Interview: Ockhams judge Jessica Palalagi on judging non-fiction
Jessica Palalagi is an arts advocate and the current General Manager/ Kaiwhakahaere of The Arts Foundation Te Toi Tumu. In her spare time she’s a judge in the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award category at the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, a role that involves a lot of reading and a fair amount of agonising over beautiful books. Kete caught up with her to ask a few questions about what it’s like to be a judge in Aotearoa’s largest and most prominent literature awards. Fakaalofa lahi atu Jess. Wonderful to be able to talk to you! Can you tell us a bit about your role at the Arts Foundation. Did your experience at the AF help inform how you judged the books in your section?
Fakalofa! My role at the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi consists of there never being a dull moment, a lot of talking, the occasional champagne and meeting wonderful peeps and leading a great team. It’s a privilege to lead an organisation that has been going for 25 years – which can only exist through the generosity of others – awarding our most outstanding artists through our awards programmes; Springboard, Laureates and Icon Whakamana Hiranga, as well as running Boosted (Aotearoa’s only crowdfunding platform dedicated to the arts) and advocating on behalf of artists and creatives across the nation.
Well, I realised when I became the GM that I was VERY behind and quite unknowledgeable about authors from Aotearoa New Zealand so I have been on a vigorous campaign to read almost exclusively books from Aotearoa (and our awarded artists – bias much!) I think my experience helped only slightly with the judging – I learnt an immense amount from my two other judges, who I felt were highly knowledgeable and experienced – so that was great. The category was very arts heavy, so I was constantly ensuring that I was giving the same amount of love, attention and reading to the other genres.
Tell us about judging the Ockham awards – have you judged a book award before?
Of course, don’t we judge all the time?! Lol, kidding. Not in an official capacity but I always think there is a fair amount of judging that happens every time you enter a bookstore (if people still go to those – make the effort!) and I have to decide what to read from the overwhelming selection. So, this is my first foray into official judging, it’s been daunting! I was very optimistic about the reading schedule, and then I realised I was travelling extensively and my category did not allow for the best travel ready books (one I was reading on a flight barely fit between me and the seat in front of me) but as a complete nerd I loved learning new things, random bits of knowledge, our history and peoples perspectives and experiences. The best of all are the bits that make great stories, even in the non-fiction category. I also have a newfound respect for the way images and text interplay on a page, typography, use of colour - I could go on and on!
What was it like being the only Pasifika judge in your section?
Oh, it was fine – I’m kinda used to being the only Pasifika person in spaces sometimes. Been that way for a long time, and I am just like shrug emoji. I felt like I added a unique voice, being from Niue (The Rock, small but mighty) but also having lived in the UK for a long time and having done a myriad of things over my job life. There were not LOADS of Pasifika books submitted but I enjoyed the discussion when it happened. I felt the dialogue was open and we listened to each other generously.
The number of Pasifika books published each year in Aotearoa is still small. (Only two Pasifika books made the longlists and neither made the shortlists). We would all like to see greater representation of Pasifika books in all spheres. Is there scope for your work at the AF to help swell the numbers?
I hope so! We have been able to crowdfund a number of Pasifika books (or book adjacent creative projects) through Boosted, often with the match funding provided by Creative New Zealand for Boosted x Moana. We have also awarded several Pasifika practitioners over the 25 years which I hope contributes in some way to the number of Pasifika books being published. I think we have seen a positive upswing in Pasifika authors self-publishing or utilising smaller publishing houses (am I dreaming?) which is so important – as for the awards… maybe we need to encourage our community to submit and be a part of this conversation. We know the talent is there but positioning is also part of it.
Can you tell us more about the initiatives you’re involved in that increase the visibility of the work of Pasifika creatives? The In*ter*is*land Collective sounds amazing. Oh yes, the Gemini in me is always looking for the next thing to half-do! No, but seriously the Collective is mostly based in London and they do amazing work on the ground with Pasfika and Māori creatives (and other indigenous peeps) who find themselves in London or are just passing through. When we first started it was about providing a hub for artists to share knowledge, hang out, cackle and sometimes make work. I would say broadly that still is the case, although the pandemic brought a lot of changes. When I came back to Aotearoa in 2021 I got involved with Moana Fresh, a store based in Avondale in Auckland that provide an in person and online platform for Māori and Pasifika creatives to sell their work, as well as hosting exhibition in their gallery and holding community workshops. Overall, I just want to share the things I have learned and continue to learn with our communities and peeps. Enough with the gatekeeper energy–we need to know how the game works too. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? How about your own creative practice?
My creative practice died when I took a leadership position in the arts lol. RIP to my practice, I will revive you in a few years time.
Born in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Jessica traces her ancestry to Niue/Nukututaha in Te Moananui a Kiwa and Aberdeen, Scotland. She has an MA in Art History from Auckland University where she focused on contemporary Maori and Pasifika art.