James Norcliffe named NZSA President of Honour for 2027

The New Zealand Society of Authors has given its 2027 President of Honour title to poet, novelist and short story writer James Norcliffe, who will give the Janet Frame Memorial Lecture.

The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) has named James Norcliffe as its President of Honour for 2027. The title recognises a senior writer and long-time member of the society for their contribution to writing and the literary arts in Aotearoa.

As part of the role, Norcliffe will deliver the NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Lecture in 2027, taking a broad look at a part of the literary sector of his own choosing. The society said it will release details of the lecture next year.

Norcliffe has published 11 poetry collections, among them Deadpan (2018) and Letter to 'Oumuamua (2023), both with Otago University Press, which has also recently released A Day Like No Other: Selected Poems. He has written more than a dozen novels for young readers, including the Mallory, Mallory books for Penguin, as well as the dual narrative novel The Frog Prince (Penguin Random House, 2022).

His editing work includes time as poetry editor of the Christchurch Press, a long association with takahē magazine and a current editorial role at the online journal Flash Frontier. He co-edits the annual ReDraft youth writing anthologies, now in their 26th year, and has held residencies including the Burns Fellowship and Randell Cottage. He received the 2022 Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry and the 2023 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal.

Norcliffe said he felt "tremendously honoured" by the appointment. NZSA president Dr Vanda Symon said he had worked across many genres and had done much to support New Zealand writers of all ages.