Catherine Chidgey beats out global superstars to top list

Image Credit: Ebony Lamb Waikato author Catherine Chidgey has been voted the New Zealand public’s favourite author in the world in The Women’s Bookshop’s Top 50 Women Writers of the Last 50 Years survey. It is the first time a New Zealand author has taken the top spot in the 20 years the competition has been running. Ms Chidgey was present to celebrate the honour at a public event held at the Women’s Bookshop during National Bookshop Day, this Saturday 11 October at 12.30pm. The Women’s Bookshop founder and owner Carole Beu says previous years’ first place in the 50/50 survey had always gone to international authors: ‘it had always been a battle between the superstars - Margaret Atwood and Barbara Kingsolver,’ she says. ‘To have New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey win with over 1,000 votes cast is huge. It signals a groundswell shift in Kiwis reading appetites. We were fascinated as the votes came in. At first it looked as though Ann Patchett was going to win but she ended up fourth, with Kingsolver third then Atwood second.’ In another first for the 50/50 survey, one fifth (10) of the public’s choices of favourite authors were New Zealanders. In addition to Chidgey, they are Patricia Grace, Eleanor Catton, Keri Hulme, Janet Frame, Fiona Kidman, Becky Manawatu, Elizabeth Knox, Saraid de Silva, and Pip Adam. ‘We’ve never had so many New Zealand women writers in the top 50. It speaks volumes about the increasing popularity of local authors,’ says Ms Beu. The voting took place online and instore over three months, with New Zealanders invited to vote for their top 10 women authors of the last 50 years (1975 – 2025). The 50/50 celebration was one of dozens of National Bookshop Day events that took place in bookstores throughout New Zealand. ‘Creating and sharing stories is fundamental to being a human and a bookshop is a marketplace for those stories. Books and bookshops enrich peoples’ lives, and we showcased that on October 11,’ says Booksellers NZ association manager Renee Rowland. ‘Bookstores keep things real! Real books, real people, real lives, real connection with others. ‘Bookstores are much more than just retail spaces,’ she adds. ‘They’re community and cultural powerhouses. They help to keep high streets alive, promoting a positive sense of place and bring foot traffic to town centres.’ Details of Aotearoa New Zealand Bookshop Day events around the country are here.