Entries open for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards

 

In a slight break with recent tradition, the entry period for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards has opened early today, with the organisers looking forward to supporting, highlighting, and celebrating great crime writing from New Zealand authors that's been published during the past year (or two years, in the case of the biennial Best Non-Fiction prize). 

Also, after a hiatus in 2022 for the popular Mystery in the Library series, due to COVID restrictions, the Ngaios organisers are keen to bounce back with a terrific line-up of events all across New Zealand, and beyond, early next year (more than 70 free library-based events celebrating local crime writers were run in association with the Ngaio Marsh Awards between 2015-2021, across dozens of city and rural locations). 

Since 2010, the Ngaio Marsh Awards have supported, highlighted, and celebrated literary excellence in crime, mystery, and thriller writing from New Zealand storytellers.

In 2022, Ngaio Marsh Awards will be presented in the Best Novel and Best First Novel, categories. Entries can be made by publishers or authors. E-book originals and self-published authors are eligible, along with traditionally published works. Entries close 17 March.

To be eligible for consideration for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards: 

1. The author must be a New Zealand citizen or resident; 
2. Novels must have been published for the first time in 2022; Best Non-Fiction entries in 2021 or 2022;
3. For the fiction categories, entered books can be crime, mystery, thriller, or suspense fiction. "Crime" is meant in a broad sense and can include violent, white collar, or geopolitical crimes. Novels that strongly address the investigation of crime or impact or effects of crime are eligible. Traditional (detective fiction, thrillers, cosy mysteries) and non-traditional (experimental, cross-genre) books may enter. E-books and self-published novels are eligible.
4. True crime and biographies/other non-fiction related to crime or crime writing may enter Best Non-Fiction.

For more information or to enter a book, contact the Ngaio Marsh Awards through their social media accounts, email ngaiomarshaward@gmail.com, or contact the Judging Convenor Craig Sisterson directly.