Educationalist and author Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith, who was a judge in the 2021 awards, will convene the English language panel in 2022. She is joined by acclaimed author Kyle Mewburn, public librarian Laura Caygill, children’s bookseller, reviewer and author Adele Broadbent; and Poutiaki Rauemi/National Manager Māori for Services to Schools at Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand, Ruki Tobin. Ruki was on Te Kura Pounamu panel in 2021, and for the 2022 awards brings his deep knowledge of te ao Māori and te reo Māori to both judging panels.
The panel judging the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for books written or translated into te reo Māori for 2022 is convened once again by Anahera Morehu, Tumuaki Tuākana/Immediate Past President of the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA). Alongside her is communications specialist Te Amohaere Morehu; Online Content Service and Rauemi Developer – Te Ao Māori at the National Library Horowaitai Roberts-Tuahine; and Ruki Tobin. Te Kura Pounamu panel is appointed by Te Rōpū Whakahau, the national body representing Māori within the library and information profession.
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) will become the naming sponsor of the prize for the best first book at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Submissions for the 2022 awards are now open to books published between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022. The first deadline, for books published up to 30 November 2021, is Tuesday 14 December 2021. More details about how to enter can be found here.
Category finalists will be announced on 2 June 2022 and the awards ceremony is due to be held in Wellington in the first part of August 2022, preceded by a programme of finalist author events under the Books Alive banner.
The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are made possible through the generosity, commitment and vision of funders and sponsors Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA, NZSA, Wellington City Council and Nielsen Book.