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Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Finalists Reveal a Shift in New Zealand Writing and Publishing

By Media Releases

Ockham Book Awards logoThe shortlist for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, released today, is a dazzling reflection of the robust, innovative literature scene of Aotearoa New Zealand, revealing a deeper engagement with our culturally diverse society.

In the Fiction category, two past winners are vying for the same award. Catherine Chidgey and Pip Adam are both contenders for the $57,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, alongside Brannavan Gnanalingam, a previous nominee, and the critically acclaimed story writer Airini Beautrais.

The works on the Fiction shortlist explore the range of human experience, from the ‘wilful blindness’ of Nazi-occupied Germany demonstrated in Remote Sympathy (Chidgey) and an exhilarating take on surveillance, identity, gender and people living on the margins in Nothing to See (Adams), to violence, racism and toxic masculinity played out in Sprigs (Gnanalingam) and short stories which explore the weird, the eerie and the mordantly funny in Bug Week (Beautrais).

These four highly accomplished works couldn’t be more different but all pack an immense literary punch, says Fiction category convenor of judges Kiran Dass.

“Craft, nuance, urgent storytelling, rage against injustice, and new perspectives are at the forefront of these four impressive books,” says Ms Dass.

Award-winning American novelist Tommy Orange will assist the three New Zealand judges to select this year’s Fiction winner.

In each category – fiction, poetry, illustrated non-fiction and general non-fiction – four finalists were selected by discrete panels of three specialist judges, narrowing down from a longlist of ten. The total number of entries this year was 179 – a 16 percent increase in submissions on the last two years.

The finalists in the 2021 Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry are: Funkhaus by Hinemoana Baker; Magnolia 木蘭 by Nina Mingya Powles; National Anthem by Mohamed Hassan; and The Savage Coloniser Book by Tusiata Avia.

“Poetry collections published in Aotearoa in 2020 show a wealth of exceptional and original work.  It’s an exciting situation for New Zealand poetry. The four shortlisted collections are striking, all exhibiting an acute global consciousness in difficult times,” says Poetry category convenor of judges Dr Briar Wood.

The 2021 Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction finalists are: An Exquisite Legacy: The Life and Work of New Zealand Naturalist G.V. Hudson by George Gibbs; Hiakai: Modern Māori Cuisine by Monique Fiso; Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists by Leonard Bell; and Nature — Stilled by Jane Ussher.

“The four finalists are standout examples of a dazzlingly broad range of passions, from the arts and sciences to food, adventure and the outdoors, distilled into beautiful and engaging works,” says category convenor Dale Cousens.

The 2021 General Non-Fiction category finalists are:  Specimen: Personal Essays by Madison Hamill; Te Hāhi Mihinare |The Māori Anglican Church by Hirini Kaa; The Dark is Light Enough: Ralph Hotere A Biographical Portrait by Vincent O’Sullivan; and This Pākehā Life: An Unsettled Memoir by Alison Jones.

General Non-Fiction category convenor of judges Sarah Shieff says the finalists’ books are alive with the flows of history and power that shape all of our lives.

“These four books, each in its own way an extraordinary achievement in the category’s defining parameters of story-telling, research and memory work, will enrich the conversations we have about ourselves and this place for years to come,” says Dr Shieff.

New Zealand Book Awards Trust spokesperson Paula Morris says “I’m delighted to see such rich variety and high quality in every category, exploring so many aspects of our society, history and creativity.

“This year’s finalists also reveal a shift in New Zealand writing and publishing, a deeper engagement with multicultural New Zealand. The poetry list alone includes work by Māori, Pasifika, Asian and Egyptian-born writers. There’s so much to celebrate here, and so much to discover.”

The winners of the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, including the four MitoQ Best First Book award winners, will be announced at a ceremony on 12 May as a public event during the 2021 Auckland Writers Festival.

The 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlisted titles are:

 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction

Bug Week & Other Stories by Airini Beautrais (Victoria University Press)

Nothing to See by Pip Adam (Victoria University Press)

Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey (Victoria University Press)

Sprigs by Brannavan Gnanalingam (Lawrence & Gibson)

 

Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry

Funkhaus by Hinemoana Baker (Victoria University Press)

Magnolia 木蘭 by Nina Mingya Powles (Seraph Press)

National Anthem by Mohamed Hassan (Dead Bird Books)

The Savage Coloniser Book by Tusiata Avia (Victoria University Press)

 

Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction

An Exquisite Legacy: The Life and Work of New Zealand Naturalist G.V. Hudson by George Gibbs (Potton & Burton)

Hiakai: Modern Māori Cuisine by Monique Fiso (Godwit, Penguin Random House)

Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists by Leonard Bell (Auckland University Press)

Nature — Stilled by Jane Ussher (Te Papa Press)

 

General Non-Fiction Award

Specimen: Personal Essays by Madison Hamill (Victoria University Press)

Te Hāhi Mihinare |The Māori Anglican Church by Hirini Kaa (Bridget Williams Books)

The Dark is Light Enough: Ralph Hotere A Biographical Portrait by Vincent O’Sullivan (Penguin, Penguin Random House)

This Pākehā Life: An Unsettled Memoir by Alison Jones (Bridget Williams Books)

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 CNZM, MitoQ, Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand and the Auckland Writers Festival.

Ockham Book Awards logo

Youth, Diversity and Vitality Reflected in Ockhams Longlist

By Media Releases

Ockham Book Awards logoBooks that explore issues of identity, domestic life, war, food, our natural world and our people are among the 40 works of poetry, prose and non-fiction longlisted for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards announced today.

The works, selected from 179 entries, range from intimate to global in scale and traverse cultural, historic, artistic and imagined landscapes.

There are 13 first-time authors among the longlistees, a testament to the vibrancy of our country’s literature says New Zealand Book Awards trustee Jenna Todd.

“There is such vitality in this year’s longlist, demonstrated by a diverse group, and including young and first-time authors. Half of this year’s Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction longlistees are debut novelists, which is extraordinary. They sit alongside some of our greatest living writers.

“There’s a year’s worth of reading here for those seeking considered perspectives on our modern zeitgeist, for readers wanting to be wowed by the beauty of art and nature, or for those wanting to escape into imagined realities.

“With writing and publishing of this calibre, it’s no surprise that New Zealand’s book boom continues.”

Revenue from sales of New Zealand-published adult books captured by Nielsen BookScan in 2020 was up 12.5 percent on the year before, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Submissions to the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have increased by 16 percent over the last two years.

The Awards also attracted a new sponsor this year. Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand has secured naming rights to the Illustrated Non-Fiction category for the next five years.

Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand chair Juliet Blyth says the association – which celebrates its centenary this year – is beyond delighted to support the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, and the authors and illustrators who contribute so much to our cultural life. “Booksellers around the country hold these awards in high esteem, and the impact the awards have on sales of New Zealand books is immediate.

“Throughout 2020, booksellers around the country enjoyed the support of many New Zealanders reading more and buying locally. We wanted to demonstrate our appreciation, on behalf of our members, by giving back to the industry, the writers, the illustrators and the publishers who have created so many wonderful stories for booksellers to put on their shelves,” says Ms Blyth.

The 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlisted works are:
 

Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction

Nothing to See by Pip Adam (Victoria University Press)

Bug Week by Airini Beautrais (Victoria University Press)

Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey (Victoria University Press)

Sprigs by Brannavan Gnanalingam (Lawrence & Gibson)

Victory Park by Rachel Kerr (Mākaro Press)

The Swimmers by Chloe Lane (Victoria University Press)

Fake Baby by Amy McDaid (Penguin, Penguin Random House)

2000ft Above Worry Level by Eamonn Marra (Victoria University Press)

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (Fourth Estate, HarperCollins)

Toto Among the Murderers by Sally J. Morgan (John Murray Press, Hachette)

Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry

The Savage Coloniser Book by Tusiata Avia (Victoria University Press)

Funkhaus by Hinemoana Baker (Victoria University Press)

Far-Flung by Rhian Gallagher (Auckland University Press)

National Anthem by Mohamed Hassan (Dead Bird Books)

Wow by Bill Manhire (Victoria University Press)

Goddess Muscle by Karlo Mila (Huia Publishers)

Pins by Natalie Morrison (Victoria University Press)

This is Your Real Name by Elizabeth Morton (Otago University Press)

I Am a Human Being by Jackson Nieuwland (Compound Press)

Magnolia by Nina Mingya Powles (Seraph Press)

 

Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction

Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists by Leonard Bell (Auckland University Press)

Hiakai: Modern Māori Cuisine by Monique Fiso (Godwit, Penguin Random House)

An Exquisite Legacy: The Life and Work of New Zealand Naturalist G.V. Hudson by George Gibbs (Potton & Burton)

Observations of a Rural Nurse by Sara McIntyre (Massey University Press)

Shining Land: Looking for Robin Hyde by Paula Morris and Haru Sameshima (Massey University Press)

Off the Beaten Track: Hunting Tales from the New Zealand Back Country by Dave Shaw (Bateman Books)

Colin McCahon: Is this the Promised Land? Vol. 2 1960-1987 by Peter Simpson (Auckland University Press)

Nature — Stilled by Jane Ussher (Te Papa Press)

Karl Maughan edited by Hannah Valentine and Gabriella Stead (Auckland University Press and Gow Langsford Gallery)

Endless Sea: Stories Told Through the Taonga of the New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui te Ananui a Tangaroa by Frances Walsh and Jane Ussher (Massey University Press)

 

General Non-Fiction Award

The Mirror Steamed Over: Love and Pop in London, 1962 by Anthony Byrt (Auckland University Press)

Crossing the Lines: The Story of Three Homosexual New Zealand Soldiers in World War II by Brent Coutts (Otago University Press)

Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand by Brian Easton (Victoria University Press)

Bus Stops on the Moon: Red Mole Days 1974-1980 by Martin Edmond (Otago University Press)

Specimen: Personal Essays by Madison Hamill (Victoria University Press)

This Pākehā Life: An Unsettled Memoir by Alison Jones (Bridget Williams Books)

Te Hāhi Mihinare |The Māori Anglican Church by Hirini Kaa (Bridget Williams Books)

The Dark is Light Enough: Ralph Hotere a Biographical Portrait by Vincent O’Sullivan (Penguin, Penguin Random House)

You Have A Lot to Lose: A Memoir 1956-1986 by C.K. Stead (Auckland University Press)

Towards Compostela: Walking the Camino de Santiago by Catharina van Bohemen (The Cuba Press).

 

The 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlist of 16 titles will be announced on 3 March 2021. The winners, including the four MitoQ Best First Book awards, will be announced at a public ceremony on 12 May during the 2021 Auckland Writers Festival.

To find out more about the longlisted titles go to http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/2021-awards/longlist/

The Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, which offers $57,000 to the winner in 2021, will be judged by writer and reviewer Kiran Dass; books editor and award-winning feature writer Paul Little; and writer Claire Finlayson, former Programme Director of the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. They will be joined by an international judge, whose identity will be revealed in March 2021, to decide the ultimate winner from their shortlist of four.

Finalists and the ultimate winner in the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry will be selected by writer, poet, academic and 2018 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards finalist Briar Wood (Te Hikutu ki Hokianga, Ngāpuhi Nui); teacher and award-winning poet and novelist Anne Kennedy; and professor of English at the University of Otago Jacob Edmond.

The Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction will be judged by Dale Cousens (Ngāruahine) of the National Library of New Zealand; bookseller and former publisher Brian Phillips; and writer, multi-award-winning graphic designer and magazine art director Jenny Nicholls.

The General Non-Fiction Award will be judged by editor and associate professor of English at the University of Waikato Sarah Shieff; filmmaker and lecturer in Māori history at Victoria University Wellington Arini Loader (Ngāti Raukawa, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Whakaue); and Dunedin bookseller Michael Yeomans.

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

ENDS

To download longlisted book covers: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s7smexnx6lwfqso/AACd5dvlXtw6RY8t7BQXH40ea?dl=0

 To download collated category images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6hxaoyz2x3x9ykn/AABbFYrde36WpkcH9lVJ6v9Ta?dl=0

 

Submissions open for 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

By Media Releases

The New Zealand Book Awards Trust is now inviting submissions for the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. These annual awards recognise and celebrate the best books for young readers published in New Zealand. Titles with release dates between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021 will be considered for the 2021 awards.

There are two submission dates. Publishers are asked to observe the guidelines for sending entries in two tranches, which are in place for ease of sending to judges.

Submissions for books published between 1 April 2020 and 30 November 2020 are now open and will close at 5pm on Tuesday 15 December 2020. For books published between 1 December 2020 and 31 March 2021, submissions open on 16 December and will close at 5pm on Friday 19 February 2021.

For books in the second tranche, page proofs will be accepted where books are not yet printed. In such cases, finished books must arrive with the Awards Administrator, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Attn: Joy Sellen, 72 Te Wharepouri Street, Wellington 6023, by 5pm on Wednesday 24 March 2021.

All entries must be submitted online at www.nzbookawards.nz and fees paid by credit card via the online submission form. A Call for Entries pack with eligibility criteria and other information can be found at http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults/how-to-enter/.

The judges of the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will be announced in December, and their shortlist will be made public on 10 June 2021. The awards ceremony is planned for mid-August 2021 in Wellington.

The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are supported by Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA, Wellington City Council and Nielsen Book, and are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust.

Any queries about the Awards should be directed to the Awards Administrator at childrensawards@nzbookawards.org.nz.

 

Book sector highlights cultural, social and economic importance of valuing creative rights

By 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

Kiwi readers spoilt for choice when it comes to beautiful books

By Media Releases, News

COVID-19 disruption has forced many aspects of life online, but when it comes to books the appeal of a beautifully designed, tangible object has not waned.  Luckily, New Zealanders are spoilt for choice with a stunning line up of finalists just announced for the 2020 PANZ Book Design Awards.

A recent report from the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) found physical books make up 93% of the domestic market. So the Association was not surprised by the record number of entries for this year’s awards, with the high quality of titles submitted speaking to both a buoyant domestic market and commitment to local storytelling.

“It’s a clear sign that the New Zealand public continues to value beautiful, world-class books. Adding to the buzz, is the number of submissions to the Emerging Designer category, confirming there is plenty of fresh talent to invigorate the industry in the future,” says Mel Winder, PANZ Councillor for Awards.

In mid-July, four judges with interests spanning book design to bookselling spent a day together in Auckland pouring over the 2020 entries.

“It’s such a pleasure spending a whole day holding, smelling, touching and looking at books and enjoying every fine detail — from typography to endpapers,” says convening judge Anna Brown.

“The discussion was robust, but you would be surprised how easy it was to agree on a shortlist despite our different interests and ‘design’ particularities.”

The judges particularly enjoyed exploring a new category introduced for this year’s awards. The Allen & Unwin Award for Best Commercial Book for Adults is designed to acknowledge the innovative work being done in this area of the market and extend the discussion around book design.

Across all categories, the judges were thrilled at the diversity of design and array of sizes, formats and bindings chosen to enhance the content.  Now they face the hard task of narrowing down the winners and selecting the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book sponsored by Nielsen Book, which will be announced at a special ceremony on Thursday 22 October.

The industry’s design talent will assemble the next day for the PANZ Book Design Workshop which provides the opportunity to dissect the awards, enjoy panel sessions led by leading book designers and network with peers.

The PANZ Book Design Awards were established by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand.

The 2020 PANZ Book Design Awards Finalists are:

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE NEW ZEALAND AWARD FOR BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK

Crafting Aotearoa edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa Māhina-Tuai and Damian Skinner (Te Papa Press), Alan Deare, Area Design

Eileen Mayo: Nature, Art and Poetry by Peter Vangioni and Jillian Cassidy (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū), Peter Bray, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

One Year Drawn by Pete Bossley (Point Publishing Limited), Alan Deare, Area Design

Promises Promises: 80 years of wooing New Zealand voters by Claire Robinson (Massey University Press), Cover: Xoë Hall. Interior: Gideon Keith and Carly Johnson, Seven

Protest Tautohetohe by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams and Puawai Cairns (Te Papa Press), Gideon Keith, Seven

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

 

UPSTART PRESS AWARD FOR BEST NON-ILLUSTRATED BOOK

Finding Frances Hodgkins by Mary Kisler (Massey University Press), Kate Barraclough and Megan van Staden

Hell Fire Poetry Anthology 2017–18 edited by Andy Coyle (White Wolf Black Rabbit in association with Ilam Press), Aaron Beehre

Somewhere – Women’s Stories of Migration edited by Lorna Jane Harvey (Beatnik), Sally Greer, Beatnik

The Spinoff Book edited by Toby Manhire, illustrations by Toby Morris (Penguin Random House NZ), Cover: Toby Morris. Interior: Katrina Duncan and Simon Chesterman

 

ALLEN & UNWIN AWARD FOR BEST COMMERCIAL BOOK FOR ADULTS

The Book of Knowing by Gwendoline Smith (Allen & Unwin New Zealand), Megan van Staden

The Brilliance of Birds by Skye Wishart and Edin Whitehead (Penguin Random House NZ), Cat Taylor and Rachel Clark

Garage Project: The Art of Beer by Garage Project (Penguin Random House NZ), Cover: Tim Gibson. Interior: Tim Gibson and Katrina Duncan

Little Books of Art (series 2) edited by Sarah Pepperle (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū), Aaron Beehre

The New Zealand Wars / Nga Pakanga o Aotearoa by Vincent O’Malley (Bridget Williams Books), Cover: Neil Pardington. Interior: Neil Pardington and Tina Delceg Neil Pardington Design

 

SCHOLASTIC NEW ZEALAND AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK

The Gobbledegook Book by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press), Vida Kelly, Vida and Luke Kelly Design

Māui’s Taonga Tales edited by David Brechin-Smith (Te Papa Press), Jodi Wicksteed, Bolster Design

Mophead written and illustrated by Selina Tusitala Marsh (Auckland University Press), Vida Kelly, Vida and Luke Kelly Design

Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi by Ross Calman, Mark Derby, and Toby Morris (Lift Education), Simon Waterfield and Toby Morris

What Can I Do When I Grow Up? by Alain de Botton (The School of Life Press), Cover: Studio Katie Kerr and Tyla Mason. Interior: Studio Katie Kerr

Wildlife of Aotearoa written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop, Vida and Luke Kelly

 

EDIFY AWARD FOR BEST EDUCATIONAL BOOK OR SERIES – PRIMARY

New Zealand Nature Heroes by Gillian Candler (Potton & Burton), Floor van Lierop, This is Them

Ngāti Manawa Taniwha Stories, Big Books for Shared Reading by Lianne Bird (Huia Publishers, Pem Bird and Lianne Bird), Christine Ling, Huia Publishers

Te Kura i Monoa (Māori edition) | The Treasured Plume (English edition) by Brian Morris (Huia Publishers), Scott and Leonie Pearson, Visual Evolution

Toitoi: A Journal for Young Writers and Artists, Issues 16-19 and the Latin America and Southeast Asia Special Issues, with Teacher Support Materials edited by Charlotte Gibbs (Toitoi Media), Kelvin Soh and Sam Wieck of DDMMYY with Grace McFarlane and Vicki Birks, Toitoi Media Ltd

 

EDIFY AWARD FOR BEST EDUCATIONAL BOOK OR SERIES – SECONDARY / TERTIARY

Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Zealand by Milen Marinov and Mike Ashbee (Auckland University Press), Cover: Carolyn Lewis. Interior: Carolyn Lewis and Katrina Duncan

Exploring Society: Sociology for New Zealand Students, 4th Edition edited by Ruth McManus, Steve Matthewman, Chris Brickell, Gregor McLennan and Paul Spoonley (Auckland University Press), Cover: Kalee Jackson. Interior: Katrina Duncan

Hindsight: Pivotal Moments in New Zealand’s History by Mandy Hager (OneTree House), Vasanti Unka

 

1010 PRINTING AWARD FOR BEST COOKBOOK

The Camping Cookbook by Sara Mutande and Andrea Lo Vetere (Beatnik Publishing), Andrea Lo Vetere and Sara Mutande

Pass It On by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan (self-published by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan), Jesssica Read in collaboration with Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan

The recipe by Josh Emett (Upstart Press in association with Blackwell & Ruth), Cameron Gibb, Blackwell & Ruth

Two Raw Sisters Changing Perceptions of Plant Based Food by Rosa and Margo Flanagan (Bateman Books), Cheryl Smith, Macarn Design

 

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS AWARD FOR BEST COVER

Bullseye Bella by James T. Guthrie (Scholastic New Zealand), Leon Mackie

Hell Fire Poetry Anthology 2017–18 edited by Andy Coyle (White Wolf Black Rabbit in association with Ilam Press), Aaron Beehre

Louise Henderson: From Life edited by Felicity Milburn, Lara Strongman and Julia Waite with Christina Barton, Maria Lluïsa Faxedas, CK Stead and Linda Tyler (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū/ Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki), Aaron Beehre

Mophead written and illustrated by Selina Tusitala Marsh (Auckland University Press), Vida Kelly, Vida and Luke Kelly Design

Pass It On by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan (self-published by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan), Jesssica Read in collaboration with Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan

 

PANZ AWARD FOR BEST TYPOGRAPHY

Crafting Aotearoa edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa Māhina-Tuai and Damian Skinner (Te Papa Press), Alan Deare, Area Design

Eileen Mayo: Nature, Art and Poetry by Peter Vangioni and Jillian Cassidy (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū), Peter Bray, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Hell Fire Poetry Anthology 2017–18 edited by Andy Coyle (White Wolf Black Rabbit in association with Ilam Press), Aaron Beehre

One Year Drawn by Pete Bossley (Point Publishing Limited), Alan Deare, Area Design

Protest Tautohetohe by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams and Puawai Cairns (Te Papa Press), Gideon Keith, Seven

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

 

HACHETTE NEW ZEALAND EMERGING DESIGNER 2020 SHORTLIST

Christine Ling

  • Santa’s Worst Christmas / Te Kirihimete i te Whakakorea by Pania Tahau-Hodge and Bryony Walker (Huia Publishers)
  • Te Rua o te Taniwha by Brian Morris (Huia Publishers)
  • Awatea and the Kawa Gang by Fraser Smith (Huia Publishes)
  • Ngā Kōrero Taniwha o Ngāti Manawa | Big Books for Shared Reading by Lianne Bird (Huia Publishers)

 

Jessica Read

  • Pass It On by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan (self-published by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan)

ENDS

For more info and book images please visit: www.bookdesignawards.co.nz

High-res images are available here

FOR INTERVIEWS OR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Gemma Finlay on behalf of PANZ, gemma@notablepr.co.nz

THE JUDGING PANEL

Associate Professor Anna Brown is a tertiary design educator and researcher, who works with visual artists, curators, art historians and musicians investigating through form, materials and typography how the vehicle of the book can animate and amplify the content it contains. Her international research profile in book design includes a commission for New Zealand’s official Venice Biennale project in 2013. Anna is an Associate Professor in the College of Creative Arts where she is Director Toi Āria — Design for Public Good. For many years she ran her own design business with a specialisation in book design.

Aaron McKirdy is Design Director at Chrometoaster, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Wellington. He has over 20 years experience designing some of New Zealand’s most recognised brands. It was his love of typography and books, though, that saw him work alongside some of the UK’s leading authors such as Lauren Child, Neal Layton and Cressida Cowell at Hodder Children’s Books. Aaron received The Purple Pin for Public Good and collected Australia’s Good Design Award supreme prize “Design of the Year” — the only time this has been awarded outside Australia — for the educational game, Game of Awesome.

Writer and reviewer Kiran Dass is the buyer for Time Out Bookstore in Auckland and reviews books regularly on RNZ and 95bFM. Her writing has appeared in NZ Listener, NZ Herald, The Spinoff, Pantograph Punch, Sunday magazine, Sunday Star-Times, Landfall and The Wire (UK). Dass has chaired sessions at the Auckland Writers Festival, Verb Wellington and WORD Christchurch. She co-hosts the books podcast Papercuts.

Nick Turzynski studied English Literature and Language at Aberdeen University before working in London as a journalist and in advertising, branding, packaging and magazine design. He moved to New Zealand with his family in 1995 where he worked initially at Cuisine magazine, and then as Art Director at Hodder Moa Beckett, when publishing upwards of 60 titles a year was not unusual. In 2003 he started his own company, redinc. Book Design, and enjoys working with a huge variety of authors and publishers. In 2008 he returned to writing with the publication of his first book, How to Eat a Huhu Grub, illustrated by his son Conrad.

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NZSA New Zealand Heritage Literary Awards 2020

By Media Releases

This is the 7th 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 1st July and is for books published from 1st July 2019 and 11th 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

 

 

 

 

 

Ockham Book Awards logo

Debut novelist wins country’s richest literary prize

By Media Releases

Ockham Book Awards logoWestport 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/

 

Book publishers struggling to keep Kiwi stories alive through Covid-19

By Media Releases, News

Kiwi book publishers are struggling to regroup after seeing sales obliterated in April.

The Publishers Association of New Zealand/Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) says members are reporting zero or minimal sales for the month of the Level 4 lockdown.

The risk to the book industry is at its greatest since the Global Financial Crisis.

“Publishers, along with our authors, illustrators and booksellers, are caught up in a negative spiral,” says Julia Marshall, PANZ President.

Unlike in most countries, in New Zealand books were not classed as essential items during Level 4.

“Online sales of books made a massive difference to sustaining publishers in many markets, including Australia,” Marshall says.

“While New Zealand publishers have remained at work remotely, preparing books for 2020 and 2021, they couldn’t sell print books until Level 3 permitted online and click & collect sales.”

Despite some short-term rescheduling due to the lockdown, Marshall says that PANZ members are on track to produce many fine books this year.

Publishers have also stepped up to make content available digitally to schools and families, recognising the vital role of books in home-based learning and personal wellbeing.

Educational publishers entrusted design files for many textbooks to the Ministry of Education so it could print and despatch books to schools, ensuring students could go on studying.

Others have given free licence to libraries, booksellers and schools across the country to provide readings and content from New Zealand books during the lockdown period.

Now that it’s ok to shop for books, Marshall encouraged New Zealanders to support the Kiwi booksellers and authors who like all of us are facing major challenges with the Covid-19 epidemic .

“This is the year to buy New Zealand books, if you want to be sure our books are still around in the future.”

ENDS

 

About the Publishers Association of New Zealand

PANZ represents educational, scholarly and trade publishers in New Zealand, from large international publishers to local independent presses. The book publishing industry produces over 2,000 New Zealand titles a year, contributing almost $400 million to GDP.

For any queries please contact:

Craig Gamble, Councillor

Email: craig.gamble@vuw.ac.nz   Tel: 021 402 977

http://www.publishers.org.nz

Special Round of Copyright Licensing New Zealand Contestable Fund Grants

By Media Releases

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