Steve Braunias on tonight's national book awards
The people have spoken. Yesterday's announcement of a book prize at ReadingRoom, offering the chance to win all 16 books shortlisted for tonight's Ockham New Zealand national book awards, asked readers to name the books they want to win. By 6pm last night just over 100 entries flew in and some of the favourites were made very clear.
Actually the people are still speaking – but the draw has closed. But it's unlikely to change the fact that one book is way, way ahead of the others as the title that readers think will win: The Dark is Light Enough, Vincent O’Sullivan's biography of Ralph Hotere.
It absolutely monstered the vote for best book of non-fiction published in 2020. It picked up 81 votes yesterday. But so what! It doesn't mean it will win tonight! It's up to judges, not a jury! Anyway, the closest challenger in the public's affection was Specimen, a book of essays by Madison Hamill, with 11 votes, including one vote from Josh Wright, who wrote, "It’s unpretentious, resonant, and just f**ing funny, and more specifically for the essay title 'I Will Never Hit On You'." Ten readers voted for This Pākehā Life: An Unsettled Memoir by Alison Jones (Kip Mouldey wrote, "This Pākehā Life has helped me greatly in reckoning my place working in our public health system") and there was one vote for Te Hāhi Mihinare |The Māori Anglican Church by Hirini Kaa. That solo vote came from Pauline Dawson, who wrote, "The significance of the topic was brought home to me as I worked in Māori communities in the North Island. Important book."
There was also a clear favourite to win the poetry prize: The Savage Coloniser Book by Tusiata Avia. Jeremy Wilson wrote, "This will win because it's savage." It got 70 votes, with National Anthem by Mohamed Hasan (Joshua Barlow: "I chose this piece of work because I’m obsessed by migration. And Islamophobia") on 21, and both Funkhaus by Hinemoana Baker and Magnolia 木蘭 by Nina Mingya Powles attracted six votes.
If the judges of the illustrated non-fiction award agree with ReadingRoom readers then the winner, by a slim margin, will be Hiakai Modern Cuisine by Monique Fiso. As Laura Surynt wrote, "It looks glorious and is the reason I am hoping to win this prize as I want to look at it in wonder and maybe even cook from it." It got 49 votes, and Jane Ussher's Nature — Stilled got 42 votes. There were 12 votes for Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists by Leonard Bell and An Exquisite Legacy: The Life and Work of New Zealand Naturalist G.V. Hudson by George Gibbs got precisely zero votes – but so what! Judges go their own way! It might win! It's a book about bugs and bugs are neat!
Which almost too neatly brings us to the fiction prize and the book that shares first place as the most popular choice to win: Bug Week, a collection of short stories by Airini Beautrais. Marina Lathouraki wrote, "Because we need more women to talk about the effects of sexual assault and domestic violence on their lives. It's a very timely subject with the MeToo movement. " It got 37 votes – the exact same as Sprigs by Brannavan Gnanalingam. "This book made me angry, made me sad, made me scared, made me want to demand that it be required reading in every high school," wrote Tiffany Matsis. Nothing To See by Pip Adam got 17 votes (Emma Hislop: "Because its a FREAKING MASTERPIECE and Adam is a genius") and Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey got 12 votes (Bronwen Summers: "Astonishing that anyone would touch such a subject [the Holocaust]. But people did things and were involved in things they should not have been including Kiwis. We are still doing this today: Palestine, West Papua, Western Sahara etc.)"
In the meantime, good luck to all 16 authors at tonight's ceremony. ReadingRoom will be there, hoping there's a cup of tea or something; and we'll carry the news of the winners at 8:45pm, with the kind of informed and intelligent commentary that marks ReadingRoom as the best books section in town and also the most generous. Sixteen books! Free to one good home! Below is the full shortlist.
BOOKSELLERS AOTEAROA NZ AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATED NON-FICTION
Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists by Leonard Bell (Auckland University Press)
Hiakai: Modern Māori Cuisine by Monique Fiso (Godwit, Penguin Random House)
An Exquisite Legacy: The Life and Work of New Zealand Naturalist G.V. Hudson by George Gibbs (Potton & Burton)
Nature — Stilled by Jane Ussher (Te Papa Press)
JANN MEDLICOTT ACORN PRIZE FOR FICTION
Nothing to See by Pip Adam (Victoria University Press)
Bug Week & Other Stories by Airini Beautrais (Victoria University Press)
Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey (Victoria University Press)
Sprigs by Brannavan Gnanalingam (Lawrence & Gibson)
GENERAL NON-FICTION AWARD
Specimen: Personal Essays by Madison Hamill (Victoria University Press)
Te Hāhi Mihinare |The Māori Anglican Church by Hirini Kaa (Bridget Williams Books)
The Dark is Light Enough: Ralph Hotere A Biographical Portrait by Vincent O’Sullivan (Penguin, Penguin Random House)
This Pākehā Life: An Unsettled Memoir by Alison Jones (Bridget Williams Books)
BIGGSY AWARD FOR POETRY
The Savage Coloniser Book by Tusiata Avia (Victoria University Press)
Funkhaus by Hinemoana Baker (Victoria University Press)
National Anthem by Mohamed Hassan (Dead Bird Books)
Magnolia 木蘭 by Nina Mingya Powles (Seraph Press)
