| Lilian Ida Smith Award | |
| Host: | New Zealand Society of Authors |
| Date: | --> |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Website: | Official website |
The Lilian Ida Smith Award also known as the NZSA Lilian Ida Smith Award is a New Zealand literary award from the New Zealand Society of Authors. The award is named after Lilian Ida Smith, a music teacher from Whanganui. She granted the New Zealand Society of Authors funds to ‘assist people aged 35 yrs and over to embark upon or further a literary career’.[1]
From 1986–1990 the award consisted of three categories, poetry, fiction and non-fiction, with each recipient awarded $1000. From 1992 the award became biennial award with a prize fund of $3000 for a project in any genre, while after 2017 it was awarded every three years and from 2024 every four years.
Between 1986 and 1990 recipients of the award were:[2]
| Year | Poetry | Fiction | Non-fiction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Daphne de Jong | |||
| 1987 | Lauris Edmond | Bill Manhire | Rosemary Wildblood | |
| 1988 | Mavis Wentworth | Owen Marshall | Graeme Lay | |
| 1989 | Bill Manhire | Michael Gifkins | Elizabeth Smither | |
| 1990 | Jan McAllum | James Norcliffe | Greg Newbold |
| Year | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Debra Daley | |
| 1994 | Joy McKenzie | |
| 1996 | ||
| 1998 | Carolyn McCurdie | |
| 2000 | Jackie Davis | |
| 2003 | Mary McCallum | |
| 2005 | Rachael King | |
| 2008 | Sue Orr | |
| 2009 | Leanne Radojkovich | |
| 2011 | John MacKinven | |
| 2015 | Caroline Barron | |
| 2017 | Paula Harris | |
| 2020 | Safia Archer[3] |