Writers Eliminated from New Zealand's Premier Book Award Following AI Usage in Book Cover Designs
A pair of award-winning Kiwi writers have had their works disqualified from contention for the nation's prestigious literature award because of the utilization of AI in designing their cover art.
Exclusion Particulars
Stephanie Johnson's story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's novella collection "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar fiction award in the tenth month, but were disqualified the next thirty days because of new rules regarding artificial intelligence usage.
The publishing house of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, explained that the awards organizers amended the guidelines in the eighth month, by which point the covers for all submitted book would have already been completed.
“Consequently, it was much too late for publishers to incorporate this new rule into their design plans,” Wilson noted.
Authors' Reactions
Johnson expressed sympathy for the prize administrators, stating she shares deep concerns about artificial intelligence in creative industries, but was let down by the ruling.
“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she remarked. “It’s my 22nd book, and it is my fourth collection of short stories. These stories … were written over a sort of 20 year period, so for me, it’s quite an important book.”
She added that authors usually have minimal input in cover artwork and was unaware artificial intelligence had been used for her cover, which displays a cat with human-like teeth.
“I just thought it was a photograph of a real cat and the teeth had been superimposed, but apparently it wasn’t,” Johnson said, adding that unlike younger age groups, she struggles to identify AI-generated graphics.
Johnson worried that readers might assume she used AI to write her work, which she categorically did not do.
“Instead of talking about my book … and what the inspiration was, we are talking about bloody AI, which I hate.”
In a statement, Smither expressed that the designers spent considerable time crafting her book's art, which includes a locomotive and an angel “half-obscured in the smoke”, inspired by artist Marc Chagall's imagery.
“It is them I am most concerned about: that their meticulous work … is being disrespected,” Smither stated.
Award Trust's Stance
Nicola Legat, chair of the book awards trust that administers the prizes, said the trust takes a “firm stance on the use of artificial intelligence in publications.”
“We do not make such a decision lightly, one that bars the newest works by two of New Zealand's most respected authors from the 2026 prize,” she said.
“Nevertheless, the rules apply equally to every participant, no matter their standing, and must be enforced uniformly.”
The decision to revise the artificial intelligence guidelines was motivated by a aim to support the creative and intellectual property interests of the nation's writers and illustrators, she added.
“As AI evolves, there may well be a need for the trust to revisit and develop the criteria further.”
Publishing Considerations
The publisher noted that publishing houses and authors regularly employ tools like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize AI, and this situation underscored the pressing requirement for well-defined policies.
“Our industry must collaborate to prevent a recurrence of this scenario.”
Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past been jurors for categories of the prizes, and both stressed that cover designs get little consideration during judging.
“The text itself and its detailed analysis were all that mattered,” Smither said.
The application of AI in creative sectors has encountered increasing scrutiny as the tech advances, with some groups creating ways to counter its impact.