For the first time, a bilingual book has taken out the top prize at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku by Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te rātō) was presented with the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award, Aotearoa’s highest accolade in children’s literature, during a ceremony held at Wellington’s Pipitea Marae last night.
Te Wehenga’s bold bilingual design presents the Māori creation pūrākau, which explains the beginning of the world, in a way that incorporates universal elements recognised across iwi. The poetic text, which tells the story simultaneously in te reo Māori and English, is integrated into the artwork, creating an interactive experience that immerses the reader in the darkness of the space between Papatūānuku and Ranginui.
“The way that te reo Māori and te reo Pākehā are brought together closely feels like a metaphorical representation of the increasing bilingualism in Aotearoa,” said convenor of judges Nicola Daly, who praised the book’s highly innovative approach to integrating both languages into the illustrations.
Motueka-based Tait also collected the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction for the book.
Duck Goes Meow by Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Carla Martell won the Picture Book Award. The judges said this universal story distilled all the elements of a great picture book to create a joyous celebration of the unexpected and deliver a conclusion that surprised the animals in the story and readers alike.
Described as one of Aotearoa’s “most exceptional storytellers,” David Hill was awarded the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction for Below, a white-knuckle survival story set in a catastrophic tunnel collapse. The judges appreciated the way it trusts its young readers to handle big environmental ideas and come to their own conclusions.
The Young Adult Fiction Award went to Philippa Werry’s Iris and Me, an inventive and original novel written in verse. The judges praised the unique narrative voice, which illuminates the life of Robin Hyde, one of Aotearoa’s most significant writers.
A Portrait of Leonardo by Donovan Bixley won the Russell Clark Award for Illustration. The judges said they were enamoured with this vibrant retelling of the life of Leonardo da Vinci, which they described as a fluent and delightful feast for the eyes. They appreciated the fresh and youthful approach to biography, with visual humour, puns, puzzles and technical agility, all underpinned by solid drawing skills.
The Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo Māori was presented to Kua Whetūrangitia a Koro by Brianne Te Paa, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse. The judges said they loved how the traditional Māori narrative was tailored to fit a new world and a new audience. They felt the significance of the story, its context, and the author’s use of te reo Māori placed the book in a stratosphere of its own.
The NZSA Best First Book Award went to The Lighthouse Princess by Susan Wardell, illustrated by Rose Northey. The judges said this book’s poetic writing and whimsical illustrations made it stand out, creating a sum that was greater than its parts. They felt this clever alchemy was all the more astounding given that it was both the writer’s and the illustrator’s first foray into publication.
The full list of winners for the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults:
Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award $7500
Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, Mat Tait (Allen & Unwin)
Picture Book Award $7500
Duck Goes Meow, Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Carla Martell (Scholastic New Zealand)
Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction $7500
Below, David Hill (Penguin Random House NZ)
Young Adult Fiction Award $7500
Iris and Me, Philippa Werry (The Cuba Press)
Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction $7500
Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, Mat Tait (Allen & Unwin)
Russell Clark Award for Illustration $7500
A Portrait of Leonardo, Donovan Bixley (Upstart Press)
Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for te reo Māori $7500
Kua Whetūrangitia a Koro, Brianne Te Paa, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)
NZSA Best First Book Award $2500
The Lighthouse Princess, Susan Wardell, illustrated by Rose Northey (Penguin Random House NZ)
