Forty-four titles have been announced for the 2026 Ockham Book Awards longlist, with true crime and politics among the big name nominees.

Nine debut authors appear in the list, three in each of the poetry, illustrated non-fiction and general non-fiction categories, including the Jacinda Ardern memoir A Different Kind of Power.

Time Out Bookstore manager Jenna Todd says it's unclear if Ardern will emerge victorious, as general non-fiction is a wide-ranging category.

"You have history, memoir, creative essays, so who knows? I just have no idea."

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