New Zealand’s most prestigious literary award, the Oakham Book Awards, excluded two works from the candidate list on the grounds that artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the cover design process.
Stephanie Johnson’s short-story collection, Obligate Carnivore and Elizabeth Smither’s Angel Train, was submitted to the fiction category in 2026, but was excluded from the screening as AI-related guidelines were newly applied.
Quentin Wilson, the publisher of the two works, said the committee revised its guidelines in August and that the cover design of the entries had already been completed at the time.
“It was too late for publishers to reflect the provisions in their designs,” Quentin Wilson said. “It is heartbreaking that great works are damaged by issues that are not related to the writers’ writings.”
Writer Johnson also expressed disappointment with the decision, but acknowledged concerns about the use of AI in the creative field. “I didn’t know AI was used on the cover,” he said. “I thought I synthesized teeth in a picture of a cat, but it was an AI image.”
He also said, “I’m worried that readers will misunderstand that I wrote the book with AI,” adding, “I want to talk about the creative process, including the content and inspiration of the original book, but all questions are directed to AI.”
“Designers’ efforts are being devalued due to controversy over AI,” Smither said. The cover of his book is a figure of an angel covered by steam locomotives and smoke, and was reportedly inspired by artist Marc Chagall.
Nicola Legat, chairman of the Book Awards Trust, which runs the Oakham Awards, said, “We have a strong stance on the use of AI in the book production process,” stressing, “The standards should be applied consistently to all entries.”
He explained that the revision of the guidelines is a measure to protect creators and respond to copyright issues.
“Tools containing AI elements, such as Grammarly, a document writing tool, and Photoshop, an image editing software, are already widely used in the industry,” Wilson, a publisher, said. “The entire industry should start preparing clear guidelines on how far AI is used.”
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
