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Two award-winning Kiwi authors have had their works disqualified from contention for the nation's prestigious literature award because of the use of artificial intelligence in creating their book covers.

Disqualification Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 novel prize in October, but were disqualified the following month due to new rules concerning AI usage.

The publishing house of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, stated that the prize committee updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which time the covers for all submitted title would have already been finalized.

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

Authors' Responses

Johnson voiced understanding for the prize administrators, saying she has serious worries about artificial intelligence in creative fields, but was disappointed by the decision.

“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 AI had been employed for her cover, which displays a cat 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,” the author said, adding that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she struggles to identify AI-generated images.

Johnson feared that the public might assume she employed AI to compose 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, Elizabeth Smither said that the designers spent hours crafting her book's cover, which includes a locomotive and an angel partially hidden by smoke, influenced by painter Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Award Trust's Position

Nicola Legat, head of the award foundation that oversees the Ockham awards, affirmed the trust takes a strong position on the application of artificial intelligence in publications.”

“The trust does not take lightly a decision that prevents the latest works of two of New Zealand’s most esteemed writers from being considered for the 2026 award,” Legat stated.

“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 criteria was driven by a desire to protect the creative and copyright rights of the nation's writers and artists, she explained.

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

Industry Reflections

Wilson noted that publishers and authors regularly use tools like grammar checkers and Photoshop, which utilize AI, and this incident underscored the urgent need for carefully crafted policies.

“Our industry must collaborate to prevent a recurrence of this scenario.”

Both Elizabeth Smither and Johnson have in the past served as judges for categories of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that cover designs receive little consideration during evaluation.

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

The application of artificial intelligence in creative sectors has faced growing examination as the tech progresses, with some groups developing ways to address its influence.