Waikato writer Catherine Chidgey said she was initially not sure it was a good idea to have two books published within a year.

However it paid off for the writer, who has topped the Nielsen BookScan best-selling New Zealand Fiction list for 2023 with both books.

The Axeman's Carnival and Pet collectively appeared 70 times on the top-five list over the year to mid-December, as recorded by Nielsen BookScan.

She said she remembered talking to her publisher about the wisdom of having two books out within 12 months, fearing one would draw attention away from the other. The opposite ended up happening.

"It seemed that there was this really nice buzz building around The Axeman's Carnival, it was shortlisted for the Ockhams so it was getting quite a lot of attention. And then Pet came out, so both books kind of drew attention to the other."

The Axeman's Carnival went on to win the $64,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, and Pet was published shortly after the win was announced.

Catherine Chidgey's Pet. Photo: Catherine Chidgey

Chidgey said it was a great feeling to have her work enjoyed and read at home.

"It's really wonderful. It's great to have the international recognition too, that's amazing, but to strike chords with New Zealand readers is really special."

Chidgey said she set most of her other recent books offshore, but the two books this year were very much New Zealand stories, which appealed to local readers.

"People have said to me, 'Oh I really recognise those places,' or, 'I remember that's how it was in 1980s New Zealand' ...and that's been really satisfying to hear."

Other authors high on the Nielsen BookScan best-selling New Zealand Fiction list for 2023 included Monty Soutar with his novel Kawai, which appeared 47 times, and Eleanor Catton with her novel Birnam Wood, which was listed in the top five 46 times.

RNZ