Source: New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc)
Applications are OPEN
An award supporting writers of new fiction – $5,000
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) announce the 2026 opening of this award, which supports the completion and/or publication of new fiction by a mid-career fiction writer from New Zealand.
The NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award was established by novelist Tina Shaw to encourage the development of great novels by mid-career fiction writers who are working on a new project. All applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.
Want to Apply?
This award is open to mid-career New Zealand fiction writers, meaning any writer with a growing body of published word who has published at least two standalone works. While a broad range of fiction and publication models will be considered, please check the guidelines carefully before applying.
First: Read the Terms and Conditions for the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award.
Then: Fill in the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award application form.
An award for a New Zealand writer of fiction – $5,000
The NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award opens for applications 7 August 2026, and will close at midnight 18 September 2026.
Submissions must be made online. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised before recipients are announced. Successful recipients will be contacted directly, and we will also publish the announcement on the NZSA websites and social media platforms.
2025 Winner
The 2025 winner of the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award was Cristina Sanders who said:
“Thank you Tina Shaw! The timing of this award is perfect; I’m off to wander Te Rohe Pōtae next week, whispering up ghosts and stories, tracing our colonial history in the geography of hills and rivers. I’m am so grateful to the judges for considering my story, with all its peculiarities, worth telling.”
About the Award
Tina Shaw says of her award, “It’s true that our New Zealand writers frequently express the feeling that their mid-career progress is slower than that of new writers, who can more readily garner media interest for their publications,” says Shaw.
As a result, the award is intended not only to offer the recipient the freedom that money brings but also to increase the chances of a mid-career writer being recognised as a “good business” prospect to be welcomed by publishers.
Applicants will be shortlisted by a judging panel, with the final winner selected by Tina Shaw in consultation with and advised by the shortlist judging panel.
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa administers the prize. Entries for the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award must be made via the New Zealand Society of Author’s website (authors.org.nz) by the advertised deadline, with the winner announced after judging has been completed.
Notes
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc is the principal organisation representing writers in Aotearoa. Founded in 1934, it advocates for the right to fair reward and creative rights, administers prizes and awards, works across the literary sector to make Aotearoa New Zealand writers and books more visible, and runs professional development programmes for writers.