Te Herenga Waka University Press

14/05/2025

The winner of the 2025 E.H. McCormick Prize for General Non-Fiction is Una Cruickshank for The Chthonic Cycle! 'In this singular essay collection, Una Cruickshank uses pearls, jet, amber, coral, and other biogenic talismans to open new perspectives on climate change, humanity, and maybe even hope. The Chthonic Cycle is bold and convention-breaking, and unlike anything the judges had read before,' said the judges.

Te Herenga Waka University Press

14/05/2025

Michelle Rahurahu (Ngāti Rahurahu, Ngāti Tahu–Ngāti Whaoa) wins the 2025 Hubert Church Prize for Fiction for her debut novel Poorhara! 'Poorhara is a road trip novel unlike any other. Two cousins, Erin and Star, pile into a 1994 Daihatsu Mira in a desperate bid to escape the suffocation of racism and poverty, the rigid expectations of whānau, and the trajectory of their own pasts. The judges were impressed by the urgency of Michelle Rahurahu's tragi-comic crises and the clarity of her depiction of colonialism, a presence in the book as incessant and rotten as Star’s relentless toothache,' said the judges.

Te Herenga Waka University Press

14/05/2025

The winner of the 2025 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction goes to Damien Wilkins for his novel Delirious. Huge congratulations, Damien! 'Delirious is an unforgettable work of fiction that navigates momentous themes with elegance and honesty.

‘With a gift for crisp, emotionally rich digression, Damien Wilkins immerses readers in Mary and Pete’s grapples with ageing and their contemplations of lost loved ones who still thrive in vivid memories.

‘What stood out to the judges was the assured but understated touch of prose as it flows elegantly across decades, threads the intricacies of relationship, and fathoms the ongoing evolution of a couple’s grief.

‘Intimate, funny, and, above all, honest, Delirious is an absorbing, inspiring novel, and a damn fine read,’ said the judges.

Te Herenga Waka University Press

14/05/2025

Congratulations to the Ockhams 2025 Best First Book Awards winners! These fantastic books are available to buy online now, or seek them out at your local bookstore or library.

Read the full story here: https://tinyurl.com/3hu9chu5

With thanks to the Matatuhi Foundation for their generous support.

Te Herenga Waka University Press Auckland University Press

08/05/2025

What a month! We are so thrilled to be publishing our May books, all three of which have already received rave reviews. A stunning essay collection by Tina Makereti, an excellent new poetry collection by Mikaela Nyman, and a phenomenal novel by Catherine Chidgey. Huge congratulations to these writers ✨ And readers: you're in for a treat!

06/05/2025

From tomorrow, 8 May, you should be able to walk into any bookshop in Aotearoa and pick up a copy of The Book of Guilt! The wonderful booksellers can't wait to share this one with you ✨

30/04/2025

The Book of Guilt was subject to a bidding war, now it's being billed as a 2025 must-read.

10/04/2025

🎉 Happy publication day to these three terrific books!

Congratulations to Brent Kininmont on the publication of The Companion to Volcanology, his excellent second book of poetry, and to Michelle Duff for Surplus Women, an unforgettable debut short story collection. We're thrilled to share these books with you! We're also bringing Brian Turner's Selected Poems out in paperback for the first time as a THW Classic, making this beloved collection accessible to even more readers.

18/03/2025

12/03/2025

We invite you to flick through these specially selected extracts from the four books shortlisted in the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. This and digital samplers from the other categories will be available for download on www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zea...

12/03/2025

Happiest of publication days to Kate Camp, whose fantastic new poetry collection, Makeshift Seasons, is out in the world today. Congratulations Kate! https://teherengawakapress.co.nz/makeshift-seasons/
All welcome to the official book launch on Thursday 20 March, 6pm, at the Island Bay Marine Education Centre. More info here: https://www.facebook.com/share/12Gq1Zj3J5Q/

08/11/2024

Our November books are out now. ✨✨ We have the dark laughs, the grapple with existential dread, the political memoir, the book you must read if you want to start a band in Aotearoa, and a world where things become clearer in reverse ...

We're so proud of these authors. Huge congratulations to:
Carl Shuker for his new novel The Royal Free (launched by Damien Wilkins tonight at Unity Books Wellington, 6pm; all welcome!);
Una Cruickshank for her stunning debut essay collection The Chthonic Cycle;
Daniel Beban for his fascinating music history Future Jaw-Clap: The Primitive Art Group and Braille Collective Story;
Derek Quigley for Challenging the Status Quo, a new memoir of a life in politics;
and Pip Adam, whose modern classic I'm Working on a Building is now available in a sparkly new edition.

Available from good bookstores and here on our website: https://teherengawakapress.co.nz/