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A pair of award-winning Kiwi authors have had their works disqualified from consideration for the nation's prestigious literary prize due to the use of AI in designing their book covers.

Disqualification Details

Stephanie Johnson's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel collection "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its NZ$65,000 novel prize in October, but were ruled out the following thirty days because of new guidelines regarding artificial intelligence use.

The publishing house of both titles, the publisher, explained that the awards committee updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which point the covers for every submitted book would have previously been finalized.

“Consequently, it was much too late for publishers to incorporate this new rule into their design plans,” the publisher noted.

Writers' Responses

The author voiced understanding for the award administrators, stating she shares serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was let down by the decision.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she commented. “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 writers typically have little input in book artwork and was unaware artificial intelligence had been employed for her book cover, which features a feline with human-like dentition.

“I just thought it was a photograph of a real cat and the teeth had been superimposed, but apparently it wasn’t,” Johnson said, noting that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she finds it difficult to recognize AI-generated graphics.

Johnson feared that the public might assume she used AI to write her book, which she categorically denied.

“Instead of talking about my book … and what the inspiration was, we are talking about bloody AI, which I hate.”

In a statement, Smither said that the artists spent hours crafting her book's cover, which features a locomotive and an angel partially hidden by smoke, inspired by painter the artist's imagery.

“It is them I am most concerned about: that their meticulous work … is being disrespected,” she stated.

Award Trust's Position

Nicola Legat, chair of the award foundation that oversees the prizes, said the organization maintains a strong position on the use of AI 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.

“However, the criteria apply to all entrants, regardless of their mana [status], and must be consistently applied to all.”

The move to amend the AI guidelines was driven by a desire to support the artistic and intellectual property rights of the nation's authors and artists, she explained.

“As AI evolves, there may well be a need for the trust to revisit and develop the criteria further.”

Publishing Reflections

The publisher pointed out that publishing houses and authors often employ tools like Grammarly and Photoshop, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this situation highlighted the pressing requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

“As an industry, we must work together to ensure that this situation does not happen again.”

Both Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past been jurors for sections of the prizes, and both emphasized that cover designs get little attention during judging.

“The text itself and its detailed analysis were all that mattered,” the author said.

The use of AI in creative fields has faced growing examination as the tech advances, with some groups creating ways to counter its impact.