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A pair of award-winning New Zealand writers have had their books excluded from consideration for the country's esteemed literary prize because of the use of artificial intelligence in creating their cover art.

Exclusion Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel set "Angel Train" were entered for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its NZ$65,000 novel prize in the tenth month, but were disqualified the following thirty days because of recently introduced guidelines concerning artificial intelligence usage.

The publishing house of the two books, Quentin Wilson, stated that the awards organizers updated the criteria in August, by which time the covers for every submitted book 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' Reactions

Johnson voiced sympathy for the award organizers, stating she has serious worries about artificial intelligence in creative industries, but was disappointed by the decision.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she commented. “This marks my 22nd publication and my fourth short story anthology. These tales … were composed over roughly two decades, making this a particularly significant work for me.”

Johnson further stated that authors typically have little involvement in book artwork and was did not know artificial intelligence had been employed for her cover, which displays a cat with human teeth.

“I just thought it was a photograph of a real cat and the teeth had been superimposed, but apparently it wasn’t,” the author explained, noting that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she struggles to recognize AI-generated images.

The writer feared that the public might assume she employed AI to write her work, which she categorically 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, Elizabeth Smither said that the artists devoted considerable time creating her book's art, which features a locomotive and an celestial figure “half-obscured in the smoke”, inspired by artist Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Award Trust's Position

Nicola Legat, head of the book awards trust that oversees the prizes, said the organization maintains a “firm stance on the application of AI 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 move to revise the AI guidelines was driven by a desire to protect the creative and intellectual property interests of the nation's writers and artists, she explained.

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

Publishing Considerations

Wilson pointed out that publishing houses and authors regularly use tools like Grammarly and image editors, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this incident underscored the pressing requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

“As an industry, we must work together to ensure that this situation does not happen again.”

Both Elizabeth Smither and Johnson have previously been jurors for sections of the prizes, and both stressed that cover designs receive little attention during evaluation.

“The text itself and its detailed analysis were all that mattered,” the author said.

The application of AI in creative sectors has faced increasing examination as the technology advances, with some groups creating methods to counter its influence.