Dame Jacinda Ardern is in the running for a top Ockham prize. Photos / Supplied
Dame Jacinda Ardern is a finalist for one of New Zealand’s top book prizes, with her memoir A Different Kind of Power shortlisted for a 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Award.
The former Prime Minister and Oxford Fellow is a finalist in the General Non-Fiction category, with the winners announced at a public ceremony on May 13 during the Auckland Writers Festival.
Finalists in Ardern’s category include Naomi Arnold’s Northbound: Four Seasons of Solitude on Te Araroa, Peta Carey’s The Hollows Boys: A Story of Three Brothers & the Fiordland Deer Recovery Era, and This Compulsion in Us by Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore, Pākehā).
Ockham Awards’ General Non-Fiction category convenor of judges Philip Matthews said the shortlisted books were “highly readable works that give honest impressions of New Zealand and its people”.
“The final four were elevated by artful writing and personal reflections that also offered profound insights. Each came as a surprise, even to those who thought they knew the story,” Matthews added.
A Different Kind of Power was released on June 3, 2025, and chronicled the early life and political career of Ardern in her own words.
At the time, she said the book was especially for those who were “surprised to find yourself in leadership and for anyone who has ever doubted themselves”.
“I also wanted to share why I believe in empathetic leadership, and that kindness isn’t just something we should teach our kids, there’s a place for it in politics too,” she posted to Instagram.
Ardern’s Ockham nomination follows the widespread success of A Different Kind of Power overseas and at home.
It recently took out Best Political Book by a Non-Parliamentarian at the Westminster Book Awards in London and was No. 1 in the New Zealand bestseller charts upon its release.
She also released a children’s book titled Mum’s Busy Work in September 2025.
The former Prime Minister and her family were recently confirmed as living in Australia.
“The family has been travelling for a few years now,” a spokesperson for Ardern said.
“For the moment, they are basing themselves out of Australia. They have work there, and it brings the added bonus of more time back home in New Zealand.”
The Ockham Book Awards will see 12 other finalists compete in fiction, poetry, and illustrated non-fiction categories.
Nicola Legat, spokeswoman for the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa, says this year’s shortlisted books are fresh, reflective, and pack a punch.
“It’s a very exciting finalist list – 16 titles that readers of any genre will enjoy. They have been beautifully crafted by their authors and produced with great care by their publishers. The Book Awards Trust salutes them all.”
Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction
Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry
BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction
General Non-Fiction Award
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.