Authors dumped from New Zealand’s top book prize after AI used in cover designs

Ockham Book Awards dropped two titles from contention after new guidelines introduced on artificial intelligence use

The books of two award-winning New Zealand authors have been disqualified from consideration for the country's top literature prize because artificial intelligence was used in the creation of their cover designs.

Stephanie Johnson's collection of short stories Obligate Carnivore and Elizabeth Smither's collection of novellas Angel Train were submitted to the 2026 Ockham book awards' NZ$65,000 fiction prize in October, but were ruled out of the competition the following month in light of new guidelines around AI use.