.

Now she's aiming to win a remarkable third category, with her poignant personal collection The Beautiful Afternoon in consideration.

Another Ockham favourite, historian Vincent O'Malley, is also hunting another Ockham to go with his 2022 triumph in this category with The Invasion of Waikato Te Riri ki Tainui, along with 2018 winner Diana Witchel, up again for Unreel: A Life in Review.

It's the largest field in this year's awards - with the judging panel of Holly Walker, Ross Calman and Gilbert Wong using their discretion to expand the General Non-Fiction longlist to 13 titles to reflect the greater number of entries and range of genres in this category.

A quartet of debut books are among them, with Bad Archive by Flora Feltham, Feijoa: A Story of Obsession & Belonging by Kate Evans, The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank and The Twisted Chain by Jason Gurney.

Michael Belgrave (Becoming Aotearoa: A New History of New Zealand), Peter Walker (Hard by the Cloud House) Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku (Hine Toa: A Story of Bravery), Dave Hansford (Kahurangi: The Nature of Kahurangi National Park and Northwest Nelson), Megan Dunn (The Mermaid Chronicles: A Midlife Mer-moir) and Richard Shaw (The Unsettled: Small Stories of Colonisation) have also made longlist consideration.

There's plenty of variety in the $12,000 BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction category as well, with art books among the contenders.

Edith Collier: Early New Zealand Modernist by Jill Trevelyan, Jennifer Taylor and Greg Donson is pitted against first-time published author Kirsty Baker's Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa and Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art by Deidre Brown (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) and Ngarino Ellis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) with Jonathan Mane-Wheoki (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī).

The powerhouses behind Lagi-Maama creative consultancy, Toluma'anave Barbara Makuati-Afitu, Kolokesa Uafā Māhina-Tuai, Hikule'o Fe'aomoeako Melaia Māhina, Molima Nolly Pihigia and Janson Chau have combined for longlisted Fenoga Tāonga Niue I Aotearoa: Niue Heritage Journey in Aotearoa, while another cultural perspective is represented by by Phoebe H. Li's Golden Enterprise: New Zealand Chinese Merchants 1860s-1970s.

New Zealand history books are also in the running, with A Different Light: First Photographs of Aotearoa by Catherine Hammond and Shaun Higgins, as well as Te Ata o Tū The Shadow of Tūmatauenga: The New Zealand Wars Collections of Te Papa by Matiu Baker (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Whakaue), Katie Cooper, Michael Fitzgerald and Rebecca Rice.

And Aotearoa's bush and rural beauty gets the spotlight with Leslie Adkin: Farmer Photographer by Athol McCredie, David Young and Naomi Arnold's Force of Nature Te Aumangea o Te Ao Tūroa: A Conservation History of Forest & Bird 1923-2023  and debutant author Sam Gibson's self-titled Sam the Trap Man: Cracking Yarns and Tall Tales from the Bush. 

The final four for each category will be announced on 5 March, with the winners - and the four Mātātuhi Foundation Best First Book Awards recipients - revealed at the gala event on 14 May during the Auckland Writers Festival. 

Pride ready to ride

Coming up even faster is the Auckland Pride Festival - one of the longest events on the creative calendar, dominating the entire month of February.

Executive Director Hāmiora Bailey has had a busy start to the year - he told The Lowdown "As we approach the final stretch of Auckland Pride 2025, things are aligning beautifully. We're energised by the breadth and depth of our programming this year, particularly with the opening of Te Tīmatanga (curated by Neke Moa and Louie Zalk-Neale), which embodies the entanglement of cultures and histories that is so central to our festival. 

"While our team of five remains small, our commitment to delivering one of the largest open-access festivals in the country is steadfast. 

"We have 192 events this year, a significant leap from previous years. Of these, 90 events are part of our Proud Centres programme, which provides free, all-ages programming across local community centres, making Pride more accessible to families and a broader spectrum of the community. 

"This increase in scope reflects our ongoing commitment to growth and inclusivity. We’ve also seen a wider range of performers and community groups involved, helping to deepen the cultural and generational connections that make Pride such a transformative event."

Bailey (Ngāti Porou Ki Harataunga, Ngāti Huarere) details that while there is so much positive and growth in both scale and impact, challenges of putting together a festival of this size remain. 

"Our small team manages an expansive programme, but we’ve been able to overcome these hurdles thanks to the strength of our partnerships. Collaborations with venues like Q Theatre, Proud Centres and Season Aotearoa, as well as our service providers, have been essential. Their commitment to supporting our vision and the grassroots events that make up our festival speaks to the power of collective action. 

"Additionally, grounding our audience members and event organisers in our Membership structure will help sustain this work in the long term, turning valuable feedback into actionable change and sustainability for Auckland Pride and our impact in the arts and for our Takatāpui and Rainbow Communities."

CubaDupa's impressive line-up

Another anticipated announcement has been the line-up reveal for this year's CubaDupa Festival, always a creative highlight on the streets of Wellington on 29-30 March.

It's been a labour of love to bring together for first-time Festival Director Bianca Bailey, who's CV includes other creative capital institutions like Stroma and Performance Arcade.

Bailey told The Lowdown "My journey with CubaDupa started in 2020 as an intern, and over the years, I’ve been privileged to grow alongside the festival.

"Being so connected to this event has given me a deep appreciation for its impact—not just on Wellington, but on everyone who takes part. It’s a privilege to work with so many amazing artists and collaborators to turn Cuba Street into a playground for the imagination.

"It's a joy to create a programme that prioritises platforming emerging artists who are doing bold, exciting things. This year, we’ve got incredible talent like LILA, Groove Council, and MĀ sharing the spotlight with award-winning artists like Anna Coddington, TOI, and Chelsea Jade. It’s so rewarding to create a line-up that showcases a full spectrum of talent and fosters those connections across different artistic communities."

You can throw in the likes of 2024 Taite Music Prize winner Vera Ellen and Best Pacific Male Artist and Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist Diggy Dupé among the 140+ acts presenting over 170 performances spanning music, dance, theatre, visual arts and more. 

That's a lot of programming - when asked what the biggest challenges were, Bailey laughs "Keeping everyone happy!", adding "Balancing the needs and expectations of our artists, audiences, sponsors, and community partners is no small feat. We’re constantly juggling logistics, budgets, and creative visions while staying true to the heart of what CubaDupa represents. 

"It’s a big challenge, but the payoff is seeing the joy on people’s faces when it all comes together.

"One of the most exciting additions this year is a brand-new street theatre stage created in collaboration with COLOSSAL. Coming from a rock music background, I’ve loved working with them as the local experts in this space. They’ve designed an incredible performance stage made from three stacked shipping containers that transform into a cabaret stage and aerial rig. The programme they’ve put together is packed with local and emerging talent—it’s going to be a real showstopper and something I can’t wait for everyone to experience.

"CubaDupa is more than a festival—it’s a celebration of Wellington’s spirit and creativity."

Colourful calendar

March's Wānaka Festival of Colour has also dropped its full programme this week - with the nine-day event (29 March-9 April) bringing some impressive names to the idyllic Southern destination.

The festival-launching free Community Whānau Day see a number of interactive installations, workshops, live performances and aerial acts, with some of the freshly announced highlights in the 60+ every programme including dancers from BalletCollective Aotearoa dancers combining with choreographers Cameron Mcmillan, Sarah Knox and RNZB’s Loughlan Prior to the live score from NZTrio to bring Subtle Dances to life. 

Recent festival favourites like Trick of the Light Theatre's Suitcase Show and Rutene Spooner's Be Like Billy? are mixed in with top local musical acts like The Veils and Delaney Davidson, the first couple of Aotearoa theatre Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst bring their emotional love story In Other Words, Nathan Joe curates some of the country's leading BIPOC storytellers with Dirty Passports and the iconic Jools and Lynda Topp will be part of the annual Aspiring Conversations line-up.

Artistic Director, Sophie Kelly states “This year's programme delves into themes of identity, belonging and self-expression, inviting our audiences to explore diverse perspectives and personal narratives. We honour the richness of cultural diversity with works that celebrate various ethnicities, languages, religions as well as our own rich cultural history. We celebrate the unique heritage of Wānaka and its region, drawing inspiration and stories from local legends, history, traditions and rituals. 

"I encourage you to not just observe but to participate, connect with an open heart and mind, and embrace the opportunity to be transformed.”

Chance of a lifetime

It's been a sensational summer for many New Zealand performers, getting the chance to show off their skills and provide the soundtracks to memories that will stay with many audiences.

Some young emerging musical stars got their first taste of big crowds after being given the opportunity to open for the likes of Cold Chisel, Icehouse, Bic Runga and Everclear on the Greenstone Summer Concert tour - which saw over 40,000 music lovers attend the Queenstown, Taupō and Whitianga shows.

Ashley, the drummer from Rumpus Machine told The Lowdown their time in Taupō was a "next level gig!", detailing "It was really cool being backstage and working with the crew, then being able to play to 17,000 people on a massive stage with great sound! Everclear even watched us from side of stage. After that we met some of the bands, got some pics and were able to watch from right in front of the stage as they rocked out! So cool."

Mistep band member Laura told The Lowdown of their Queenstown opening experience, “It was an incredible opportunity that has given us endless amounts of knowledge from everyone at the event and an exciting high of emotions that we will hope to experience again.”

It's a clear case of 'if you can see it, you can be it' - sure to fill these talented young creatives with belief that big dreams can become realities, as well as inspire others along the way.

Huge opportunity

He may hail from the bottom of the country, but Invercargill's Reuben Brown's been given the chance to rise right to the top of the country's orchestra community.

He's been selected as the year-long New Zealand Assistant Conductor-in-Residence, allowing him to work with internationally acclaimed conductors and lead rehearsals and performances for the Auckland Philharmonia, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Dunedin Symphony Orchestra.

Brown - a recent graduate of the New Zealand School of Music - states he's “looking forward to starting in the role next month and learning remarkable music with these brilliant orchestras and world-class artists. 

"Leading these three Aotearoa professional orchestras for rehearsals and performances is an incredible opportunity and it’s exciting to think about the future career pathways that this experience will open for me on a local and global scale.”

Auckland Philharmonia’s Chief Executive, Diana Weir, details “This residency programme offers a fantastic opportunity for emerging Australasian conductors to build greater depth of podium experience to launch a professional career, and we’re proud to see one of Aotearoa’s own take up this role.”

As well as being mentored by Music Director, Giordano Bellincampi, Brown will also learn about the inner workings of season planning and other managerial elements as a member of the Auckland Philharmonia’s Artistic team over the course of the season.

Brown is the fifth holder of the position and takes over from 2024 incumbent, Ingrid Martin, after a selection process that included shortlisted applicants completing a live audition with the Auckland Phil.