Two acclaimed New Zealand writers, Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie Johnson, have been ruled ineligible for the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards after organisers confirmed their book covers were created using AI, breaching newly introduced regulations that judge books “as a whole,” including design.
Publisher Quentin Wilson told state-funded media the exclusion “heartbreaking,” arguing the covers were produced long before the rules were issued, while Johnson said authors have little control over cover design but acknowledged the industry’s need to confront the rise of AI.
The Book Awards Trust defended the decision as “essential” for protecting creative integrity, with booksellers and design judges backing strict boundaries on AI use.
The controversy has sparked wider debate about how the literary sector should adapt to emerging technology, with similar restrictions set to apply to the upcoming Children and Young Adults awards.
And so it should be.
ANY Ai ought to be alien to be discussed with.
I bet that they were crappy romances as well, my local library is run by two elderly women and its about 97% romance novels and the only books worth reading can be done in a couple of months, that’s if you’re a misogynist.
nekminit… Ai will be writing the books.