We are delighted to announce that OUP author John Prins has won the Hubert Church Prize for Fiction – Best First Book at the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
The award was presented for Pastoral Care, Prins’ debut collection of short stories and the second title in our Landfall Tauraka Short Story series.
Each Mātātuhi Foundation Best First Book Award winner receives $3000 and a 12-month membership subscription to the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa.
The 2026 fiction judges – Craig Cliff (convenor), Alison Wong and Melissa Oliver (Ngāti Porou) – praised Pastoral Care for its insight, humour and distinctly Aotearoa perspective:
‘A youth group leader seeks solace from an AI chatbot. Two brothers disagree about the future of the family bach. A teacher positions himself for another career change. In John Prins’ lively story collection, both men and women battle to balance domestic and work spheres, how they perceive themselves and how they act. Funny, assured, thoughtful, of the moment and of this place, Pastoral Care is a grand debut.’
We warmly congratulate John on this wonderful achievement, and extend our congratulations to all of this year’s winners, shortlisted authors and longlisted writers.
You can find out more about Pastoral Care here.
Read more about the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards here.