New Zealand Book Awards 2017 shortlists announced

The shortlists for the 2017 New Zealand Book Awards have been announced.

The shortlisted titles in each category are:

Fiction

• The Wish Child (Catherine Chidgey, Victoria University Press)
• Love as a Stranger (Owen Marshall, Vintage)
• Billy Bird (Emma Neale, Vintage)
• The Name on the Door is Not Mine (C K Stead, A&U)

Illustrated nonfiction

• A History of New Zealand Women (Barbara Brookes, Bridget Williams Books)
• New Zealand Wine: The Land, the Vines, the People (Warren Moran, Auckland University Press)
• Dark Matter (Ann Shelton, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki)
• Bloomsbury South: The Arts in Christchurch 1933-1953 (Peter Simpson, Auckland University Press)

General nonfiction

• This Model World: Travels to the Edge of Contemporary Art (Anthony Byrt, Auckland University Press)
• My Father’s Island (Adam Dudding, Victoria University Press)
• The Big Smoke: New Zealand Cities, 1840-1920 (Ben Schrader, Bridget Williams Books)
• Can You Tolerate This? (Ashleigh Young, Victoria University Press)

Poetry

• Fale Aitu/Spirit House (Tusiata Avia, Victoria University Press)
• Hera Lindsay Bird (Hera Lindsay Bird, Victoria University Press)
• Fits & Starts (Andrew Johnston, Victoria University Press)
• This Paper Boat (Gregory Kan, Auckland University Press).

The shortlisted books were chosen from longlists announced last year. The winners will be announced on 16 May at the opening night of the Auckland Writers Festival.

This is the second time the awards will be presented since undergoing significant changes following the withdrawal of former sponsor New Zealand Post Group, with a charitable trust comprising industry bodies taking over administration of the awards in October 2014.

Category: Awards Local news