Otago authors and publishers have made a strong showing in the national book award long-lists announced this week.
Ten finalists in four categories of the Ockham Book Awards have been announced and Otago has featured strongly in the illustrated non-fiction and poetry brackets.
Otago University Press also had one of its strongest ever showings with the publisher’s titles up for seven awards.
Otago authors and editors on the long list in the illustrated non-fiction bracket are:
• Chris Brickell, Teenagers: The Rise of Youth Culture in New Zealand.
• Lucy Hammonds, Gordon Walters: New Vision
• James Beattie, New China Eyewitness: Roger Duff, Rewi Alley and the Art of Museum DiplomacyOtago writers in the top-10 for poetry:
• David Howard, The Ones Who Keep Quiet
• Sue Wootton, The YieldNew Zealand Book Awards Trust chairwoman Nicola Legat said there had been a large number of entries again this year and the standard was extremely high across all categories.
"Clearly New Zealand publishing, and indeed our literature, is in excellent health," she said.
The shortlist will be announced on March 6 next year.
The winners (for the four best first book awards and a Maori language award, presented at the judges’ discretion) will be announced at a ceremony on May 15, at the Auckland Writers Festival.
