New Zealand literature is literature, both oral and written, produced by the people of New Zealand. It often deals with New Zealand themes, people or places, is written predominantly in New Zealand English, and features Māori culture and the use of the Māori language. Before the arrival and settlement of Europeans in New Zealand in the 19th century, Māori culture had a strong oral tradition. Early European settlers wrote about their experiences travelling and exploring New Zealand. The concept of a "New Zealand literature", as distinct from English literature, did not originate until the 20th century, when authors began exploring themes of landscape, isolation, and the emerging New Zealand national identity. Māori writers became more prominent in the latter half of the 20th century, and Māori language and culture have become an increasingly important part of New Zealand literature.
The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand. The awards began in 1996 as the merger of two literary awards events: the New Zealand Book Awards, which ran from 1976 to 1995, and the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards, which ran from 1968 to 1995.
William Manhire is a New Zealand poet, short story writer, emeritus professor, and New Zealand's inaugural Poet Laureate (1997–1998). He founded New Zealand's first creative writing course at Victoria University of Wellington in 1975, founded the International Institute of Modern Letters in 2001, and has been a strong promoter of New Zealand literature and poetry throughout his career. Many of New Zealand's leading writers graduated from his courses at Victoria. He has received many notable awards including a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in 2007 and an Arts Foundation Icon Award in 2018.
Ian Curtis Wedde is a New Zealand poet, fiction writer, critic, and art curator.
Jack Ross, is a New Zealand poet, novelist, translator, editor and lecturer in creative writing. A trilogy of novels has been published by two different publishers, Alan Brunton's Bumper Books and Titus Books.
Robert Sullivan is a Māori poet, academic and editor. His published poetry collections include Jazz Waiata (1990), Star Waka (1999) and Shout Ha! to the Sky (2010). His books are postmodern, explore social and racial issues, and explore aspects of Māori culture and history.
Michael James Terence Morrissey is a New Zealand poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, editor, feature article writer, book reviewer and columnist. He is the author of thirteen volumes of poetry, two collections of short stories, a memoir, two stage plays and four novels and he has edited five other books.
Bill Direen is a musician and poet. He manages the music group Bilders and lives in Otago, New Zealand.
David Eggleton is a New Zealand poet, critic and writer. Eggleton has been awarded the Ockham New Zealand Book Award for poetry and in 2019 was appointed New Zealand Poet Laureate, a title he held until 2022. Eggleton's work has appeared in a multitude of publications in New Zealand and he has released over 18 poetry books (1986–2001) with a variety of publishers, including Penguin.
Three Words: An Anthology of Aotearoa/NZ Women's Comics is a 2016 collection that was edited by Rae Joyce, Sarah Laing, and Indira Neville. The book was first published on 14 March 2016 and collects together 64 female comic artists from New Zealand. Joyce stated that she wanted to create the collection after reading an anthology that was marketed as a history of New Zealand comics, only to feel that "it was representing the white male POV status quo rather than the reality of comics in NZ". She further commented that she hoped that Three Words would raise awareness for female comics from New Zealand, as she felt that they were under-represented.
Sarah Quigley is a New Zealand-born writer.
Paula Joy Green is a New Zealand poet and children's author.
Kelly Ana Morey is a novelist and poet from New Zealand.
Rhian Gallagher is a poet from New Zealand.
Rachel Fenton, also known as Rae Joyce, is a graphic novel artist and author from New Zealand.
Anna Jackson is a New Zealand poet, fiction and non-fiction writer and an academic.
Chris Price is a poet, editor and creative writing teacher. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
Janis Freegard is a poet and fiction writer. Her work has been widely published in books, anthologies and literary magazines. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
Kirsten Warner is a New Zealand novelist, poet and journalist. Her debut novel, The Sound of Breaking Glass (2018), won the Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction at the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
Siobhan Harvey is a New Zealand author, editor and creative writing lecturer. She writes poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. In 2021, she was awarded the Janet Frame Literary Trust Award for Poetry.
