24 Mar 2021
Tessa Duder, Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and Jenny Bornholdt joined Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister and Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, at Premier House to celebrate their achievements.
Each year, the Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement, organised by Creative New Zealand, celebrate writers from Aotearoa who have made a significant contribution to New Zealand literature in the genres of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Last year, an in-person awards ceremony wasn’t possible – instead, an online panel event, hosted by John Campbell, took its place.
On Tuesday (23 March), the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Creative New Zealand staff, the recipients and their friends and whānau gathered at Premier House for an intimate, celebratory lunch event.
“It’s an honour to be amongst these treasured and accomplished writers. These prestigious awards are such a special and important way to celebrate the value our writers bring to Aotearoa,” said Caren Rangi, the Arts Council Acting Chair.
The Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern presented certificates to Tessa, Sir Tīmoti and Jenny to acknowledge their contribution to New Zealand literature:
- Fiction: Tessa Duder CNZM, OBE – critically acclaimed children and young adult writer.
- Non-Fiction: Sir Tīmoti Kāretu KNZM QSO (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu) – a leading New Zealand academic of Māori language and the performing arts, a translator and author, and a key driver of the revitalisation of te reo.
- Poetry: Jenny Bornholdt MNZM – an award-winning poet, anthologist, Arts Foundation Laureate and former NZ Poet Laureate.
The winner of each category received $60,000.
A full list of previous recipients can be found on the Creative New Zealand website
Nominations for the Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement 2021 will open in the next few months.
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