Nominations are now open for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement.

Creative New Zealand is inviting nominations for writers who have made an outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature in the categories of non-fiction, poetry or fiction. $60,000 is awarded in each genre.

Those nominated must be New Zealand citizens or residents.

The nominations are assessed by an external panel of literary experts who then forward their recommendations to the Arts Council of Creative New Zealand for approval.

The awards are presented by the Prime Minister in a formal ceremony later in the year. In 2018 poet, publisher and librettist Michael Harlow received the award for Poetry, critic, curator and poet Wystan Curnow for Non-Fiction, and dramatist and fiction writer Renée for Fiction. 

Visit their website if you want to learn about their new nomination process.

Nominations close on Friday, 26 April at 5pm.