Authors Removed from New Zealand's Premier Literary Prize Following AI Usage in Cover Designs

A pair of award-winning New Zealand authors have had their books disqualified from consideration for the country's esteemed literary prize due to the use of artificial intelligence in creating their book covers.

Exclusion Details

Stephanie Johnson's story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's short novel set "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 fiction award in the tenth month, but were ruled out the next month due to new guidelines regarding artificial intelligence usage.

The publishing house of both titles, Quentin Wilson, explained that the awards committee updated the criteria in August, by which point the cover designs for all submitted title would have already been completed.

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

Authors' Responses

Johnson expressed sympathy for the prize organizers, saying she shares serious worries about artificial intelligence in creative industries, but was disappointed by the ruling.

“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 further stated that authors typically have little involvement in cover design and was unaware artificial intelligence had been employed for her cover, which displays 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 age groups, she struggles to recognize AI-generated graphics.

The writer worried that readers might think she used AI to compose her book, which she emphatically 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 comment, Smither said that the designers devoted considerable time crafting her book's art, which includes a steam train and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, inspired by painter the artist's figures.

“My primary concern is for the designers: their careful, detailed work … is not being respected,” she remarked.

Prize Committee's Position

Nicola Legat, head of the award foundation that oversees the prizes, said the trust takes a “firm stance on the application of artificial intelligence in books.”

“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 said.

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

The decision to amend the AI guidelines was driven by a aim to protect the artistic and copyright interests of the country'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 noted that publishing houses and writers often employ tools like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize AI, and this situation underscored the pressing requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously been jurors for categories of the prizes, and both emphasized that cover designs get little attention during evaluation.

“The text itself and its detailed analysis were all that mattered,” Smither concluded.

The application of AI in creative sectors has faced growing examination as the tech advances, with some groups developing methods to counter its impact.