New Voices of Aotearoa 2026 announced
The 8 authors selected as the 2026 New Voices of Aotearoa (NVA) have been announced.
The authors, selected by a judging panel and administered by the Coalition for Books, are:
- Tīhema Baker (Raukawa te Au ki te Tonga, Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira)
- Amber Esau (Ngāpuhi, Manase)
- Nafanua Purcell Kersel (Satupa‘itea, Faleālupo, Aleipata, Tuaefu)
- Atakohu Middleton (Waikato, Pākehā)
- Zoë Rankin
- Liv Sisson
- Jennifer Trevelyan
- Madi Williams (Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Kōata, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitāne o Wairau).
Now in its second year, NVA is intended to highlight “exceptional and distinctive writing talent across fiction, poetry and nonfiction”, connecting readers with “authors who have already demonstrated early commercial and critical success”.
Coalition for Books chair Melanie Laville Moore said of the selected authors: “They’re the interesting writers capturing the mood of the moment while showing readers where literature is headed next. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, they stand out for their ability to connect with readers through books that are gripping, thought-provoking and deeply affecting.”
The New Voices of Aotearoa 2026 was judged by author, academic and architect Jade Kake (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, Whakatōhea); reviewer and former books editor of The Dominion Post (now The Post) and former books and culture editor of the New Zealand Listener Guy Somerset; and bestselling author and co-owner of Wardini Books Louise Ward.
Announcing the 2026 NVA, the Coalition for Books said the inaugural year of the initiative in 2025 “was a commercial success for recipients”, with an average increase of 69% in book sales of the selected authors’ debut titles in the 12 weeks following the announcement compared to the 12 weeks before, according to Nielsen Bookscan.
Category: Awards Local news
