Award Background
The Storylines Te Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award is for a manuscript written originally in te reo Māori.
It was established by Storylines in 2019 in association with Huia and Massey University Te Pūtahi-a-Toi: School of Māori Knowledge, which provided the inaugural monetary award of $1,500 for the winning author. It is also supported by the Māori Literature Trust.
The award recognises Te Kahurangi (Dame) Kāterina's outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature in te reo Māori, in her publishing output for children, young adults and adults, and her tireless work to promote the use of te reo Māori.
The award, which carries a $1,500 prize as well as assurance of publication by Huia, is open to any New Zealand writer, published or unpublished, who meets the eligibility criteria on the entry form. (If in doubt, please seek a ruling from the Storylines Awards Administrator.) It is made annually, when merited, to the New Zealand author of an unpublished work written originally in te reo Māori.
The manuscript may not be a translation of a previously published work. The writer can submit work in any genre: picture book, junior fiction, young adult, or non-fiction.
Entries close 31 October each year.
The award winner is announced each year at the Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day, and the published book launched the following year.
Entry & judging information
In line with international best practice, the award is judged ‘blind’ – that is, the identities of the authors are unknown to the judging panel. Authors must therefore ensure that their name does not appear on any page of the submission; any manuscript with the name visible will be deemed ineligible.
The entry forms, which do not go to the judging panels, should be completed with the author’s correct details. Nom de plumes are not acceptable.
An author can submit more than one manuscript, each must be accompanied by an entry form and applicable fee payment.
