2025 Margaret Mahy Book of the Year winner Ross Calman says the goal of his award-winning book is to have the Treaty of Waitangi celebrated as a wonderful and unique part of Aotearoa by future generations.
The writer and historian wins the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at this year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for his book The Treaty of Waitangi.
He says the Treaty is a foundational event in New Zealand history, and he wants to present it in a way that allows young readers to form their views—without having the facts forced on them.
“A sage person once told me, just imagine you’re telling the story to your son or your daughter. Just think about how to use simple language concepts that young people will understand,” says Calman.
