Jacinda Ardern’s Memoir Nominated for 2026 Ockham Awards

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made headlines with the announcement that her memoir, A Different Kind of Power, is a finalist in the General Non-Fiction category of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. This recognition follows Ardern’s earlier accolade, where her memoir was named Best Political Book by a Non-Parliamentarian at the Westminster Book Awards in London in February 2023.

The Ockham Awards, now in their 58th year, celebrate the best in New Zealand literature. Ardern’s memoir stands out among 16 finalists across four categories, which include Fiction, Poetry, Illustrated Non-Fiction, and General Non-Fiction. The awards aim to honour exceptional New Zealand authors and their works published over the past year.

Competition in the General Non-Fiction Category

Ardern’s memoir is competing against notable works such as Northbound: Four Seasons of Solitude on Te Araroa by journalist and natural history writer Naomi Arnold, The Hollows Boys: A Story of Three Brothers & the Fiordland Deer Recovery Era by TV producer and director Peta Carey, and This Compulsion in Us by novelist and educator Tina Makereti.

The convenor of judges for this category, Philip Matthews, a senior journalist at The Press, highlighted the significance of the shortlisted books. He stated, “They give honest impressions of this country and its people. And they each came as a surprise, even to those who thought they knew the story.”

Each winner in the General Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Illustrated Non-Fiction categories will be awarded a prize of $12,000.

Other Noteworthy Finalists and Categories

In addition to Ardern’s memoir, internationally acclaimed writer Catherine Chidgey is vying for the prestigious $65,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction with her book The Book of Guilt. Chidgey has previously won this award twice, making her the first author to achieve this feat. Competing against her are Ingrid Horrocks, with All Her Lives, Laura Vincent, with Hoods Landing, and Sam Mahon, with How to Paint a Nude.

The finalists for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry include Anna Jackson for Terrier, Worrier: A Poem in Five Parts, Erik Kennedy for Sick Power Trip, and debut poets Sophie van Waardenberg for No Good and Nafanua Purcell Kersel for Black Sugarcane. The convenor for the poetry category, Daren Kamali, remarked on the high quality and diversity of the submissions.

The finalists for the BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction encompass Charlotte Macdonald with Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and Across the British Empire, Philip Garnock-Jones for He Puāwai: A Natural History of New Zealand Flowers, Sarah Farrar with Mark Adams: A Survey – He Kohinga Whakaahua, and Elizabeth Cox for Mr Ward’s Map: Victorian Wellington Street by Street. The category convenor, Lauren Gutsell, noted that this year’s shortlist complicates perceptions of New Zealand’s history and identity.

The winners of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards will be announced on May 13, 2026, as part of the Auckland Writers Festival, further showcasing the depth and talent of New Zealand’s literary scene.