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A pair of acclaimed Kiwi authors have had their books excluded from consideration for the nation's prestigious literary prize because of the utilization of artificial intelligence in designing their book covers.

Exclusion Details

The author's story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella set "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its NZ$65,000 fiction prize in the tenth month, but were ruled out the following month due to recently introduced guidelines concerning AI use.

The publisher of the two books, Quentin Wilson, explained that the prize organizers updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which time the covers for every entered title would have already been finalized.

“It was, therefore, far too late for any publisher to have taken this clause into account in their design briefs,” the publisher said.

Writers' Responses

The author expressed understanding for the prize organizers, saying she shares deep concerns about AI in artistic industries, but was let down by the ruling.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about it,” 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 authors typically have little input in book artwork and was did not know artificial intelligence had been used for her book cover, which displays a cat with human-like teeth.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” Johnson explained, noting that unlike younger age groups, she struggles to identify AI-generated images.

Johnson worried that readers might assume she used AI to write her work, which she emphatically did not do.

“Rather than discussing my book's themes and inspirations, we're focused on this AI issue, which I despise.”

In a statement, Elizabeth Smither said that the designers devoted hours creating her book's cover, which features a steam train and an angel partially hidden by smoke, inspired by painter Marc Chagall's imagery.

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

Prize Trust's Stance

The trust chair, head of the book awards trust that oversees the prizes, affirmed the organization takes a “firm stance on the application 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,” Legat stated.

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

The move to revise the artificial intelligence criteria was driven by a desire to support the creative and copyright rights of the country's writers and illustrators, she added.

“With artificial intelligence advancing, the trust may need to review and refine these criteria in the future.”

Industry Reflections

The publisher noted that publishing houses and writers often use software like grammar checkers and image editors, which incorporate artificial intelligence, and this incident underscored the pressing requirement for well-defined guidelines.

“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 Ockham awards, and both stressed that cover designs receive little consideration during judging.

“The contents and the close reading were everything,” the author concluded.

The use of artificial intelligence in artistic sectors has encountered growing scrutiny as the tech progresses, with some groups creating methods to address its impact.