Montana New Zealand Book Awards

Christchurch City Libraries lists literary prize winners and links to catalogue searches, but we may not hold copies of all titles mentioned.

Organised and administrated by Booksellers New Zealand, the trade association for booksellers and publishers, The Montana New Zealand Book Awards were awarded from 1996-2009. Later (2010-2014) the awards were know as the New Zealand Post Book Awards. From 2015, the awards became known as the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

The winner in each category received $5000. Each category winner was then eligible for the Montana Medal for Non-fiction or the Montana Medal for Poetry or Fiction, both of which had a $10,000 prize.

See more literary prize winners.

2009

Cover of Novel about my wife Cover of The Rocky Shore Cover of Rita Angus an artist's life Cover of A continent on the move Cover of Buying the land, selling the land Cover of Len Castle making molecules dance Cover of Ladies, a plate Cover of CK Stead poems 1951-2006 Cover of He pataka kupu

Fiction

Poetry

Biography

Environment

History

Illustrative

Lifestyle & Contemporary Culture

Reference & Anthology

Te Reo Māori

New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Best First Book Awards:

Cover of The Rehearsal Cover of Everything talks Cover of Mates and lovers

Fiction

Poetry

Non-Fiction

2008

Cover of Opportunity Life Wetlands Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka Bill Hammond Mau Moko Cold Snack A nest of singing birds Cover of Te Tū a Te Toka

Fiction

  • Opportunity Charlotte Grimshaw (Random House NZ) Winner and Montana medal for fiction or poetry
  • Edwin & Matilda Laurence Fearnley (Penguin Group NZ) Runner up
  • The Blue Mary McCallum (Penguin Group NZ)
  • Luminous Alice Tawhai (Huia Publishers)

Biography

Environment

History

Illustrative

  • Bill Hammond: jingle jangle morning Jennifer Hay, with Ron Brownson, Chris Knox and Laurence Aberhart; designed by Aaron Beehr, (Christchurch Art Gallery) Winner
  • Aberhart Laurence Aberhart, with essays by Gregory O'Brien and Justin Paton, (Victoria University Press)
  • Comma dot dogma Aaron Kreisler (editor), (Umbrella)

Lifestyle and contemporary culture

Poetry

Reference and Anthology

Māori Language

New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Best First Book Awards:

Blue Incognito The Great sacred forest

2007

Cover of Mister Pip  Cover of The goose bath  Cover of Douglas Lilburn: Hist life and music Cover of Eagle's complete trees and shrubs ?Cover of Vaka Moana Cover of Ghosts of Gondwana Cover of Stitch

Fiction

  • Mister Pip Lloyd Jones, (Penguin Books) Winner, Winner of Montana Medal for Fiction or Poetry, and Readers' Choice winner
  • The Cowboy Dog Nigel Cox, (Victoria University Press) Runner up
  • The Fainter Damien Wilkins, (Victoria University Press) Runner up
  • My Name Was Judas C. K. Stead, (Vintage)
  • Ocean Roads James George, (Huia Publishers)

Biography

Environment

History

Illustrative

Lifestyle and Contemporary Culture

Poetry

Reference and Anthology

New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Best First Book Awards:

Cover of The Sound of Butterflies Cover of Secret Heart Cover of Furniture of the New Zealand Colonial era

NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction

NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry

  • Secret Heart Airini Beautrais, (Victoria University Press) Winner
  • After the Dance Michele Amas, (Victoria University Press)
  • Cup Alison Wong, (Steele Roberts)

NZSA E.H. McCormick Best First Book Award for Non-fiction

2006

Cover of Blindsight Cover of The Captive Wife Cover of Lifted Dingle Cover Cover of Thrift to fantasy Cover of Pōhutukawa & Rātā: New Zealand's Iron-hearted Trees Cover of Contemporary New Zealand Photographers Cover of How to look at a painting Cover of Great sporting moments

Fiction

Poetry

Biography

History

Illustrative

Environment

Contemporary Culture

Reference & Anthology

New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Best First Book Awards:

Cover of A red silk sea Cover of Dream fish floating Cover of Pakeha and the Treaty

2005

Cover of Tū  Cover of At home: A century of New Zealand design Cover of Nice morning for it, Adam Cover of Chronicle of the unsung Cover of The New Zealand Oxford dictionary Cover of Handboek: Ans Westra photographs Cover of Hip Hop music in Aotearoa Cover of Tiritiri Matangi: A model of conservation  Cover of Made in Morocco

Fiction

  • Tu by Patricia Grace (Penguin Books) Winner Deutz Medal for Fiction or Poetry and Fiction category winner
  • Mansfield C K Stead Runner up
  • Tarzan Presley Nigel Cox Runner up

History

Poetry

Biography

Reference & Anthology

Lifestyle & Contemporary Culture

Environment

Illustrative

Readers' Choice Award

Best first book awards:

Cover of My real life and other stories Cover of Clung Cover of Ghost dance

  • NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction: My Real Life and Other Stories Julian Novitz,(Vintage) Winner
  • NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry: Clung Sonja Yelich, (Auckland University Press) Winner
  • NZSA E.H. McCormick Best First Book Award for Non-Fiction: Ghost Dance Douglas Wright, (Penguin Books) Winner

2004

Cover of Slow water Cover of The trial of the cannibal dog Cover of Sing-song Cover of Mason Cover of Whetu Moana Cover of Classic fly fishing in New Zealand rivers Cover of Deep New Zealand Cover of The Penguin History of New Zealand

Fiction

History

Poetry

Biography

  • Mason by Rachel Barrowman Winner

Reference & Anthology

Lifestyle & Contemporary Culture

Environment

Illustrative

  • Central by Arno Gasteiger Winner

Readers' Choice Award

A.W. Reed Award for Contribution to New Zealand Literature

New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Awards:

Cover of Bloom Cover of The adulterer's bible

  • NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction: Bloom by Kelly Ana Morey Winner 
  • NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry: The Adulterer's Bible by Cliff Fell Winner 
  • NZSA E.H. McCormick Best First Book Award for Non-Fiction: Tai Tokerau Whakairo Rakau by Dr Deidre Brown Winner

2003

Cover of No idle rich Cover of Playing God Cover of A sort of conscience Cover of Spirit ina strange land Cover of Wine atlas of New Zealand Cover of Te Araroa: The New Zealand trail

Fiction

History

Poetry

  • Playing God Glenn Colquhoun Winner and Winner of the Readers' Choice Award

Biography

Reference & Anthology

Lifestyle & Contemporary Culture

Environment

Illustrative

New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Awards:

Cover of Queen of beauty Cover of Feeding the dogs Cover of The year of the horse

  • NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction: Queen of Beauty Paula Morris Winner
  • NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry: Feeding the dogs Kay McKenzie Cooke Winner
  • NZSA E.H. McCormick Best First Book Award for Non-Fiction: The Year of the Horse Sam Mahon Winner 

2002

Cover of A city possessed Cover of Piggy-back moon Cover of Long loop home: A memoir Cover of Ngā pēpeha a ngā tīpuna Cover of The art of tivaevae Cover of Rolling thunder Cover of Akeakeia! Traditional Dance in Kiribati

Fiction

History

Poetry

Biography

Reference & Anthology

Lifestyle

Environment

Illustrative

Honour Award

A W Reed Lifetime Achievement Award

New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Awards:

Cover of Stonedogs Cover of Husk Cover of Fool's paradise

  • NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction: Stonedogs Craig Marriner Winner
  • NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry: Husk Chris Price Winner
  • NZSA E.H. McCormick Best First Book Award for Non-Fiction: Fool's Paradise Steve Braunias Winner

2001

Cover of The book of fame Cover of Parihaka: The art of passive resistance Cover of The bells of Saint Babel's Cover of Fresh Cover of Dancing leaves Cover of Ralph Hotere: Black light Cover of Wrestling with the angel

Fiction

History and Biography

Poetry

Lifestyle

  • Fresh Julie Biuso, photography by Ian Batchelor Winner 

Environment

Illustrative Arts

Readers' Choice Aware

A W Reed Lifetime Achievement Award

New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Awards:

Cover of Emerald budgies Cover of Animals indoors Cover of Pukaki: A comet returns

  • NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction: Emerald budgies Karyn Hay Winner
  • NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry: Animals indoors Stephanie de Montalk Winner
  • NZSA E.H. McCormick Best First Book Award for Non-Fiction: Pukaki: a comet returns Paul Tapsell Winner

2000

Cover of Harlequin Rex Cover of The lark quartet Cover of The gardener's enclopedia of New Zealand native plants Cover of Classic tramping in New Zealand Cover of The art of Grahame Sydney

Fiction

History and Biography

  • Kapiti Chris MacLean Winner

Poetry

Lifestyle

Environment

Illustrative Arts

A W Reed Lifetime Achievement Award

New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Awards:

Cover of Stray thoughts and nose bleeds Cover of The art of walking upright Cover of Kava in the blood

1999

Cover of The vintner's luck Cover of Under the bridge and over the moon Cover of The loving stitch

Fiction

  • The vintner’s luck Elizabeth Knox Winner, Deutz Medal for Fiction or Poetry and Readers' Choice Award

History and Biography

Poetry

Leisure and Lifestyle

Natural Heritage

Illustrative Arts

New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Awards:

1998

Cover of Live bodies Cover of Shape-shifter Cover of The complete New Zealand fisherman Cover of Pick of the bunch Cover of Goldie

Fiction

  • Live bodies Maurice Gee Winner, Deutz Medal for Fiction or Poetry

History and Biography

Poetry

Leisure and Lifestyle

Natural Heritage

Illustrative Arts

  • Goldie Roger Blackley Winner

New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Awards:

Cover of In a fishbone church Cover of All roads lead to the sea

1997

Cover of What becomes of the broken hearted? Cover of The Story of Suzanne Aubert Cover of The wines and vineyards of New Zealand Cover of Mataora: The living face Cover of Dove on the waters Cover of Dedications

Fiction

Cultural Heritage

Poetry

Leisure and Lifestyle

Natural Heritage

Illustrative Arts

Honour Award

Best First Book Awards:

Cover of Before the divorce we go to Disneyland

1996

Cover of Redemption songs Cover of Wild Dunedin Cover of Ngā Iwi o Tainui

Fiction

Cultural Heritage

Poetry

Leisure and Lifestyle

  • Cook! Michael Lee-Richards Winner 

Natural Heritage

Illustrative Arts

Honour Award

Cover of Not her real name

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