Media Releases

The New Zealand Society of Authors, the Publishers Association of New Zealand and Copyright Licensing New Zealand have teamed up to put creative rights and their importance – for writers, the local book sector, and for our country – in the spotlight.

Creative Rights = Creative Reads is a campaign to help New Zealanders understand why creative rights like copyright are so important; how these rights underpin the success of Aotearoa New Zealand’s book sector; and how valuing creative rights contributes to the country’s social, economic and cultural wellbeing.

Creative rights are the mechanism that ensures authors and publishers own and are able to earn from their work. The campaign highlights that when we value those rights, the result is more creativity, more local stories, more inspirational ideas, and access to more local knowledge.

Jenny Nagle, Chief Executive Officer, NZSA says, “the books we write and publish in Aotearoa make a rich and diverse contribution to our sense of who we are. In classrooms and at home they educate and inspire. There’s also a large body of research that connects reading for enjoyment to better economic and social wellbeing in children – and we know that books that show us experiences and places that are familiar not only support literacy but also create a sense of connection, and foster a love of reading.

By ensuring writers and publishers own and can make choices about the use of their work, creative rights incentivise creativity and are the foundation from which these social and cultural benefits grow.”

Julia Marshall, President, PANZ continues, “the book sector also contributes millions every year to the creative economy, paying New Zealand writers’ royalties and selling rights to their works overseas. Creative rights are a big part of our business.  We also buy rights to books made in other countries, often translating these into English and te reo Māori. This means all New Zealanders can access, read and enjoy books they might not otherwise discover.

Rights sales allow te reo Māori versions of books like The Cat in the Hat; multiple foreign language editions of New Zealand children’s classics like The Whale Rider; and films based on New Zealand books, such as Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, adapted from Barry Crump’s Wild Pork and Watercress, first published in the eighties.  A healthy creative rights market ensures that writers and publishers benefit from the success of their work – and it also encourages innovation and greater access to work.”

Paula Browning, Chief Executive, CLNZ concludes, “a review of the Copyright Act is currently on the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s agenda. Over the course of this it will be vital to ensure the rights of creators are at the heart of the process. We believe that helping New Zealanders to understand how creative rights work in the book sector, and the ways in which these rights contribute to Aotearoa, will help foster a meaningful conversation on copyright – and keep the pages turning!”

View the campaign website: www.creativerights.nz

Social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/CreativeReadsNZ

https://www.instagram.com/creativereadsnz/

https://twitter.com/CreativeReadsNZ

For more information contact:
Kirsteen Ure, CLNZ, kirsteen@copyright.co.nz, 0279352822

This is the 7^th year that NZSA Canterbury has run the NZSA New Zealand Heritage Fiction awards.  The event is now firmly established on the New Zealand Literary calendar, and over the years we have had a number of superb winners including Fiona Farrell, Fiona Kidman and  Brian Turner   – last year’s major winners were Andrew Crowe for his very beautiful Pathway of the Birds [non-fiction: Bateman and the University of Hawaii] and Witi Ihimaera and Whiti Hereaka, who edited Pūrākau Māori Myths Retold:  [fiction:Penguin].  Over the years a number of new and promising writers have won the short prose and the poetry prizes.

This year we are offering two new categories: a children’s book and a book which can be bilingual or fully in Te Reo. They join the traditional categories of heritage novel and non-fiction, short prose and poetry.

All books linked to New Zealand’s heritage,  published between 1 July 2019 to 11 September 2020, are eligible to enter.  They can be self-published. At this stage we can not accept books that are only published digitally.

The competition opens on the 1^st July and is for books published from 1^st July 2019 and 11^th September 2020, when the competition closes. All entries should have some relationship with the theme: Encountering our Stories – Arts, Culture and Identity.  This is the theme for Christchurch’s Heritage week of which this competition is a part.

This year we have a stellar line up of judges. Ockham Fiction Award Winner Becky Manawatu, will judge the short fiction entries. Her debut novel Auē  was praised by judges for its insight into the minds of children. Other Heritage Award judges include Māori language advocate Hana O’Regan, award winning poet and educator James Norcliffe, best selling novelist and short story writer Maxine Alterio, the  poet Teoti Jardin and well-known Nelson writers Hilary and John Mitchell.  They will judge the non-fiction books.

There is a small cost to enter. The entry fee of the books is $40, for the Te Reo and children’s book it is $20 and for the short prose and poetry $15.

Short lists will be announced on Monday 12 October 2020. Winners on Thursday 29 October, 7.30pm, at St Michael & all Angels, 95 – 99 Oxford Terrace Christchurch at the opening of WORD Festival 2020.

All books to be sent to: NZSA Canterbury   302 Lake Terrace Road, Shirley, Christchurch. Short fiction and poetry can be sent digitally copy to nzsacanterbury@gmail.com or posted to NZSA Canterbury at the above address.

Entry forms and the all  terms and conditions for entry can be downloaded from the NZSA website  or nzsacanterbury.wordpress.com or emailed on request  from jjhaworth@xtra.co.nz

Media interviews or further information please contact: Jenny Haworth jjhaworth@xtra.co.nz or Kathleen Gallagher kathleen.m.gallagher33@gmail.com

Westport writer Becky Manawatu has won this year’s $55,000 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards’ Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction for her first novel, Auē.

Manawatu’s win was announced during a virtual ceremony which began at 6pm this evening, simultaneously live-streamed via the Awards’ YouTube channel and Facebook page. She was the only debut novelist, competing against established and critically acclaimed writers: Owen Marshall (Pearly Gates), Carl Shuker (A Mistake) and David Vann (Halibut on the Moon).

Described by the judges as a ‘mere pounamu’, Auē, published by Mākaro Press, is the hard-hitting story of orphaned Arama, who is deposited in rural Kaikōura with relatives, and his brother Taukiri, a young man fending for himself in the big smoke.

The Awards’ Fiction category judges were unanimous in their decision. “There is violence and sadness and rawness in this book, but buoyant humour too, remarkable insights into the minds of children and young men, incredible forgiveness and a massive suffusion of love.

“With its uniquely New Zealand voice, its sparing and often beautiful language, the novel patiently weaves the strands of its tale into an emotionally enveloping korowai, or cloak,” they said.

Another first-time author, Dunedin’s Straitjacket Fits frontman Shayne Carter, won the General Non-Fiction Award for his work, Dead People I Have Known (Victoria University Press).

“From the first page, Shayne Carter invites the reader to jump right in and come along for the ride. What follows is an illuminating insight into his childhood, shaped by violence and addiction, of a boy who didn’t fit in and felt saved by music …it is a fascinating look at what it means and feels like to be a creative obsessive – pushing towards perfection despite, and because of, addiction, oblivion, and isolation.

“It is rock-star writing: entertaining, revealing and incredibly heartfelt,” said the category judges.

Wellington writer, editor and publisher Helen Rickerby won the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry for her collection How to Live (Auckland University Press).

 “How to Live names, excavates and exhumes both silenced and previously muffled women. There is a power in naming them and exploring their stories, like a poetic version of war memorials dotted throughout our cities and regions, villages. In doing so, these women get an identity, a voice, and an intergenerational existence.

“This collection of poetry demands much of us: to move, to discover, to challenge, to chastise, to entertain, to teach, to dare and to awaken…It doesn’t back down from a societal lesson that, unfortunately, still needs repeating, and often,” said the category judges.

Three Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa curators – Stephanie Gibson; Matariki WIlliams (Tūhoe, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Hauiti) and Puawai Cairns (Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāiterangi) – won the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award for their work Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance.

 The category judges said this book stood above the others, not only achieving excellence in writing, illustration and design, but also – crucially – tackling a vast and significant topic worthy of these urgent times.

“The tactile, hand-hewn approach to design complements the huge variety of assiduously collected objects that are this book’s focus. From the obscure and ephemeral to the well-known and loved, the images allow us to be witness to – and challenge us to learn from – our shared past of resistance, dissent and activism.”

The General Non-Fiction, Poetry and Illustrated Non-Fiction category winners each took home a $10,000 prize.

Four MitoQ Best First Book Awards were also presented at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

 The Hubert Church Prize for a best first book of Fiction: Becky Manawatu for Auē (Mākaro Press).

The E.H. McCormick Prize for a best first work of General Non-Fiction: Shayne Carter for Dead People I Have Known (Victoria University Press).

The Jessie Mackay Prize for a best first book of Poetry: Jane Arthur for Craven (Victoria University Press).

The Judith Binney Prize for a best first work of Illustrated Non-Fiction: Chris McDowall and Tim Denee for We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa (Massey University Press).

Each MitoQ Best First Book Award winner received $2,500 and a 12-month membership subscription to the New Zealand Society of Authors.

Paula Morris, a trustee of the New Zealand Book Awards Trust, which governs the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, says: “This was another extremely competitive year, with a diverse range of outstanding books, reflecting the creativity and vibrancy of our local publishing. It’s also a year of surprises, with two debut writers taking home big prizes.

“The winning books explore the political and the personal – to quote Helen Rickerby, ‘all kinds of lives’. Through them we travel from Dunedin to Ancient Greece, from beaches to stages to pubs to street protests.”

 The 2020 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards judges were:

Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction: author, journalist and reviewer Mark Broatch, short story and non-fiction writer Nic Low (Ngāi Tahu) and Tauranga bookseller Chris Baskett.

This year’s Fiction category international judge was award-winning Australian (Wiradjuri) writer, Tara June Winch.

General Non-Fiction Award: Hocken Librarian and experienced documentary and cultural heritage collections advisor Sharon Dell, respected Nelson bookseller, reviewer and practising artist Stella Chrysostomou, and well-known journalist, presenter and voracious reader Guyon Espiner.

Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry: publisher and acclaimed poet Kiri Piahana-Wong, poet Tim Upperton, whose collection The Night We Ate the Baby was an Ockham New Zealand Book Awards finalist in 2016, and Dunedin bookseller Phillippa Duffy, whose two decades in the book industry include publishing and board positions.

Illustrated Non-Fiction Award: award-winning publisher and Whitireia publishing programme tutor Odessa Owens, Lana Lopesi, an independent critic, editor and author, and Hamish Coney, an award-winning writer, arts advisor and founder and former director of the auction house Art+Object.

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are supported by Ockham Residential, Creative New Zealand, Jann Medlicott and the Acorn Foundation, Mary and Peter Biggs, MitoQ and the Auckland Writers Festival.

To find out more about the winners’ books go to http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/2020-awards/winners/

If you’re working on a writing or publishing project that has arisen or been developed to respond to the changed environment in the New Zealand writing and publishing sector due to COVID-19, you should apply to this Special Round of Contestable Fund Grants.

Each year Copyright Licensing New Zealand provides revenue from its Cultural Fund for a variety of awards and grants, including a Contestable Fund. In order to support the industry during the pandemic, we have just released Special Funding of $120,000 for short-term projects that can be started now and completed by the end of September this year. The annual Contestable Fund process supports a very wide range of projects, and this Special Round will do the same.

The amount you apply for is up to you – the independent Selection Panel will be looking for creative projects that can make a difference at this challenging time.

Applications are invited for projects that have clearly defined and measurable project outcomes, including projects that:

• Respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by the pandemic
• Develop the professional skills of writers, including those who write for an education audience
• Seek to grow export markets for New Zealand published content
• Demonstrate innovation in the creation and distribution of New Zealand published content
• Use online platforms to enhance the profile of New Zealand publishing and/or published content, including to international/export markets

APPLY NOW

Applications must be received before 4pm Wednesday 29 April 2020. Successful recipients will be announced in mid-May.

• All applicants must read, understand and accept the Application Guide and Criteriaof the CLNZ Special Round of Contestable Fund Grants before proceeding with an application and to be eligible for a grant. Applicants are encouraged to print or download this document and to refer back to it throughout the application process.
• The application process can take some time to work through. Applicants will have an opportunity to save their work and come back to it. Before starting your application, please read Section 2. of the Application Guide and Criteriato learn what information will be required, and ensure all supporting documentation required to be uploaded is in pdf format. Please also take note of the file size and word limits when submitting and uploading information.
• Before submitting your application, applicants will have an opportunity to review and edit their application. Once submitted, the application cannot be edited further. A copy of the application will be provided to the applicant.

Unsuccessful applicants will be advised via email in May. Successful recipients will be contacted directly and we will also publish the announcement on our website and social media pages.

Quick Links
Application guidelines and criteria (pdf)
Application form

The winners of the country’s premier literary honours – the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards – will be delivered to the nation online, on the original date set down for the awards ceremony in Auckland: Tuesday 12 May.

“Covid-19 has interfered with our annual celebration of the finalist authors and publishers in an event that’s greatly anticipated and enjoyed by hundreds as one of the first events of the Auckland Writers Festival,” says New Zealand Book Awards Trust chair Nicola Legat. “But as the old adage goes, ‘the show must go on’, and we hope that by making our announcements ‘virtual’ we will reach an audience of thousands on the evening of 12 May.”

Working with the talented team at the Auckland Writers Festival and production company Lotech, a slick, tight virtual ceremony is being planned, fronted by popular ceremony MC for the past two years, broadcaster and te re Māori advocate Stacey Morrison. The schedule will kick off at 6pm with the announcement of the MitoQ Best First Book awards and then continue after a short break, at 7pm, with formalities and the reveal of winners of the four main subject categories: the General Non-Fiction Award, the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry, the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award and, finally, the $55,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction.

A special Ockham New Zealand Book Awards YouTube channel has been set up for the announcements, which will also be shared live across social media channels. The channel is hosting a series of finalist author readings in the four weeks leading up to the winners’ announcements under the banner of ‘Ockhams Out Loud’.

“Life during Covid-19 has become about staying home and staying safe. In these circumstances, books are our best companions, and these 16 great New Zealand books delight, excite, challenge and stretch us. Whoever wins at our virtual awards on May 12, the country is the richer for all of them,” says Nicola Legat.

The 2020 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlisted titles are:

Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction:

Auē by Becky Manawatu (Mākaro Press)

Pearly Gates by Owen Marshall (Vintage, Penguin Random House)

A Mistake by Carl Shuker (Victoria University Press)

Halibut on the Moon by David Vann (Text Publishing)

Mary and Peter Biggs Awards for Poetry:

Moth Hour by Anne Kennedy (Auckland University Press)

How to Live by Helen Rickerby (Auckland University Press)

Lay Studies by Steven Toussaint (Victoria University Press)

How I Get Ready by Ashleigh Young (Victoria University Press)

Illustrated Non-Fiction Award:

Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of Making in New Zealand and the Wider Moana Oceania edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa U Māhina-Tuai, Damian Skinner (Te Papa Press)

Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance edited by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams, Puawai Cairns (Te Papa Press)

We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa by Chris McDowall and Tim Denee (Massey University Press)

McCahon Country by Justin Paton (Penguin Random House)

General Non-Fiction Award:

Dead People I Have Known by Shayne Carter (Victoria University Press)

Shirley Smith: An Examined Life by Sarah Gaitanos (Victoria University Press)

Wild Honey: Reading New Zealand Women’s Poetry by Paula Green (Massey University Press)

Towards the Mountain: A Story of Grief and Hope Forty Years on from Erebus by Sarah Myles (Allen & Unwin)

The winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction will receive $55,000 in 2020. The General Non-Fiction, Poetry and Illustrated Non-Fiction category winners will each receive a $10,000 prize. The winners of the four MitoQ Best First Book awards will each receive $2,500.

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are supported by Ockham Residential, Creative New Zealand, Jann Medlicott and the Acorn Foundation, Mary and Peter Biggs, MitoQ and the Auckland Writers Festival.

To find out more about the shortlisted titles go to http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/2020-awards/shortlist/

To watch the Ockhams finalist author readings and the winners announcements on 12 May go to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJNZ1462noS7mZNrFgGkxg

ENDS

For further information please contact: Penny Hartill – director hPR, 021 721 424, penny@hartillpr.co.nz

#theockhams  facebook.com/NewZealandBookAwards              twitter.com/theockhams

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJNZ1462noS7mZNrFgGkxg

New Zealand schools, libraries and early childhood education centres are keen to ensure that children are still able to enjoy all that a good book has to offer during these unsettling times. Providing storytimes for children through online platforms is something that New Zealand authors and publishers and the cross-sector organisation, The Coalition for Books, are committed to supporting. We aim to make the process as easy as possible for publishers, authors, teachers, early childhood educators and librarians.

Virtual Storytimes Aotearoa will permit, on a temporary basis, the recording of readings of books from participating publishers and posting of the video recording online. Educators and librarians will be able to confidently bring New Zealand stories and literature to students during this challenging time.

“We are pleased to partner with the Publishers Association of New Zealand and The Coalition for Books to facilitate online storytimes while schools and libraries are temporarily closed,” says Paula Browning, CEO of Copyright Licensing New Zealand. “Virtual Storytimes Aotearoa empowers educators and librarians to share stories from New Zealand publishers with their students during a time when they are needed more than ever.”

Librarians and educators are encouraged to take advantage of the programme to spread the word on social media using the hashtag #VirtualStorytimesAotearoa and tag @CLLNZ and @Publishers_NZ and @coalition4books along with individual creators and publishers.

New Zealand publishers who have signed up to Virtual Storytimes Aotearoa so far include David Bateman Ltd, Gecko Press, Milly Molly Children’s Publishing, Scholastic New Zealand, Te Papa Press, Te Reo Singalong Books and Walker Books Australia and New Zealand.

For more information about the terms and conditions, guidelines for use, and an updated list of participating publishers, please visit http://www.coalitionforbooks.nz/storytime

PANZ actively represents New Zealand publishers’ interests to industry and government. The PANZ advocacy team works to inform the relevant government departments and industry bodies of key issues facing book publishers and how we can work effectively together. Strong support from the publishing industry is vital to this work. Association members are a diverse mix of general, literary and educational publishers, ranging from small independent niche publishers to large multinationals.

CLNZ provides licences to help make copying, scanning and sharing printed works easy and legal. A not-for-profit organisation, the net revenue generated from CLNZ licences is distributed to the creators of the work being copied. This helps licence-holders maximise resources, educates future creatives and provides an income to the clever people who created the work that is being copied. CLNZ contributes to the growth of our creative economy by enabling access to a world of content.

Contacts: Publishers Association of New Zealand: Catriona Ferguson, Association Director, catriona@publishers.org.nz

Copyright Licensing New Zealand: Paula Browning, Chief Executive, paula@copyright.co.nz

The Coalition for Books, Jill Rawnsley, Manager, jill.coalitionforbooks@gmail.com

Debut writers and literary luminaries vie for the country’s premier book honours in today’s finalist announcement of 16 compelling works that explore and re-imagine the natural, cultural and creative landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards’ 2020 finalists were selected by four panels of three specialist judges (for fiction, poetry, illustrated non-fiction and general non-fiction) and were drawn from 40 longlisted titles that had been narrowed down from more than 170 entries – a 12 percent increase in submissions on the last three years.

The 2020 finalists for the $55,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction are: Auē by Becky Manawatu; Pearly Gates by Owen Marshall; A Mistake by Carl Shuker and Halibut on the Moon by David Vann.

Mark Broatch, spokesperson for the fiction judges, applauds the “cheeringly excellent year for New Zealand fiction,” with novels and short story collections of great range, depth and surprise.

“Forced to winnow a great longlist to four, the judges found that these books stood above the others – for their storytelling brio, their exploration of salient ideas, and their dedication to language as a salve and seasoning for the mind, the marrow, the spirit,” he says.

Award-winning Australian (Wiradjuri) writer Tara June Winch will assist the three New Zealand judges to select this year’s Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction winner.

The finalists in the 2020 Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry are: Moth Hour by Anne Kennedy; How to Live by Helen Rickerby; Lay Studies by Steven Toussaint and How I Get Ready by Ashleigh Young.

“The four shortlisted poets write in different styles, however all pay superb attention to craft, form and tone, and all have produced books with lasting impact,” says Poetry category convenor Kiri Piahana-Wong.

The 2020 Illustrated Non-Fiction category finalists are: Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of Making in New Zealand and the Wider Moana Oceania edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa U Māhina-Tuai, Damian Skinner; Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance edited by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams, Puawai Cairns; We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa by Chris McDowall and Tim Denee; and McCahon Country by Justin Paton.

Odessa Owens, convenor of the Illustrated Non-Fiction judging panel, says the four finalist books are landmark publications that address significant cultural milestones. “These brilliantly crafted publications also demonstrate the growing confidence of writers, designers and publishers to innovate with design and world-class production values,” she says.

The 2020 General Non-Fiction category finalists are:  Dead People I Have Known by Shayne Carter; Shirley Smith: An Examined Life by Sarah Gaitanos; Wild Honey: Reading New Zealand Women’s Poetry by Paula Green and Towards the Mountain: A Story of Grief and Hope Forty Years on from Erebus by Sarah Myles.

General Non-Fiction convenor of judges Sharon Dell says beautiful writing and compelling content have worked together to create four finalist books whose impact will be felt beyond this year. “The deployment of archival resources, solid research and the mining of memory bring insight into the lives of creative people, and an understanding of how individual lives and experiences reflect the identity and character of Aotearoa.”

New Zealand Book Awards Trust spokesperson Paula Morris says that “each year brings surprises, and this highly competitive year is no exception. The quality of books on the shortlists is exceptional. We anticipate that the decisions of the judges in each category will spark passionate debate.”

The winners of the 2020 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, including the four MitoQ Best First Book award winners, will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday 12 May as a marquee event during the 2020 Auckland Writers Festival.

The 2020 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlisted titles are:

Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction:

Auē by Becky Manawatu (Mākaro Press)

Pearly Gates by Owen Marshall (Vintage, Penguin Random House)

A Mistake by Carl Shuker (Victoria University Press)

Halibut on the Moon by David Vann (Text Publishing)

Mary and Peter Biggs Awards for Poetry:

Moth Hour by Anne Kennedy (Auckland University Press)

How to Live by Helen Rickerby (Auckland University Press)

Lay Studies by Steven Toussaint (Victoria University Press)

How I Get Ready by Ashleigh Young (Victoria University Press)

Illustrated Non-Fiction Award:

Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of Making in New Zealand and the Wider Moana Oceania edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa U Māhina-Tuai, Damian Skinner (Te Papa Press)

Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance edited by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams, Puawai Cairns (Te Papa Press)

We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa by Chris McDowall and Tim Denee (Massey University Press)

McCahon Country by Justin Paton (Penguin Random House)

General Non-Fiction Award:

Dead People I Have Known by Shayne Carter (Victoria University Press)

Shirley Smith: An Examined Life by Sarah Gaitanos (Victoria University Press)

Wild Honey: Reading New Zealand Women’s Poetry by Paula Green (Massey University Press)

Towards the Mountain: A Story of Grief and Hope Forty Years on from Erebus by Sarah Myles (Allen & Unwin)

The General Non-Fiction, Poetry and Illustrated Non-Fiction category winners will each receive a $10,000 prize. The winners of the four MitoQ Best First Book awards will each receive $2,500.

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are supported by Ockham Residential, Creative New Zealand, Jann Medlicott and the Acorn Foundation, Mary and Peter Biggs, MitoQ and the Auckland Writers Festival.

To find out more about the shortlisted titles go to http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/2020-awards/shortlist/

The votes are in and Whitcoulls are delighted to announce their 2019 Kids’ Top 50 Books List today, September 23, 2019.  The big news is that Kiwi kids often discover what they want to read through their own research, are huge fans of books in a series and love to read local authors.

Whitcoulls Book Manager Joan Mackenzie said, ‘Almost 25% of the List is New Zealand books – a much higher proportion than we see in our Top 100 List for adult readers – which is a real reflection of the need for Kiwi kids to be able to recognise themselves and their own environment in the books they read.’

This year, 12 of the books in the List are by New Zealand authors, including perennial favourite Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, which claims second place.  Stories about dragons are popular again, with Kiwi author James Russell’s trilogies The Dragon Brothers Trilogy (#9) and The Dragon Defenders Series (#20) ranking high.

Other Kiwi stars and newcomers to the List are: Kimberly Andrews award-winning Puffin the Architect (#38); actor and comedian Rhys Darby’s The Top Secret Undercover Notes of Buttons McGinty (#42), the first book in a terrific new series full of plays on language, wit and Morse code; and Donovan Bixley’s Tales of Aotearoa Series (#48), a classic re-telling of our myths and legends.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series holds doggedly on to the number one spot again this year, but David Walliams’s grip on the List is unassailable, with five individual books and two series’ appearing.  Walliams has singlehandedly brightened up literally thousands of young readers’ lives over the last year and is the undisputed star of kids’ books these days.

For Whitcoulls, the List highlights the importance of listening to their younger readers and responding to their requests.  For some time, kids have been asking about #1 New York Times bestselling series Wings of Fire by Venezuelan-American author, Tui T. Sutherland and American cartoonist Raina Telgemeier’s coming of age books, including Smile.  Both, they discovered through their own research and voted into this year’s List, at numbers 34 and 46, respectively.

The List is always packed with book series and this year serial novels or chapter books comprise nearly half.  Significantly, Kiwi kids voted seven of them into the top ten, which suggests that once children discover a book series they like, they keep coming back for more.  Among the favourites are: Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series (# 4); Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man Series (# 5); and Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton’s The Treehouse Series (# 6).

‘The great thing about the List is that kids know these books have been voted for by their peers, which gives them confidence to try something new – and with all that fan base behind them, they are likely to be really engaging and enjoyable,’ says Mackenzie.

As ever, the List is a balanced mix of picture books for the young reader, a range of titles for the newly confident reader, as well as more challenging narratives for older children.

Whitcoulls see the publication of their annual Kids’ Top 50 Books List as a way to foster a love of reading – one of the cornerstones of a literate, rewarding life.

See the complete top 50 list here.