Ingrid Horrocks has been awarded the prestigious Jann Medlicott Acorn prize, the top category at the 2026 Ockham New Zealand book awards, for her debut short story collection All Her Lives. The Wellington-based poet, essayist, and memoirist took home the NZ$65,000 (approximately A$53,000 or £28,500) prize on Wednesday night.
A Rare Win for Short Stories
Horrocks' victory marks only the fifth time a short story collection has won the top prize in the 58-year history of the awards. Her book follows nine women across different life stages and generations, exploring themes of politics, gender, and motherhood.
Competition and Reaction
She was shortlisted alongside debut novelist and food writer Laura Vincent, artist and author Sam Mahon, and award-winning writer Catherine Chidgey, the only author to have previously won the prize twice. Speaking to the Guardian, Horrocks said she was “stunned and shocked” when her name was announced, adding that the win encouraged her to write more fiction. “And I hope it means more people will read my book,” she said.
From Nonfiction to Fiction
After years of writing about women's lives as nonfiction, Horrocks found that fiction allowed her to get closer to her characters. “That was really exciting for me as a writer,” she explained. Her stories move through rural New Zealand at the end of World War I, Berlin's Weiberfastnacht, and the 1981 protests against the Springbok tour, traversing continents, centuries, and political concerns—all with women at the centre, including an appearance by pioneering feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.
Critical Acclaim
Fiction judge Craig Cliff described the collection as “crisp, clear and unencumbered,” praising Horrocks' assured handling of gender and sexuality. International guest judge Leslie Hurtig said she read All Her Lives in one sitting, loving the range of women's experiences represented.
Other Winners at the Awards
Short stories and first books were celebrated in several categories. Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won the EH McCormick prize for general nonfiction for her memoir A Different Kind of Power. The Hubert Church prize for best first book went to Auckland author John Prins for his debut short story collection Pastoral Care. Samoa-born poet Nafanua Purcell Kersel won the Mary and Peter Biggs award for poetry with Black Sugarcane. Novelist Tina Makereti won the general nonfiction award for This Compulsion in Us, while historian Elizabeth Cox won the illustrated nonfiction award for Mr Ward's Map: Victorian Wellington Street by Street.
