2025 Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement

By Ōtepoti He Puna Auaha | Dunedin UNESCO City Of Literature | Posted: Thursday Nov 06, 2025

We are so thrilled that our very own Barbara Else MNZM has been recognised and tonight will receive the 2025 Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement (Fiction) at an event in Te Whanganui-a Tara Wellington.

Creative NZ News:

Three outstanding New Zealand writers will tonight receive the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement at an event in Te Whanganui-a Tara Wellington.

Barbara Else MNZM receives the award for fiction, Ross Calman for non-fiction, and Dinah Hawken for poetry.

Kent Gardner, Chair of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa hosts the event, at which Hon Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage will present the awards on behalf of the Prime Minister. 

“While most writing awards are tied to a specific piece of work, these awards recognise the writers as individual practitioners with successful careers in the literary sector. We’re celebrating bodies of work that are the result of years of application to the art and craft of writing,” Kent says.

“All the recipients have made sustained contributions to New Zealand literature and the sector and have been recognised internationally. They join a rollcall of extraordinary writers who are part of our wider artistic and creative landscape.” 

“As well as recognising achievement, we hope these awards are an inspiration to other writers about how to make a career in the arts. And of course, we want people to read the recipients’ work.” 

The award has been presented annually since 2003. It is managed by Creative New Zealand and decided by the Arts Council following public nominations and recommendations from an external panel of experts.  

The panel for this year was Nick Bollinger, Witi Ihimaera, Paula Green, and Morrin Rout.  

In 2025, Creative New Zealand received 82 nominations for 38 individual writers, 15 for fiction, 9 for non-fiction, and 14 for poetry.  

Nominations are considered against three indicators. 

• The nominee’s body of written work has received national acclaim. 

• The nominee has received a major fellowship, residency, book award and/or international recognition.  

• The nominee has displayed leadership in the New Zealand literary sector. 

Each award comes with a payment of $60,000.  

Find out more HERE

Heartfelt congratulations Barbara.