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Two award-winning Kiwi writers have had their works disqualified from consideration for the nation's esteemed literature award due to the utilization of AI in creating their book covers.

Exclusion Details

Stephanie Johnson's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham literary prizes and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel award in October, but were disqualified the next thirty days due to new guidelines regarding AI use.

The publishing house of both books, the publisher, explained that the prize committee updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which time the covers for all entered 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,” the publisher noted.

Writers' Responses

The author expressed sympathy for the award organizers, stating 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 remarked. “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 input in cover design and was did not know AI had been used for her cover, which features a feline with human-like dentition.

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

The writer feared that readers might think she employed AI to compose her work, 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 statement, Smither said that the artists devoted considerable time creating her book's cover, which includes a steam train and an celestial figure “half-obscured in the smoke”, inspired by painter Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Prize Committee's Position

Nicola Legat, chair of the award foundation that administers the prizes, affirmed the trust maintains a “firm stance on the use 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,” she 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 desire to protect the artistic and intellectual property interests of the nation's writers and artists, she added.

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

Industry Reflections

The publisher pointed out that publishers and writers regularly employ software like Grammarly and image editors, which incorporate AI, and this incident underscored the pressing requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously been jurors for sections of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that cover designs get little consideration during judging.

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

The application of AI in creative fields has encountered increasing scrutiny as the tech advances, with some groups creating ways to address its impact.