The Margaret Mahy Award, officially the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award, is a New Zealand literary prize presented to a person who has made a significant contribution to children's literature, publishing or literacy.[1][2][3] Presented annually since 1991 by the Storylines Childrens Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand, the award is named in honour of its first recipient, Margaret Mahy.[1][2]
The Saturday closest to International Children's Book Day (unless this is during Easter) is called "Margaret Mahy Day" by the trust, during which they present the Margaret Mahy Award, as well as other awards.[4] The recipient delivers a lecture during the ceremony, known as the "Margaret Mahy Lecture", which is subsequently published in the trust's yearbook, The Inside Story.[1][2][5]
| Year | Name | Lecture publication title |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Margaret Mahy | Surprising Moments |
| 1992 | Dorothy Butler | Telling Tales |
| 1993 | Joy Cowley | Influences |
| 1994 | Betty Gilderdale | Some Cautionary Tales |
| 1995 | Elsie Locke | For Children You Must Do it Better |
| 1996 | Tessa Duder | Learning to Swim in the Deep |
| 1997 | Ann Mallinson | From a Trickle to a River |
| 1998 | William Taylor | A Strange Way for an Adult Male to be Making a Living! |
| 1999 | Lynley Dodd | Writing the Pictures and Painting the Words |
| 2000 | Gavin Bishop | Kia Ora Professor Cole |
| 2001 | Sherryl Jordan | Journeys of the Heart |
| 2002 | Maurice Gee | Creeks and Kitchens |
| 2003 | Jack Lasenby | Changes and Origins |
| 2004 | Pamela Allen | My Picture Books |
| 2005 | David Hill | By the Book |
| 2006 | Robyn Belton | Gathering Images: The Stories Behind the Pictures |
| 2007 | Ken Catran | Teen Literature: Demons Old and New |
| 2008 | Wayne Mills | Reading Aloud is Allowed |
| 2009 | Andrew Crowe | Creative Non-Fiction |
| 2010 | Barbara Larson | Grazing the Longacre |
| 2011 | Kate De Goldi | Legends of the Swamp |
| 2012 | Fleur Beale | Where Do Ideas Come From? |
| 2013 | Bill Nagelkerke | The Sorcerer's Apprentice |
| 2014 | David Elliot | When the Bowsprit Get Mixed with the Rudder |
| 2015 | Jill Eggleton | Everyone Has A Story |
| 2016 | Barbara Else | Making it up as I go along, or Finding the Cornerstones of Creativity |
| 2017 | Des Hunt | Stories Out Loud |
| 2018 | Janice Marriott | |
| 2019 | Mandy Hager | |
| 2020 | Maria Gill | [6] |
| 2021 | Julia Marshall | [7] |
| 2022 | Diana Noonan | [8] |
| 2023 | James Northcliffe | [9] |