Media Releases

Winners of the 2018 Copyright Licensing Education Awards were announced tonight at the uLearn18 conference held at Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland. Teachers from around the country joined the official panel of education experts and cast their votes to add their choice of best resources to the judge’s selections.
The awards recognise the success of New Zealand resource providers in the education market and standout contributions made in both New Zealand classrooms and overseas. The winners this year are a mix of digital resources alongside traditional texts – a reflection of the range of materials that our teachers are using in today’s classrooms.

—
Primary Resources

Best Student Resource People and Water – looking at our water networks – CORE Education

Best Teacher Resource Educational leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand: Issues of context and social justice – NZCER Press

Best Te Reo Resource Ngā Hekaheka o Aotearoa – Huia NZ Ltd

Best Digital Resource People and Water – looking at our water networks – CORE Education

Teacher’s Choice The Oral Language Book – S&L Publishing
—
Secondary Resources

Best Student Resource He Tohu Box Set – Bridget Williams Books

Best Teacher Resource Teaching social studies for critical, active citizenship in Aotearoa New Zealand – NZCER Press

Best Te Reo Resource Mātaki Mai Ana te Ao: Te Tawhio Pihirei o 1981 – Huia NZ Ltd

Best Digital Resource My Study Series – Physical Education – Augmented Learning Ltd

Teacher’s Choice Welcome to New Zealand – DEE Publications Ltd
—
Tertiary Resources

Best Student Resource Tūrangawaewae – Identity & Belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand – Massey University Press

Best Teacher Resource Optimising your academic career: Advice for early career scholars – NZCER Press

Best Te Reo Resource (Two Winners) He Kete Whakawaitara: He Whakatara ā-Rangahau – NZCER Press Te Mauri o Te Whare – NZCER Press
—
Export Resources

Best Export Resource Sunshine Classics – for junior high schools learning English program throughout China – Wendy Pye Publishing

Paula Browning, Chief Executive of Copyright Licensing NZ says, “Education resources created and written in New Zealand, for New Zealanders, have a special part to play in supporting student success and developing what the New Zealand curriculum terms “confident, connected, lifelong learners”. The interplay between teachers, students and resources is rich and complex, but whether the resource explores our unique flora and fauna, our celebrated writers and artists, or our history and whakapapa, resources produced locally by teachers, education writers, publishers and public agencies are critical.”

2018 Judging Panel
Special thanks to judges Jenny Robertson, Tania Cotter, Jo Buchan, Ross Calman and David Glover.
For more information please contact Copyright Licensing New Zealand Phone 09 486 6250

Email awards@copyright.co.nz

#NZContentCounts

www.copyright.co.nz

Ends.

HarperCollins today announced the formation of a New Zealand sales and marketing agency representing leading international publishers Hardie Grant, Simon & Schuster and Walker Books. The new agency, which is yet to be named, will start operations in January, selling April 2019 new releases. This exciting amalgamation is a vote of confidence in the New Zealand book industry. HarperCollins Entertainment Distribution Services already distributes all four publishers; ensuring the addition of sales and marketing will bring new efficiencies for all four publishers and for New Zealand book retailers alike, while also creating a stronger marketing platform from which to engage with readers.

The new look HarperCollins sales team will be led by Karen Ferns, currently agenting Simon & Schuster and previously MD of Random House New Zealand, who will have overall responsibility for the combined group as New Zealand Sales Manager. Karen will be supported by Matthew Simpson, following his desire to step into a new role, as Key Accounts Manager for the agency list. Sandra Noakes, Marketing Communications Manager, will have marketing and publicity responsibility for all four publishers. Karen and Sandra will both report directly to HarperCollins ANZ CEO, James Kellow, who said, ‘I am a huge admirer of the New Zealand book market. We are supremely fortunate to be supported by so many brilliant, passionate and engaged booksellers and I’m delighted to put in place a vibrant, new and dynamic team to better serve the NZ market, led by three of NZ’s most trusted and respected publishing executives. I am so pleased to welcome Karen to the HarperCollins team. Her reputation speaks for itself, and I couldn’t be more positive about the opportunities this new venture presents.’

Dan Ruffino, Managing Director of Simon & Schuster, commented: ‘We’re excited to further increase our presence in New Zealand via this new partnership. We’ve seen the enormous potential of the market through Karen Ferns’ fine stewardship of our sales over the last two years, and know that under the leadership of Karen and Matthew Simpson and Sandra Noakes we can take it to the next level.’

‘We are very pleased to be entering into this partnership with the new HarperCollins agency. Walker Books stands for quality children’s books, something we are very proud of. We look forward to building on our success in the NZ market with a like-minded team who share our passion for selling and marketing children’s books,’ said Angela Van Den Belt, President of Walker Books.

‘Since partnering with HarperCollins New Zealand in July, we have been thoroughly impressed by the team and their efforts. We are thrilled to be able to continue working with Matthew in this new venture, as he has been instrumental in our partnership’s success so far,’ reported Julia Kumschick, Group Sales Director for Hardie Grant.

Karen Ferns said, ‘It is exciting to be involved in a new agency, focused on better serving authors and booksellers in the NZ market. I look forward to working with Matthew and Sandra to create a highly effective team to look after the four publishers who have put their faith in us.’

For further information, please contact:

James Kellow, CEO, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and New Zealand, james.kellow@harpercollins.com.au

Or

Matthew Simpson, Sales Manager, HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand, matthew.simpson@harpercollins.co.nz

Kiwi children love to read books by local authors and their enthusiasm for reading is as keen as ever reveals the 2018 Whitcoulls Kids’ Top 50 Books list, announced today (24 September 2018).

Whitcoulls Book Manager Joan Mackenzie said, “Kiwi kids cast their votes with great enthusiasm and as they did, couldn’t resist sharing glowing endorsements and comments about their favourite books. Some clear patterns emerged about the ones they loved the most loved.” Ten of the books in the Kids’ Top 50 are by New Zealand authors. Lynley Dodd’s classic story Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy continues to win the hearts of Kiwi kids to claim sixth place. Captivating Kiwi trilogies The Dragon Defenders (number 10) and Dragon Brothers (number 15) were also among the favourites, particularly with young boys, who are often perceived as reluctant readers. Again, two picture books in te reo Māori were voted into this year’s Kids’ Top 50 – Malcolm Clark’s 2018 award-winning Tu Meke Tūī! (number 22) and Kat Merewether’s Kuwi’s First Egg (number 36), which received a gong in 2016. Their inclusion points to the recent resurgence in popularity of the te reo Māori language and our fascination with indigenous stories.

Book series dominate, with nearly half the list comprising serial novels or chapter books. Kiwi kids voted seven of them into the top ten, which suggests that once children discover a book series they love, then they keep coming back for more.

Not surprisingly, Harry Potter is again at number one with his hold on modern imaginations showing no signs of abating; indeed, J. K. Rowling’s bestselling series is now being discovered by a whole new generation of children. Mackenzie was extremely pleased to see Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor (number 32) make the cut, describing it as “a magical, brilliant first book in a planned series, which will appeal to fans of Harry Potter looking for the next best thing.”

The Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton claimed the number two spot; Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series was at number three; Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series secured fourth place; and David Walliams was at number five with his hugely popular The World’s Worst Children series. Walliams also wins the ‘popularity contest’ for favourite author, with nine different titles appearing in the Kids’ Top 50.

One of the stand out books is Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (number 20), which appears to have sparked a new publishing phenomenon – that of the lives of remarkable people whose stories have been edited into inspirational and aspirational chapters. Children of all ages who dream about what their lives might become will be transfixed.

“Books for children are in very good heart and a future where books will continue to feature strongly in both lives and in imaginations is assured,” says Mackenzie.

The Whitcoulls Kids’ Top 50 Books list will be published online here: http://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/ when the embargo lifts, on Monday 24 September 2018 at 5:00am.
ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
Whitcoulls is a major national retailer, offering a wide selection of books, stationery, educational toys, puzzles, games, gifts, greeting cards and wrap. Whitcoulls was founded over 130 years ago when George Tombs, a printer and bookbinder, and George Whitcombe, a publisher and bookseller, combined their businesses to create a national publishing company. Whitcombe & Tombs merged with key competitor Coulls Somerville Wilkie and was renamed Whitcoulls in 1973. Whitcoulls is now proudly New Zealand owned by the James Pascoe Group which includes The Farmers Trading Co, Stevens, Pascoes the Jewellers, Stewart Dawson’s and Goldmark.

Seven NZ novels, eight children’s & YA books and five non-fiction titles comprise the Top 20 Bestsellers voted as favourites by booksellers from all over New Zealand. Now, the public have their opportunity to vote for their Bestseller of the Decade, in celebration of the fourth annual NZ Bookshop Day on Saturday, 27 October.

The Nielsen Bestsellers list is the pinnacle of cooperation within the book industry. Without the efforts of authors, publishers, booksellers, media and of course our end users the readers, our homegrown titles can easily disappear within a crowded shelf in a bookstore. Chair of Booksellers NZ and Manager of VicBooks and Café Juliet Blyth says, ‘Knowing what is selling week in and week out is incredibly important to the book industry, and we are excited to celebrate 10 years of Nielsen bestsellers this year. Our booksellers have chosen their Top 20 bestselling titles, and they are the experts, so you can be sure these are all quality books.’

Nielsen BookScan began recording book sales in New Zealand in December 2008, showing booksellers, publishers and the public where our national interest lies. The 60 titles which our expert booksellers voted from comprised our 20 top selling NZ Fiction, Non-fiction and Children’s & YA books.

Here is the list the experts picked as their Booksellers’ Top 20 Bestsellers of the Decade:

• All Blacks Don’t Cry, by John Kirwan (Penguin NZ)
• Annabel Langbein: The Free Range Cook, by Annabel Langbein (Annabel Langbein)
• As the Earth Turns Silver, by Alison Wong (Penguin NZ)
• Badjelly the Witch, by Spike Milligan (Puffin)
• Chappy, by Patricia Grace (Penguin NZ)
• Eat, by Chelsea Winter (Penguin NZ)
• Edmonds Cookery Book, by Goodman Fielder (Hachette NZ)
• Grandma Joins the All Blacks, by Helen McKinlay (HarperCollins NZ)
• Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, by Lynley Dodd (Puffin)
• Herbert: The Brave Sea Dog, by Robyn Belton (Potton & Burton)
• Mister Pip, by Lloyd Jones (Penguin NZ)
• Moo and Moo and the Little Calf Too, by Deborah Hinde & Jane Millton (Allen & Unwin NZ)
• New Zealand Landscapes, by Andris Apse (Potton & Burton)
• The 10pm Question, by Kate De Goldi (Longacre)
• The Conductor, by Sarah Quigley (Vintage)
• The Hut Builder, by Laurence Fearnley (Vintage)
• The Little Yellow Digger, by Betty Gilderdale (Scholastic NZ)
• The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton (VUP)
• The Wish Child, by Catherine Chidgey (VUP)
• The Wonky Donkey, by Craig Smith & Katz Cowley (Scholastic NZ)

Bookshops all over New Zealand will be celebrating these titles with events and celebrations on NZ Bookshop Day, Saturday 27 October. And there is a chance to win one of two prizes $500 of Book Tokens to fuel your future reading habits! While the Bestseller of the Decade will be decided by whichever title receives the most votes, all voters both online and offline will be entered into a random draw for $500 Book Tokens.

Voting is now open at https://www.booksellers.co.nz/votebestsellers. Join in and celebrate our nation’s literary success stories this NZ Bookshop Day.
ENDS

NZ Bookshop Day is the national celebration of NZ bookshops, and is run by Booksellers NZ, the membership association of NZ booksellers, representing over 190 bookshops, online and offline, nationwide. Nielsen BookScan provides the world’s only continuous retail monitoring service for English-language books in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Italy, Brazil and Spain.

NZ Bookshop Day Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nzbookshopday/ NZ Bookshop Day Twitter: #nzbookshopday
Media Contact for interviews with bookshops, authors or publishers: Sarah Forster, sarah.forster@booksellers.co.nz, 021 1767684

Media Notes:
• Children’s title The Wonky Donkey is now receiving further international bestselling success thanks to The Scottish Granny’s recent viral hit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yskf94MYM1I
• The 20 titles have cumulatively sold over 771,000 titles over the decade, earning $23m in value.
• The Man Booker Prize influenced the bestselling status of both The Luminaries prior to and after winning the 2013 Man Booker Prize and Mister Pip after its shortlisting for the 2007 Man Booker Prize.
• The most recently published of these bestsellers is The Wish Child, by novelist Catherine Chidgey, released in November 2016. The Wish Child won the second annual $50,000 Acorn Foundation Literary Prize, in 2017, and has gone on to find success in the UK.

A new Foundation established by the Auckland Writers Festival aims to strengthen Aotearoa’s literary landscape.

The Mātātuhi Foundation, launched this evening, will provide opportunities for New Zealand writers to develop and promote their works and for readers to increase their engagement with the work of local writers and will fund activities that contribute to literacy in this country.

Auckland Writers Festival Chair, Pip Muir says the launch of the Mātātuhi Foundation is the next step in the realisation of a long-held dream.

“When the Festival began almost 20 years’ ago, meetings were held around a kitchen table. Since then, the appetite to engage with writers from New Zealand and around the world has grown exponentially and with it the opportunity to deepen our commitment to our literary landscape.

“It is absolutely fantastic that the Festival has reached a point where it can further contribute to the national reading and writing community. We are thrilled to be able support the nation’s literature with the launch of this ground-breaking initiative.”

The Foundation will operate independently of the Auckland Writers Festival Trust and initially aims to make up to ten one-off grants of $2000 – $5000 per year whilst building an endowment platform to support its long-term endeavours.

Inaugural Committee members are professional director and senior finance executive Anne Blackburn (Chair), writer and academic Paula Morris, Festival Trust Board Chair and lawyer Pip Muir, Auckland Writers Festival Director Anne O’Brien and country head of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and Book Council board member Peter Vial.

Ms Blackburn says she relishes the opportunity to work with an organisation that supports New Zealand literature.

“I very much look forward to receiving applications from groups that seek to engage more readers and also from our writers, whose words and ideas enrich our lives.”

Applicants are invited to submit expressions of interest twice a year, with deadlines of 31 October and 31 May.

ENDS 

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

www.matatuhifoundation.co.nz

 

The CLNZ Education Awards 2018 celebrate the quality and diversity of educational resources released between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2018 to support classroom learning. The awards recognise the success of New Zealand resource providers in the education market and standout contributions made in both New Zealand classrooms and overseas.

A panel of industry experts have judged the entries which included online tools, textbooks, workbooks and more, and have carefully chosen the following 31 finalists across 12 categories.  Also included in the finalist lists are two Teachers’ Choice resources selected by teacher voting across New Zealand.

The separation of categories this year into ones just for teacher resources and others just for student resources, enabled a more direct focus on the impact that entries to each category would have with their intended audience. At a time when teachers are time-poor, professionally published resources that support teaching practice are hugely valuable. The fact that these resources have been developed in New Zealand, for New Zealand teachers, means that they are well-aligned with both the curriculum and the needs of our classrooms and students.

The educational publishing industry not only contributes significantly to learning in this country but is also an important contributor to employment and GDP. A recent PwC report* valued the New Zealand publishing industry’s total impact on gross domestic product at $308 million, attributing $69 million of this to educational publishing.

2018 CLNZ Education Awards Finalists

The judging panel has named the following resources as finalists:

Best Primary Resource (student or teacher)

Sam and Flo’s Amazing Watery Adventure – Watercare Services

People and Water – looking at our water networks – CORE Education

Teachers leading inquiry for school problem solving – NZCER Press

The Oral Language Book – S&L Publishing

Educational leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand – NZCER Press

Best Secondary Resource (student or teacher)

Welcome to New Zealand – Dee Publications

BWB Text Series – Bridget Williams Books

Life Processes, Ecology and Evolution – Edify Ltd

Tuai: A Traveller in Two Worlds – Bridget Williams Books

He Tohu Box Set – Bridget Williams Books

Level 1 Horticulture Learning Workbook– ESA Publications (NZ)

Remixing the Key Competencies: A curriculum design deck – NZCER Press

Teaching social studies for critical, active citizenship in Aotearoa New Zealand – NZCER Press

The 9th Floor: Conversations with five New Zealand Prime Ministers – Bridget Williams Books

Best Tertiary Resource (student or teacher)

Optimising your academic career: Advice for early career scholars – NZCER Press

Criminal Justice: A New Zealand Introduction – Auckland University Press

The Great War for New Zealand: Waikato 1800-2000 – Bridget Williams Books

A Land of Milk and Honey? Making Sense of Aotearoa New Zealand – Auckland University Press

Tūrangawaewae – Identity & Belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand– Massey University Press

Best Te Reo Resource (primary, secondary or tertiary)

Maori Made Easy Workbook / Kete 1, 2, 3 & 4 – Penguin Random House

He Kete Whakawaitara: He Whakatara ā-Rangahau – NZCER Press

Mātaki Mai Ana te Ao: Te Tawhio Pihirei o 1981 – Huia NZ Ltd

He Tai Pari – Kotuku Creative

Te Whare – One Tree House

Te Mauri o Te Whare – NZCER Press

Ngā Hekaheka o Aotearoa – Huia NZ Ltd

Digital Resource (primary or secondary)

People and Water – looking at our water networks – CORE Education

My Study Series – Physical Education – Augmented Learning Ltd

Rēhua – Huia NZ Ltd

Best Export Resource

Sunshine Classics – for junior high schools learning English program throughout China
– Wendy Pye Publishing

CSI Private Eye – CSI Literacy

Winner announcement

The 2018 judges’ selection winners and the results of the Teachers’ Choice voting will be announced at the Gala Dinner of Aoteoroa’s premier conference for educators – uLearn. The event takes place in Auckland on Thursday 11 October at Sky City Convention Centre.

2018 Judging Panel

Special thanks to judges Jenny Robertson, Tania Cotter, Jo Buchan, Ross Calman and David Glover.

For more information please contact Copyright Licensing New Zealand
Phone 09 486 6250

Email awards@copyright.co.nz

Robyn Bargh CNZM (Te Arawa) was tonight honoured with the 2018 Book Industry Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her foundation and directorship of Huia Publishers, and her continuing leadership in Māori literature. The Book Trade Industry Awards were announced at a celebratory dinner at The Rydges in Auckland.

Booksellers NZ Chair Juliet Blyth says Bargh is notable for her tremendous contribution to the industry over many years. ‘Already honoured by the Queen, the Book Industry is honoured to be able to recognise Robyn Bargh’s many talents, as publisher, director and chair of many organisations both within the book  industry and in the wider community of literature, theatre and television.’

Book Trade Awards Judges Copyright NZ CEO Paula Browning, Australian Booksellers Association CEO Joel Becker and former Publisher Bob Ross, were delighted by the depth of talent shown across the seven judged awards.

VOLUME in Nelson, owned by Stella Chrysostomou and Thomas Koed, was awarded Nielsen NZ Bookseller of the Year. This is an extraordinary achievement for a bookstore that opened in December 2016.

Browning notes the difficulty of judging big against small, ‘We chose the one that is proud of its minimalist décor, because this makes the shop its own display… We chose the one whose owners have over 30 years experience in the book trade, who are highly engaged with their customer community in both the physical and the online world.’

Nielsen NZ Publisher of the Year, went to Allen and Unwin New Zealand, for achieving stunning market growth in every major group of New Zealand booksellers, and for their prominence in the local publishing scene. In the submission it was noted, ‘Booksellers can be confident that here you have a publisher that is continuing to invest in the local market and who is committed to finding the opportunities that we know are out there, and to creating great books that will sell throughout the country.’

The Book Industry Awards also celebrated some inspiring younger members of both the Bookselling and Publishing industries. Sophia Egan-Reid was the winner of Young Publisher of the Year, for her fantastic leadership of Mary Egan Publishing, which has gone from strength to strength in recent years. And Fern Hubball, book buyer from University Bookshop Canterbury, wins Young Bookseller of the Year, for her book knowledge, flair, energy and enthusiasm.

Integral to any sales industry is the marketing and sales team. This year, the MediaR Marketing Strategy of the Year was awarded to Hachette NZ, for their stunning effort in marketing Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, by Australian author Jessica Townsend. This book drew the media’s attention – TV, news, print, and radio working alongside digital channels seeing sales soar. And Sales Rep of the year goes, for the second year in a row, to Tammy Ruffell of HarperCollins NZ, sales rep for the Lower North Island, ‘an exceptionally strong advocate for the needs of bookshops,’ notes Becker.

Two books were recognised for achieving number one on the Nielsen charts in 2017. Nielsen Bestseller of the Year went to Eat, by Chelsea Winter (Penguin Random House NZ), and Nielsen NZ Independent Bestseller of the Year was awarded to The Wish Child, by Catherine Chidgey (Victoria University Press).

Children’s book website The Sapling was also recognised, winning the New Zealand Book Industry Special Award. This award recognises a company or individual for innovation, or for an important contribution to the book trade in Aotearoa over the past year. Browning notes, ‘Our winner has achieved both. They use a highly engaging website, supported by an active social media presence to reach a large and diverse audience.’

A full list of the winners:
Nielsen Bookshop of the Year – VOLUME, Nelson
Nielsen Publisher of the Year – Allen & Unwin NZ Ltd, Auckland
Sales Rep of the Year – Tammy Ruffell, Lower North Island Rep, HarperCollins NZ
Publishing Marketing Strategy of the Year – Hachette NZ for Nevermoor
Young Publisher of the Year – Sophia Egan-Reid, Mary Egan Publishing
Young Bookseller of the Year – Fern Hubball, University Bookshop Canterbury
Special Industry Award-winner – The Sapling www.thesapling.co.nz
Lifetime Achievement Award: Robyn Bargh CNZM
Nielsen Bestseller of the Year: Eat, by Chelsea Winter (Penguin Random House NZ)
Nielsen NZ Independent Bestseller of the Year: The Wish Child, by Catherine Chidgey (VUP)

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact Sarah Forster, 021 1767684, or email sarah.forster@booksellers.co.nz.

Sponsors Notes:
Nielsen BookData is the leading provider of book-related data services to more than 110 countries worldwide. Nielsen BookScan provides the world’s only continuous retail monitoring service for English-language books in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Italy, Brazil and Spain.

MediaR is an integrated communications agency delivering strategic, media, digital and creative solutions. At mediaR we develop and value partnerships where we can make a difference, and our overriding philosophy is that our clients come first.

An experienced panel of 12 judges – including prize-winning writers and poets, as well as historians, academics, curators and one of the country’s most respected booksellers – will   select the best books published this year for the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

The Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize, which will bestow $53,000 on its 2019 winner, will be judged by programme director of WORD Christchurch Rachael King, whose novel The Sound of Butterflies won the Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction in 2007; novelist, short story writer and lecturer James George (Ngāpuhi); and journalist, reviewer and editor Sally Blundell. They will be joined by a well-known international judge, whose identity will be revealed in March 2019, to decide the ultimate winner from their shortlist of four.

Finalists and the ultimate winner in the Poetry category will be selected by three acclaimed poets: creative writing teacher Airini Beautrais; Massey University Associate Professor Bryan Walpert; and Karlo Mila, who runs an indigenous leadership programme and whose collection Dream Fish Floating won the Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry in 2015.

The Royal Society Te Apārangi Award for General Non-Fiction will be judged by science writer Rebecca Priestley, Associate Professor at Victoria University of Wellington and recipient of the 2016 Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize; award-winning historian and University of Otago academic Angela Wanhalla; and curator, educator and writer Karl Chitham (Ngāpuhi), director of Tauranga Art Gallery, Toi Tauranga.

Well-known writer, curator and commentator on all aspects of architecture, design and art Douglas Lloyd Jenkins, whose book At Home: A Century of New Zealand Design won the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction in 2005, is joined in judging the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award by writer and curator at Dunedin Public Art Gallery Lucy Hammonds; and experienced bookseller Bruce Caddy, recently retired from a retail career spanning more than 40 years in several of the country’s best bookshops.

Paula Morris, chair of the Ockhams sub-committee of governing body the New Zealand Book Awards Trust, highlights that many of the 2019 judges are writers – and previous award-winners – themselves. “All are part of our vibrant literary culture here in New Zealand, and bring expertise and insights, as well as a passion for reading, to the demands of judging a major prize.”

She also points to the fact that the number of books entered in the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards increases every year, requiring more time for reading and deliberation by the judges. “As a result, after consultation within the industry, we have moved the announcement of the 2019 longlist to late January,” says Morris.

The judges will make their longlist of up to 10 books per category known on 31 January 2019 and the 2019 shortlist of 16 books will be announced on 6 March.

The winners will be announced at an awards evening held as the first public event of the Auckland Writers Festival on Tuesday 14 May 2019.

The first round of submissions to the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards closes on 10 September 2018. Titles published between 1 January 2018 and 31 August 2018 must be submitted no later than 5pm, on this date. Entries for titles published between 1 September 2018 and 31 December 2018 open on 11 September and close at 5pm on Wednesday 24 October 2018. Entries can be made via http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/form/

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are supported by Ockham Residential, Creative New Zealand, the Acorn Foundation, Book Tokens (NZ) Ltd, the Royal Society Te Apārangi and Auckland Writers Festival, and are administered by the Festival.  

ENDS

For further information please contact: NZ Book Awards Trust Manager Belinda Cooke, tel 021 481044, email manager@nzbookawards.org.nz

Editor’s Notes:

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are the country’s premier literary honours for works written by New Zealanders. First established in 1968 as the Wattie Book Awards (later the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards), they have also been known as the Montana New Zealand Book Awards and the New Zealand Post Book Awards. Awards are given for Fiction (the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize), Illustrated Non-Fiction, General Non-Fiction (the Royal Society Te Apārangi Award for General Non-Fiction) and Poetry. There are also four Best First Book Awards and, at the judges’ discretion, a Māori language award. The awards are governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust (a registered charity).

Members of the Trust are Nicola Legat, Karen Ferns, Paula Morris, Catherine Robertson, Rachel Eadie, David Bowles, Pene Walsh and Melanee Winder. Creative New Zealand is a significant annual funder of the awards. The Trust also governs the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day.

“A landmark title which will stand the test of time” has been crowned the country’s best book for young readers. Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story by Christchurch writer and illustrator Gavin Bishop received the top honour at the 2018 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, announced tonight at an exuberant event at Te Papa in Wellington.

The judges describe it as a book for every home, school and library, which can be read and re-read by all ages.

“It’s masterful in its execution – a work of art that bears repeated and thoughtful reading and viewing of its vibrant and informative illustrations, a book of enduring significance in the canon of New Zealand children’s literature. We’ve seen nothing quite like it in New Zealand children’s publishing,” says convener of judges Jeannie Skinner.

As well as winning the coveted Margaret Mahy Book of the Year prize, Aotearoa also won the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction. The judges described this category as particularly strong and the most challenging to whittle down to a shortlist of finalists.

Six other significant awards were also presented at the ceremony, held in Te Papa’s atmospheric Te Marae and attended by the country’s top children’s authors, illustrators, translators and publishers.

A book for all the unsung small heroes, I Am Jellyfish, written and illustrated by Ruth Paul, won the Picture Book Award. A humour-filled tale of small but mighty, its attention to detail impressed the judges.

In a surprising twist, the winner of both the junior and young adult fiction awards were one and the same person. Bren MacDibble’s How to Bee won the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction. The book describes a dystopian future without bees, where children perform the essential task of pollination. The judges said it was a tale to fire young readers with awareness and courage for the future.

MacDibble also claimed the Copyright Licensing Award for Young Adult Fiction with In the Dark Spaces, written under the pseudonym Cally Black. This high-concept science fiction novel was cited as “an impressive tale of world class calibre”.

A graphic novel was judged the most worthy winner of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration. Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts, written and illustrated by Craig Phillips, brings 10 fantastical stories from mythology and fairy tales to life in superb graphic style, providing “a freshness to the familiar, and delight to the previously unknown” with masterful execution.

The judges noted the strong showing of the Best First Book Award finalists this year and commended the debut authors and their publishers for tackling challenging but important issues for teen readers. The winner was My New Zealand Story: Dawn Raid by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith, which although historical in setting, has a message the judges felt to be hugely relevant in today’s geopolitical climate with its debates about immigration.

The Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for the best book in te reo Māori was awarded to Tu Meke Tūī! by Malcolm Clarke, translated by Evelyn Tobin and illustrated by FLOX (aka Hayley King). The panel of judges convened by Te Rōpū Whakahau particularly praised the expertise of translator Evelyn Tobin, who they said captured the breath and spirit of the story skilfully, locating it within a Māori viewpoint.

An integral part of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults is the HELL Reading Challenge, which is reaching record new heights in its fifth year. The programme encourages children to read all the finalists’ titles through their schools or local library and rewards them with free pizza. So far this year, more than 260,000 pizza reading wheels have been distributed to over 600 schools and 194 libraries.

The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a unique celebration of the contribution that New Zealand’s children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. The awards are made possible through the generosity, commitment and vision of funders and sponsors: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, Book Tokens (NZ) Ltd, Copyright Licensing NZ, LIANZA, Wellington City Council, Nielsen Book and Te Papa. They are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust.

The full list of winners for the 2018 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults is:

Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award $7,500

Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story, Written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop of Christchurch (Penguin Random House) 

Picture Book Award $7,500

I Am Jellyfish, Written and illustrated by Ruth Paul, Wellington (Penguin Random House)

Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction $7500

How to Bee, by Bren MacDibble, Australia (Allen & Unwin)

Copyright Licencing Award for Young Adult Fiction $7500

In the Dark Spaces, by Cally Black, Australia (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction $7500

Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story, Written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop, Christchurch (Penguin Random House)

Russell Clark Award for Illustration $7500

Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts Written and illustrated by Craig Phillips, Taupo (Allen & Unwin)

Best First Book Award $2000

My New Zealand Story: Dawn Raid, by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith, Invercargill (Scholastic New Zealand)

Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for the best book in te reo Māori $7500

Tu Meke Tūī!, by Malcolm Clarke, translated Evelyn Tobin, illustrated by FLOX (aka Hayley King), all of Auckland (Mary Egan Publishing)

 

ENDS

 

Photo of Gavin Bishop attached. High res version available for download here.

Photo supplied by NZ Book Awards Trust.

Social Media Links

Website: www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults/

Facebook: /NewZealandCYABookAwards/

Twitter: /nzcya

Hashtag: #NZCYA

For interviews, images and further information please contact:

Gemma Finlay, Notable PR

P: 027 628 9695 E: gemma@notablepr.co.nz

Notes for Editors:

The judges of the 2018 awards are:  Jeannie Skinner (convenor) a facilitator at the National Library of New Zealand; Crissi Blair, a long-time promoter and champion of children’s books; Maureen Crisp, writer and blogger; Darryn Joseph, an academic and author; and Bridget Schaumann, a school librarian.

They were joined by a panel appointed by Te Rōpū Whakahau to judge the te reo Māori entries, which was led by Moana Munro (convenor), kaitiakipukapuka Māori for the Hastings District Libraries, Anahera Morehu, library manager for the Faculty of Arts, Māori and Pasifika Team of Te Tumu Herenga at the University of Auckland, and Jacqueline Joyce Snee, senior librarian Māori Research at Auckland Central Library.

The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand’s children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. Awards are made in seven categories: Young Adult Fiction (the Copyright Licensing NZ Award), Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award), Non-Fiction (the Elsie Locke Award), Picture Book, Illustration (the Russell Clark Award), Te Reo Māori (the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award) and the Best First Book Award. The main category awards carry prize money of $7,500 and the Best First Book winner receives $2,000. The overall prize, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award, carries a further prize of $7,500.

The awards are governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust (a registered charity). Its trustees are Nicola Legat, Karen Ferns, Paula Morris, Catherine Robertson, Rachel Eadie, David Bowles, Pene Walsh and Melanee Winder. The Trust also governs the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day.  www.nzbookawards.nz

The Wright Family Foundation is a not-for-profit registered charitable trust dedicated to making a positive difference by advancing education and spreading knowledge, supporting individuals to achieve their full potential. Its goal is to “grow the good” in New Zealand. Supporting literacy and a passion for words and reading is a key focus of the foundation. Its CEO, Chloe Wright, is Patron of both the Kids’ Lit Quiz and the New Zealand Spelling Bee. By supporting the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, the foundation hopes to champion New Zealand writers who will inspire the imagination of children.  www.wrightfamilyfoundation.org.nz

As the national museum of New Zealand, Te Papa houses many of the nation’s taonga (treasures) reflecting New Zealand’s society and culture through the ages. Renowned for the unique way in which it tell these stories, Te Papa has welcomed more than 30 million visitors since it opened 20 years ago. The museum also connects with people outside the museum through its touring exhibitions, collections online, learning programmes and award-winning books produced by Te Papa Press.  www.tepapa.govt.nz

Creative New Zealand has been a sustaining partner of New Zealand’s book awards for decades. Creative New Zealand encourages, promotes and supports the arts in New Zealand for the benefit of all New Zealanders through funding, capability building, an international programme, and advocacy. It offers financial support for emerging and established artists, art practitioners, groups and organisations, and provides training and online resources to help artists and practitioners develop professionally, grow audiences and markets, and manage their organisations. It also supports internships and national touring to help develop New Zealand arts. Creative New Zealand provides a wide range of support to New Zealand literature, including funding for writers and publishers, residencies, literary festivals and awards, and support of organisations which work to increase the readership and sales of New Zealand literature at home and internationally. www.creativenz.govt.nz/

HELL Pizza was established in 1996 and now has 73 stores throughout New Zealand. HELL has reinforced its commitment to getting more kids hooked on books by sponsoring the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The HELL Reading Challenge, initiated in 2014, continues to grow rapidly. The programme rewards students with a free ‘333 HELLthy pizza’ once they have read seven books and had their achievement approved by a local librarian with a stamp in each segment of their HELL pizza wheel. In 2017, 562 schools and 180 public libraries around New Zealand took part, and 250,000 pizza wheels were distributed, which means that some 1.75 million books were read by Kiwi kids as a result. www.hellpizza.com/nz/

Copyright Licensing Limited (CLNZ) sells licences that make copying, scanning and sharing printed works easy and legal for education providers, businesses and government departments on behalf of publishers and authors. It also advocates and lobbies in the interests of authors and publishers, pays them when their work is copied and takes action on their behalf if their rights are infringed. www.copyright.co.nz/

LIANZA – the association for library and information professionals in New Zealand – introduced the first award for children’s fiction in New Zealand, establishing the Esther Glen in 1945. Awards added over the years included the Russell Clark (the only award specifically for illustrations in children’s books) and Te Kura Pounamu (celebrating Te Reo and introduced in partnership with Te Rōpū Whakahau). In 2015 LIANZA and the New Zealand Book Awards Trust merged the two awards, maintaining the long legacy of the LIANZA Awards. https://lianza.org.nz/

Book Tokens (NZ) Ltd is the company that underwrites the sale of book tokens within New Zealand. It is administered by Booksellers New Zealand. Its tokens are fully guaranteed from financial risk. www.nzbooktokens.co.nz

Nielsen Book is the leading provider of book-related data services to more than 100 countries worldwide. Nielsen collects book information from over 70 countries (including the UK, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa) and works closely with the leading data providers in the US to ensure it has the most consistent and comprehensive global database of title records available. www.nielsenbookdata.co.nz

Wellington City Council‘s arts policy positions the city as a place where both Wellingtonians and visitors are able to actively explore our culture and experiment with their own creativity. It values heritage arts, culture and traditions and focuses on new ways of expressing what is happening now and experiences that result from collaboration, both within the professional arts sector and with communities. The Council believes in the importance of literacy and imagination in the development of New Zealand children, and it supports a wide range of arts for and by children. https://wellington.govt.nz/