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A pair of acclaimed New Zealand authors have had their books disqualified from contention for the country's esteemed literature prize because of the utilization of AI in creating their book covers.

Disqualification Details

The author's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's novella collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 fiction award in October, but were ruled out the next month due to new rules concerning artificial intelligence usage.

The publisher of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, stated that the awards committee amended the guidelines in the eighth month, by which point the cover designs for every submitted book would have already been finalized.

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

Writers' Responses

Johnson expressed understanding for the award administrators, saying she has serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic fields, but was disappointed by the ruling.

“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.”

She further stated that authors usually have little input in cover artwork and was did not know artificial intelligence had been used for her cover, which displays a cat with human-like dentition.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” Johnson explained, adding that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she struggles to identify computer-created graphics.

Johnson worried that readers might assume she employed AI to write 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 comment, Smither expressed that the artists spent considerable time crafting her book's art, which includes a steam train and an celestial figure “half-obscured in the smoke”, inspired by artist the artist's imagery.

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

Award Committee's Position

Nicola Legat, head of the award foundation that oversees the prizes, said the organization maintains a strong position on the use 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 stated.

“Nevertheless, the rules apply equally to every participant, no matter their standing, and must be enforced uniformly.”

The decision to amend the AI guidelines was motivated by a desire to protect the creative and copyright interests of the nation's writers and illustrators, she added.

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

Publishing Reflections

Wilson pointed out that publishers and authors often use software like Grammarly and Photoshop, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this incident highlighted the pressing need for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously served as judges for categories of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that cover designs receive minimal attention during judging.

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

The use of AI in artistic fields has encountered increasing examination as the tech progresses, with some groups developing methods to address its influence.