The BPANZ Book Design Awards in association with Spectrum Print and the New Zealand Listener, have been developed by the Book Publishers Association of New Zealand to promote excellence in and provide recognition for the best book design in New Zealand.
Three judges have been chosen to assess the design qualities of books published in New Zealand over the past year.
We are pleased to advise that Guy Somerset will be the convening judge for 2008.
Guy is currently Arts and Books Editor for the New Zealand Listener having previously been with The Dominion Post in Wellington, where he won Qantas and Montana awards for his book pages. Before that, he was deputy arts and entertainment editor of Metro newspaper in London. Later this month, Guy will be taking over Denis Welch’s popular Culture Vulture column on The New Zealand Listener and New Zealand Herald websites.
Guy will be joined on the judging panel by Michael McHugh and Mark Fry.
Michael McHugh has been involved with magazine publishing for many years resulting in numerous awards for his contribution. Michael attended Stanford University in America, spent time in the UK as a magazine designer and then returned to NZ becoming Publishing Director for ACP in 1997 before heading to Australia. Michael has returned to NZ to launch an integrated monthly magazine / online product.
Mark Fry is well known in the bookselling arena and is currently the book buyer for award winning retailer Dymocks Booksellers in Wellington. Mark has recently celebrated 20 years in the book trade, starting with Whitcoulls and then joining David Bateman in the sales area. Mark has been with Dymocks for the last ten years so is well acquainted with the different aspects of book design and the impact that they have on the consumer.
Entries for the awards close on 31 March 2008 and books must have been published in 2007 to qualify for entry.
A shortlist will be announced in June 2008 and the winners will be announced at the Booksellers NZ industry awards dinner on Sunday 20 July 2008.
Tony Fisk
President, BPANZ