Mallinson Rendel Publishers has celebrated Hairy Maclary’s twenty-fifth birthday with the publication of an anniversary edition of Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy.
It’s time we all met. Come and join us for a new series of BPANZ After 5 events.
The first of these will be Tuesday 17 June and throughout the rest of the year BPANZ will be hosting regular sessions on industry-related issues to keep you abreast of new developments and to provide you with insights into different aspects of publishing.
The BPANZ After 5 sessions are open to everyone in the industry. Whether you are new to publishing or an old hand, the BPANZ After 5 events will give you a chance to catch up with the latest industry issues and to meet and network with others.
And we’ve chosen a great bar called Grand Central which isn’t in New York but is New York inspired in Ponsonby! We have a room upstairs and after the event there’s time and space to chat downstairs by the fire.
A Day in the Life of ….. a Publisher, with Sam Elworthy, Lorain Day and Kevin Chapman
Tuesday 17 June, 5.00pm, Grand Central 126 Ponsonby Road (near corner of MacKelvie St just past the Richmond Rd intersection)
Three successful publishers with very different publishing lists give us an insight into their everyday working life. Sam Elworthy is Publishing Director of Auckland University Press, a dynamic and lively scholarly publisher of New Zealand history and biography, Maori and Pacific studies and new poetry; Publishing Manager Lorain Day heads the editorial department at HarperCollins New Zealand, which produces a large range of new books a year covering gardening, social history, biography and autobiography, lifestyle, health and cookery, as well as fiction and children’s books; Kevin Chapman is Publisher for Hachette Livre, whose New Zealand list has a big emphasis on sport and other books with wide popular appeal. Kevin has published many of New Zealand’s top celebrities.
Without giving away their very best secrets, this impressive line-up of publishers will most likely cover some of the following: the author/publisher relationship, strategies for developing a ‘good’ list, NZ vs global publishing, negotiating contracts. This is a fun, informative panel discussion with plenty of opportunity for lively audience participation.
A $10 cash charge is made for each event to cover costs and includes a first drink and nibbles.
Please circulate this notice widely and encourage newcomers to the industry to attend and we look forward to seeing you there.
Multi-award winner of the Book Publishers Association of New Zealand (BPANZ) Review Award, David Eggleton will be a judge of the same award this year.He is joined by academic writer and retired publisher, Elizabeth Caffin in the task of selecting winners for the awards which have two categories: BPANZ Reviewer of the Year and the BPANZ Review Page or Programme of the Year.
Submissions for the two awards close on 2 May.
David Eggleton says The BPANZ Awards are important because they highlight the key role reviewers play within New Zealand’s book culture.
‘By being heard or read in the media, book reviews help connect literature with society. The good reviewer is a passionate advocate who makes you passionate too – for or against, or perhaps undecided but at least strongly aware of a book’s existence.’
As a judge Mr Eggleton says he will be looking for eloquence and honesty, along with an informed independence of mind and an astuteness of perception.
‘I’m looking forward to the task, because I know that we have a whole community of interesting reviewers in this country, drawn from all walks of life.’
Ms Caffin says the lively, intelligent and perceptive feedback that good reviewers provide is essential to authors, publishers, booksellers and above all readers. ‘I’ll be looking for well-written, engaging reviews that describe a book effectively, place it in context and give a clear opinion as to how successful the author has been.’
The BPANZ Review Awards are presented each year in conjunction with the Montana New Zealand Book Awards. They recognise the vital importance of articulate, responsible, informed criticism in maintaining a healthy literary culture.
The BPANZ Reviewer of the Year receives a $1,000 prize. Special acknowledgement will also be made for the best broadcast review, best short print review (under 500 words) and best long print review (over 500 words).
The awards for BPANZ Best Review Page or Programme Award will be made to the publication, website or programme which, in the opinion of the judges, presents the selection of highest quality book reviews in a style that is relevant to their target audience. Special acknowledgement will also be made for the best broadcast review programme, best magazine review pages and best newspaper review pages.The winners of the BPANZ Review Awards will be announced at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards gala dinner on Monday July 21 at the Wellington Town Hall.
The principal sponsors of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards are Montana and Creative New Zealand. The awards are managed by Booksellers New Zealand and supported by Book Publishers Association of New Zealand, the New Zealand Society of Authors and Book Tokens (NZ) Ltd.
For a submission form and conditions of entry to the awards go to http://www.booksellers.co.nz/ or contact the awards administrator Jillian Ewart , jillian.ewart@xtra.co.nz, (09) 476 1145 or 0274866017
BPANZ is delighted to report that NZ Trade & Enterprise will make a financial contribution to the NZ stand at Frankfurt in October this year. As you are aware, funding this year was in doubt, however recent talks have proved fruitful and we are determined to make this year’s stand even better for our exhibitors. We plan two distinct areas on the stand – one for education publishers and the other for trade publishers. We are also the first association in NZ to be approved by Qualmark to use the Fernmark branding so we are certain that our new stand design will attract much attention. The design of the 85 sq metre stand will begin shortly and ideas and thoughts from past and intended exhibitors are most welcome. Please contact Anne de Lautour anne@bpanz.org.nz
A&R Whitcoulls has surprised the industry by pulling out of its bid to buy the Borders bookstore chains in Australia and New Zealand. Its move opens the field up to a fresh round of bidding though Whitcoulls seems to have left the door ajar by saying it “remains open to considering” a further bid.
Meanwhile, it is likely that Paper Plus will dust off its Borders file and look at the purchase again. Paper Plus, as a co-op, might have an advantage in not having to clear the same regulatory hurdles with the competition commissions that complicated the A&R Whitcoulls’ bid. But there is some doubt about whether it would be as simple as that.
It’s not clear why the bid failed, after clearing regulatory hurdles both here and in Australia, but the A&R Whitcoulls statement indicated the deal might have fallen over on price or the structure of the deal with Whitcoulls’ cash-and-shares offer not meeting the seller’s expectations.
Given the £10-20 million price tag on the purchase of Borders’ 70-store UK chain back in September, the A$100 million figure talked about for the Downunder stores might have been a bit rich. If the UK buyer, private equity firm Risk Capital Partners, is happy with its purchase, perhaps we’ll see them taking a look at the stores in this part of the world now.
People come and go in our lives and each has a different significance for us. I cannot allow Richard’s sad departure to pass without my personal acknowledgement. Richard stands, with few others, in having inspired and trained me in the craft of books.
When I founded Egan-Reid Ltd over 20 years ago, only Ros Elworthy (later of Shoal Bay Press) had preceded me in the then-new field of digital typesetting of books. There was much to learn and no one to learn it from. So it was a relief and joy when Penguin Books introduced me to Richard King.
Back in those days design and typesetting were supplied separately.
Richard, with his marvellous eye and sense of balance of a page, had already created a name for himself as a, possibly “the’, superior book designer in New Zealand. His knowledge of type seemed limitless to me. His understanding that, without robust knowledge of typography all design is destined to fail, meant that he was able to make of the most straightforward page a thing of beauty.
Richard took me under his wing. He kindly and patiently explained what his eye saw. He showed me how changes of leading as subtle as fractions of a point could make the world of difference. He tutored me in understanding how for every font at every size there is a perfect measure. Balancing margins, spacing captions, the use of ligatures – I learned all these from Richard. And he nurtured my own enthusiasm and excitement about type. Richard seemed to genuinely rejoice in my growing maturity as an independent designer.
So, to you Richard, a big thank you. I think of you every time I am training one of our staff. Or when we open a bottle of fine whisky.
Your legacy lives on in every design that comes out of Pindar NZ.
Mary Egan
It is with the greatest sadness that we advise that Richard King, Managing Editor of Canterbury University Press, died suddenly, this week at home.
Many of you will know first-hand what a knowledgeable and skilful editor Richard was. He was also a delightful friend and colleague – caring, generous and kind. We will miss him hugely. CUP and its authors are immensely proud of the beautiful books he produced, and the dedication with which he managed the Press.
Our thoughts are with his partner Gillian, his sons Milanyin and Benedict, his daughters Anna and Tessa, his brother Tim, and their families. We will post the details for Richard’s funeral on the CUP website when they are to hand.
Jeff Field, Kaye Godfrey & Rachel Scott,
Canterbury University Press.
BPANZ member Forrester Books announced this week that they have gone into liquidation. Eight full-time staff were employed at Forrester Books, and three independent contractors. Forrester Books, an Auckland company, has been in business since 1953. First owned by Lothian Books Australia, it was in 1991 purchased by David Forrester, who has managed it since 1969. David Forrester reports that there are only about 10 or 15 publishers they distributed for, and all should be able to find other distributors. “They’re not going to be dead and buried, they’ll lose a little bit but they’ll certainly continue — all of them.” Callum MacDonald, from liquidating company Buchanan MacDonald, said he had spoken with the publishers over the past two days. Most had already managed to arrange alternative arrangements, he said.
Geneva, 6 March 2008
The International Publishers Association condemns the calls for a boycott of this year’s Salon du Livre in Paris.
IPA President, Ana Maria Cabanellas, and the Chair of IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee, Bjørn Smith-Simonsen, issue the following statement:
“It is with great sadness that we have noted the calls to boycott the Salon du Livre in Paris on the grounds that Israeli literature has been invited as this year’s guest of honour.
We note that the Salon is a privately organised event, owned by the French publishers association, SNE. The invitation of Israeli literature must not be misinterpreted as support for Israeli domestic or foreign policy, either by the host or by the participating authors and publishers.
IPA fights for open and peaceful dialogue through literature and books. International book fairs are important for a for cultural and political exchange. Individual publishers and their authors must be allowed to make a free choice as to the context in which their works should be represented.
IPA therefore appeals to its members to oppose any call for the boycott of any book fair because they disagree with a chosen guest of honour.
I look forward to an open and peaceful dialogue among writers and publishers from around the world at the 2008 Salon du Livre in Paris (14-19 March 2008)”.
Ana Maria Cabanellas
IPA President
Bjørn Smith-Simonsen
Chair
IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee
International Publishers Association
www.internationalpublishers.org
The BPANZ Book Design Awards in association with Spectrum Print and the New Zealand Listener, have been developed by the Book Publishers Association of New Zealand to promote excellence in and provide recognition for the best book design in New Zealand.
Three judges have been chosen to assess the design qualities of books published in New Zealand over the past year.
We are pleased to advise that Guy Somerset will be the convening judge for 2008.
Guy is currently Arts and Books Editor for the New Zealand Listener having previously been with The Dominion Post in Wellington, where he won Qantas and Montana awards for his book pages. Before that, he was deputy arts and entertainment editor of Metro newspaper in London. Later this month, Guy will be taking over Denis Welch’s popular Culture Vulture column on The New Zealand Listener and New Zealand Herald websites.
Guy will be joined on the judging panel by Michael McHugh and Mark Fry.
Michael McHugh has been involved with magazine publishing for many years resulting in numerous awards for his contribution. Michael attended Stanford University in America, spent time in the UK as a magazine designer and then returned to NZ becoming Publishing Director for ACP in 1997 before heading to Australia. Michael has returned to NZ to launch an integrated monthly magazine / online product.
Mark Fry is well known in the bookselling arena and is currently the book buyer for award winning retailer Dymocks Booksellers in Wellington. Mark has recently celebrated 20 years in the book trade, starting with Whitcoulls and then joining David Bateman in the sales area. Mark has been with Dymocks for the last ten years so is well acquainted with the different aspects of book design and the impact that they have on the consumer.
Entries for the awards close on 31 March 2008 and books must have been published in 2007 to qualify for entry.
A shortlist will be announced in June 2008 and the winners will be announced at the Booksellers NZ industry awards dinner on Sunday 20 July 2008.
Tony Fisk
President, BPANZ
