Competitions and Awards

  • ‘New Zealand Disasters’ shortlisted and Runner Up for NZ Heritage Literary Awards (2021)
  • ‘New Zealand Disasters’ Storylines Notable Highly Commended (nonfiction) Book (2021)
  • ‘New Zealand Disasters’ shortlisted for (nonfiction) NZ Children’s Book Awards (2021)
  • Awarded Arts Centre Residency in Christchurch from August – October 2021
  • ‘Ice Breaker! An Epic Antarctic Adventure’ shortlisted NZSA Heritage Book Awards (2020)
  • ‘Anzac Animals’ shortlisted for PANZ awards (2019)
  • Awarded the 2020 Margaret Mahy Medal for lifetime achievement and significant contribution to children’s literature and literacy
  • ‘Ice Breaker! An Epic Antarctic Adventure’ shortlisted for 2020 NZSA Heritage Book Award (Children’s book)
  • ‘Anzac Animals’ Storylines Notable Award 2020 (Nonfiction category)
  • ‘Abel Tasman: Mapping the Southern Lands’ Finalist NZ Book Awards for Children & YA Illustration (2018)
  • ‘Abel Tasman: Mapping the Southern Lands’ Storylines Notable Book (2018)
  • ‘Toroa’s Journey’ Storylines Notable Book (2018)
  • ‘Anzac Heroes’ Storylines Notable Book (2017)
  • ‘Anzac Heroes’ won the NZ Book Awards Elsie Locke (non-fiction) Award (2016)
  • ‘Anzac Heroes’ won the NZ Book Awards Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award (2016)
  • ‘Anzac Heroes’ Finalist for the NZ Children’s Book Awards Children’s Choice Award (2016)
  • ‘New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame’ Storylines Notable Book (2015)
  • ‘New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame’ Finalist Elsie Locke, LIANZA Children’s Book Awards (2015)
  • ‘New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame’ Finalist NZ Childrens Book Awards Children’s Choice Award (2015)
  • ‘Running the Country’ Storylines Notable Book (2014)
  • ‘Eruption!’ Storylines Notable Book (2013)
  • ‘Eruption!’ shortlisted Elsie Locke, LIANZA Children’s Book Awards (2013)
  • ‘The Call of the Kokako’, Storylines Notable Book Award (2012)
  • ‘The Call of the Kokako’ Finalist Elsie Locke and Russell Clark, LIANZA (2012)
  • ‘New Zealand Hall of Fame’ Finalist Elsie Locke, LIANZA (2012)
  • ‘New Zealand Hall of Fame’ winner Children’s Choice, NZ Post Children’s & YA Book Awards (2012)
  • ‘The Call of the Kokako’ Storylines Notable Book (2012)
  • ‘New Zealand Hall of Fame’ Storylines Notable Book (2012)
  • ‘Save Our Seas’ Storylines Notable Book (2010)
  • ‘Rangitoto’ Finalist NZ Post Children’s & YA Book Awards , non-fiction (2010)
  • Second in a national writing competition ‘Rodney Writes’ in the Premier (published authors’) category
  • ‘Bird’s-eye View’ Storylines Notable Book (2007)
  • ‘Bird’s-eye View’ Finalist Elsie Locke Award, LIANZA (2007)