Support NZBC

Booknotes promo Oct2010

A stellar line-up including a dame, a leading actor and an award-winning writer will tell their Christmas tales at the Book Council’s True Stories Told Live fundraiser event in Wellington.

The Book Council’s True Stories Told Live events have been exhilarating and entertaining sell-out audiences for the past two years. Now, Christmas and book lovers can rejoice as the first-ever Christmas True Stories event kicks off the literary festive season on December 8.

Dame Fiona Kidman, Miranda Harcourt, Fleur Beale, Catherine Robertson, Fifi Colston and two other special guests will have ten minutes each to speak on the theme ‘Twas the Night before Christmas. No notes. No readings. No questions. Just true stories that promise to inspire, entrance and entertain.

'At True Stories Told Live, the story must have a beginning, middle and an end, and it must be true, but that’s all’, says the Book Council’s Susanna Andrew.

Andrew says that past True Stories events prove that something happens in the exchange of a story. ‘What makes these events so special is not just the confessional quality of the performance. It's also the suspension of judgement that's required, a critical faculty we would normally employ, consciously or not, when we embark on a novel, start a film, or sit down in the theatre.’

Book Council CEO Noel Murphy says he is excited to have some of the biggest names in New Zealand come out to raise money for Writers in Schools. ‘From the Nativity Story to A Christmas Carol, Christmas is a time that brings out the best in storytellers. We are looking forward to hearing the Christmas tales of our varied storytellers.’

The event at Meow Café on Edward St will raise funds for the Book Council’s Writers in Schools programme, which has been bringing books, authors and children together since 1973. Come along and have a drink with us and listen to our storytellers while helping us to create happy young readers.

END

True Stories Told Live – ‘Twas the Night before Christmas
Where: Meow Café, 9 Edward St, Wellington
When: DECEMBER 8th, Starts 6.15pm (parking on Victoria St is free after 6pm!)
Tickets: $20.00 or $15.00 for NZBC members, on the door or online here

For all media and further information please contact:
Sarah Forster or Noel Murphy
education@bookcouncil.org.nz or noel@bookcouncil.org.nz
PH: 04 801 5546

Images: Elizabeth Knox waxes lyrical at the last Wellington True Stories event, and the audience watches in quiet awe. Both copyright Alan Knowles

Further Information

Storytellers

Dame Fiona Kidman is a leading New Zealand novelist. She has won numerous awards and been the recipient of fellowships, grants and other significant honours, as well as being a consistent advocate for New Zealand writers and literature. She is the President of Honour for the New Zealand Book Council, and has been awarded an OBE and a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to literature.

Miranda Harcourt is a well-known theatre and screen actor, director and acting coach. She has appeared in Gloss, Topless Women Talk about Their Lives and Toi Whakaari’s behind the scenes TV series Tough Act. In 2002 Harcourt was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for her services to the theatre and the community.

Fleur Beale is an award-winning children and young adult writer of more than thirty books. She most recently won the 2011 New Zealand Post Children’s Young Adult Book award for Fierce September.

Catherine Robinson’s debut chick-lit novel, The Sweet Second Life of Darrell Kincaid, topped the New Zealand Bestsellers list. Kerry Woodham reviewed Darrell Kincaid on TVNZ’s Good Morning as ‘better than Marian Keyes’.

Fifi Colston has illustrated over twenty-five books, and is the author of three junior fiction novels. She is also a poet, TV presenter and occasional columnist. She currently presents the arts and crafts section on TVNZ’s Good Morning.
 

The Book Council invites you to this year’s Book Council AGM. The event will be held at the Book Council’s offices on the 12th December at 1pm. The Book Council’s Annual Report for the year 2010 and the minutes of last year’s AGM can be found here. The AGM agenda is detailed below. If you are able to attend please RSVP to reception@bookcouncil.org.nz by the 8th December 2011.

Please join us as we talk about our future plans and creativity in New Zealand.


Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Book Council 2011

The New Zealand Book Council, Level 4 Stephenson and Turner House, 156 Victoria Street Wellington

Monday 12th December 2011, 1pm

Chair of the New Zealand Book Council, Peter Biggs presiding

Agenda

1. Welcome and thanks

2. Apologies

3. Confirmation of Minutes of the 2010 AGM

4. Matters Arising

5. Receive 2010 Annual Report

6. Appointment of Book Council Auditors – Appointment Pending

7. Election of New Zealand Book Council board members:

Retirement of members of Board – Sandra Noakes

Members standing for re-election in accordance with rule 8b

• Peter Quin

• Geoff Davenport

New members of Board to be elected:

• Liz Knowles

• Paul Diamond

• Tony Fisk

8. General Business


-----------

The New Zealand Book Council receives core funding from Creative New Zealand. We are extremely grateful to our funding partners, who enable us to deliver our programmes. We also value our members, whosupport our work in schools and communities throughout New Zealand.

Auckland's next True Stories Told Live event promises to rivet, inspire and delight all who come along on Sunday 20 March. Seven talented and entertaining speakers will tell their true stories at this Book Council event inspired by the brilliant William Brandt book The Book of the Film of the Story of My Life. The theme for the evening will be a slight twist on this: 'The story of the book of the film of the book of my life'. The speakers are Ian Wedde, Scott Hamilton, Linn Lorkin, Sarah Laing, Anne Kennedy, John Adams, and Fiona Edgar. This event is proudly part of New Zealand Book Month.

Internationally, live storytelling events are thriving, especially in the US and UK. Trademarked storytelling organizations such as The Moth or The Scoop have been selling out within 48 hours and creating the sort of buzz that rock concerts are usually famous for. It’s the compression, the construction and the sheer originality of each person’s retelling that makes being in the audience so fascinating. The length, for one, is too short to be boring and yet long enough for plot, pace, adventure and humour to sneak in.

‘True Stories Told Live. Amazing to be in presence of people remembering, shaping stories in the moment. Funny, awkward, moving, beautiful ...’ - as tweeted by Emily Perkins

All profits will be donated to Christchurch.

Event Details: True Stories Told Live: March 20, from 7pm at Tapac, 100-102 Motions Road, Western Springs, Auckland. Tickets: $10.00. Door sales unless sold out prior. For all media and further information, please contact Susanna Andrew: communications@bookcouncil.org.nz or 0211518826.

Filmmaker Vincent Ward, photographer Patrick Reynolds, and choreographer Felicity Molloy are part of the stellar lineup at the Book Council’s next True Stories Told Live event.

Seven erudite and entertaining talents will share true stories with a live audience at TAPAC Western Springs on November 27. They will speak for ten minutes each on the theme of ‘Blood is thicker than water’; the only requirement is that each story must have a beginning, middle, and an end.

Now also a hugely successful and regular feature of the Book Council’s Auckland calendar, live storytelling events are thriving internationally.

Trademarked storytelling events such as The Moth in New York or those at The Scoop in London have been selling out within 48 hours and creating the sort of buzz that rock concerts are usually famous for.

The Book Council’s True Stories Told Live has seen personal events and hilarious recounts, prose poems and a photo essay. People from all walks of life come to distil an anecdote into a story. The length is too short to be boring and yet long enough for plot, pace, adventure and humour to captivate the listener.

The Book Council and Unity Books have put together another supreme line-up for the November 27 event, so come along and enjoy a surprising, entrancing and entertaining night of True Stories Told Live.

‘True Stories Told Live. Amazing to be in presence of people remembering, shaping stories in the moment. Funny, awkward, moving, beautiful ...’ - as tweeted by Emily Perkins

True Stories Told Live
Where: TAPAC, Motions Road, Western Springs
When: November 27, Bar Open 7.00pm
Starts: 7.30pm
Tickets: $10.00
www.tapac.org.nz
Doors sales unless sold out prior


For all media and further information
Please contact:
Susanna Andrew
susanna@bookcouncil.org.nz or 0211518826
NZ Book Council

Award-winning novelist Lloyd Jones will be in conversation with Radio New Zealand National host Lynn Freeman at the New Zealand Book Council’s next Meet the Author event in Wellington. This is a rare opportunity to hear Lloyd Jones discuss his writing, and to celebrate the release of his novel Hand Me Down World. This will be Lloyd Jones' only public appearance in Wellington to launch Hand Me Down World, and there will be time for questions and an opportunity to get your copy personally signed following the talk.

Hand Me Down World

'A woman washes ashore in Sicily. She has come from north Africa to find her son, taken from her when he was just days old by his father and stolen away to Berlin. With nothing but her maid's uniform and a knife stashed in a plastic bag, she relies on strangers— some generous, some exploiting—to guide her passage north. These strangers tell of their encounters with a quiet, mysterious woman in a blue coat—each account a different view of the truth, a different truth. And slowly these fragments of a life piece together to create a spellbinding story of the courage of a mother and the versions of truth we create to accommodate our lives.

'Haunting and beautiful, Hand Me Down World is simply unforgettable.'

Lloyd Jones' first collection of short stories was published in 1991, and he has also written books for children. His bestselling novel Mister Pip won several illustrious prizes and awards including the 2007 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book Award and the 2007 Montana Medal for fiction. It was also shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize. He has written a number of novels, and has also worked as a journalist and consultant. Jones’ writing is known to subvert the norms of fiction, and his narratives are challenging, original, and in some cases controversial.

Hand Me Down World will be available for sale at this special Meet the Author event. For more information about Lloyd Jones and his work visit his Book Council Writers File.

Event Details: Lloyd Jones in conversation with Lynn Freeman, 6.00pm 11th November, Caffe L'affare, 27 College St, Te Aro, Wellington. Tickets are available from the Information Desk at Wellington Central Library or on the door on the night (if event is not sold out prior). For more information please contact the Book Council: Phone: +64 4 499 1569; Fax: +64 4 499 1424, or Email: admin@bookcouncil.org.nz.

One of New Zealand’s most prolific and beloved children’s writers will be in conversation with Radio New Zealand National host Lynn Freeman at the New Zealand Book Council’s next Meet the Author event in Wellington. Joy Cowley is the author of more than 600 books for children and she tells her own story in two new books being published in October:

Navigation: A Memoir

'From her childhood in 1940s Foxton, to family life, marriages and international fame as a writer, Joy takes us on a candidly told and often surprising journey. She touches down constantly at her retreat centre in the Marlborough Sounds, where she writes passionately about the seasons and the natural world.

'Warm sensitive and peppered with Joy's irrepressible love of life, Navigation is a relaxed and beautifully written memoir.'

Writing from the Heart: How to Write for Children

'In this simply written yet profoundly insightful manual, Joy distils her many years of experience for the benefit of anyone engaging in writing for young people. With her renowned grace and wisdom, she explores topics from developing a plot, dialogue, writers' discipline, humour and early reading to novels, picture books, plays, poetry, presentation and editing.'

These books will be available for sale at this celebration of Joy Cowley and her work. For more information about Joy Cowley and her work visit her Book Council Writers File.

Event Details: Joy Cowley in conversation with Lynn Freeman, 6.00-7.00pm 13th October 2010 at Caffe L'affare, 27 College St, Te Aro, Wellington. Tickets: $20 and $15 for NZ Book Council members (the ticket price includes a glass of wine). Tickets are available from the Information Desk at Wellington Central Library or on the door on the night (if event is not sold out prior). For more information please phone 04 499 1569

New Zealand literary voice offered to international publishers for translation.

Creative New Zealand will support the translation of New Zealand literature into foreign languages with a new Translation Grant Scheme announced on the 30th of September.

The new scheme was developed in response to 2009 research by the New Zealand Book Council which found that the leading international models for promoting a country’s literature focused on a translation grant scheme.

Administered by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) the scheme will contribute up to 50 percent of the translation cost per title, to a maximum $5000. It was developed after further consultation with the Book Council, PANZ, publishers, overseas funders and members of the literary community.

Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright said the Translation Grant Scheme would be important to bringing New Zealand’s unique literary voice to overseas markets.

“We are increasing our efforts to promote New Zealand literature internationally and this is one of a number of funding initiatives which will support our best writers to achieve maximum exposure. Connections made with international publishers will help grow the international market for, and profile of, New Zealand literature.”

The Translation Grant Scheme will be announced at the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair in October. An online application process and the quarterly 2011 deadlines can be found at the PANZ website: http://bpanz.org.nz/

The scheme builds on, and links to, the Creative New Zealand’s support for New Zealand writers to take part in international literary fairs. PANZ, funded by Creative New Zealand, coordinates a New Zealand delegation to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair each year. In 2010 this funding will assist four publishers to exhibit at the New Zealand stand. To find out more about the fair and who is going go to http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/international/nz_at_frankfurt_book_fair

There are a number of international literature initiatives funded by Creative New Zealand listed below:

• writers grants to attend international festivals (administered by the New Zealand Book Council)
• Te Mana Ka Tau, the annual incoming visitors programme for international publishers
• support for New Zealand publishers to participate in the Australia Council’s annual Visiting International Publishers programme.
• Translation grants via literature contestable funding applications

Criteria and grant levels for the Translation Grant Scheme

• Applications will be assessed by a five-person panel that will include representatives of New Zealand Book Council, NZ Centre for Literary Translation, PANZ and Creative New Zealand.
• Grants awarded will contribute up to 50 percent of the translation cost to a maximum of NZ$5,000 per title.
• International Publishers can apply online at www.publishers.org.nz
• 2011 applications deadlines:

1 November 2010
1 February 2011
1 May 2011
1 August 2011
1 November 2011

For more information go to our website http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/international/new_zealand_literature

For more information please contact:
Hannah Evans
Media Advisor
Creative New Zealand
04 498 0725
027 677 8070

The New Zealand Book Council, the Auckland Museum and Unity Books have gathered a talented, literate and entertaining bunch of people to raise money for the Christchurch Red Cross Appeal.

Oscar Kightley, Emily Perkins, Don McGlashan, Eve De Castro-Robinson, Steve Braunias, Arthur Meek, Noelle McCarthy, Simon Wilson, Marti Friedlander, Hamish Keith, Russell Brown, Leanne Pooley will all tell a true story on the night of September 30 on the theme of SURVIVAL.

Internationally, live storytelling events are the hot new literary ticket, especially in the US and UK. Trademarked storytelling organizations such as The Moth or The Scoop have been selling out within 48 hours and creating the sort of buzz that rock concerts are usually famous for.

The Book Council has brought live storytelling to Auckland this year with its hugely popular True Stories Told Live events. Seven ordinary folk with extraordinary stories deftly weave together life, truth, reality and a creative approach to fact.

Now, rallied by the Christchurch earthquake, seven of New Zealand’s leading arts and media talents will gather for what is expected to be the biggest True Stories event so far.

At True Stories Told Live, the story must have a beginning, middle and an end and it must be true, says Book Council Communications Manager Susanna Andrew.

“Although therein lies the debate. Where in storytelling does non-fiction stop and fiction start?

“It’s the compression, the construction and the sheer originality of each person’s retelling that makes being in the audience so fascinating,” she says.

“The length, for one, is too short to be boring and yet long enough for plot, pace, adventure and humour to sneak in and light up the threads, the contradictions and the beauty of the life story.”

Writer Emily Perkins, who is part of next week’s line up, is already a fan.

'True Stories Told Live. Amazing to be in presence of people remembering, shaping stories in the moment. Funny, awkward, moving, beautiful . . . ' she tweets.

True Stories Told Live
Where : Auckland Museum
When: September 30 bar open at 7pm
Starts 7.30pm
Tickets: www.aucklandmuseum.com $25.00
Doors sales unless sold out prior
For all media and further information
Please contact
Susanna Andrew
communications@bookcouncil.org.nz or 0211518826
NZ Book Council

We are pleased to announce that Simon Winchester, the great master of narrative non-fiction, will be in-store at Unity Auckland and Unity Wellington this Friday.

Simon Winchester will be at Unity Auckland from 12.30-1.30pm and Unity Wellington from 6.00pm on Friday 10 September. New Zealand Book Council Chief Executive Noel Murphy is pleased to be introducing Simon at the Wellington event. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to The Press Christchurch Writers Festival to help cover some of the costs incurred due to its cancellation because of the Christchurch earthquake.

Simon Winchester's new book, Atlantic: A Vast Ocean of a Million Stories, tells the epic life story of the Atlantic Ocean. At the core of the book is the story of mankind’s complex relationship with this immense sea, which stretches for 9,000 miles from pole to pole. The Atlantic has profoundly influenced the lives of those who have lived along its shores, from hard-scrabble pioneers in windswept locations such as the Aran Islands and Newfoundland, to the inhabitants of the great port cities of Lisbon, Rio, London and New York.

Come and meet Simon Winchester and show your support for The Press Christchurch Writers Festival.

Meet Simon Winchester - Unity Auckland

Event details:
Simon Winchester - Unity Auckland: 12.30pm - 1.30pm Friday 10 September. Venue: Unity Auckland, 19 High St, Auckland CBD. For more information please ph (09) 307 0731, or visit the Unity Books website.

Meet Simon Winchester - Unity Wellington

Event details:
Simon Winchester - Unity Wellington: 6.00pm Friday 10 September, introduced by Noel Murphy, Chief Executive of NZ Book Council. Venue: Unity Wellington, 57 Willis Street, Wellington. For more information please ph (04) 499 4245 or visit the Unity Books website.

Note: Simon Winchester will also be in-store at Dymocks Newmarket, 255 Broadway, Newmarket, from 5.30pm, Thursday 9 September.

Three discerning young readers will have their book reviews published to teachers nationwide, as winners of a new Book Council competition for children.

The winners of the first New Zealand Book Council review competition, sponsored by Scholastic NZ, are Emily Parker (7) from Greenhithe School, Rhea duFresne-Mann (12) from Waimea Intermediate in Nelson, and Phoebe Fordyce (13) from Ruawai College in Northland.

Each student has won a large selection of recent Scholastic titles, along with the honour of seeing their reviews in print in the October edition of Book Council review publication for teachers, The School Library, and online on the New Zealand Book Council website.

The prize of New Zealand books and a 2011 membership of the New Zealand Book Council for the school who encouraged the most students to enter were awarded to Greenhithe School in Auckland.

Judge Nyssa Brown says:
‘It was exciting to see so many young people writing so passionately about their favourite books. The stand out reviews were those that probed further into the themes underlying the book, rather than simply providing a summary of the plot.’

Scholastic NZ is providing sponsorship to allow this competition to be run continuously, with the aim of encouraging more young people to read and review books.

The next closing date for review entries is Friday 29 October. If you are a teacher, parent, or student, and are interested in entering the awards, please see www.bookcouncil.org.nz for more information.

/ENDS

Get your students to review their favourite books to be on the New Zealand Book Council website and win great prizes from Scholastic!

Your school and students will each be in to win a fantastic prize pack of books from Scholastic NZ every two months, with the first selections to be made on Friday 27 August – this date has been extended due to low entries.

The best reviewer aged between 5-7 years, 8–12 years, and 13+ will each receive a pack of books courtesy of Scholastic NZ. These reviews will also be published in The School Library, the Book Council’s reviews publication sent to member schools.

The top three students from each age group who submit reviews for the website will also be rewarded. Their reviews will be published on the Book Council site in the ‘Your Reviews’ section of the Kids’ Education site. (http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Education/Shiny-and-New/Reviews-by-Children.htm)

The school that encourages the largest number of entries from their students in relation to its size will receive a pack of new release Scholastic NZ books for their library. Schools do not need to be a member of the Book Council to enter.

To submit a review or three and be in to win these fantastic books, simply email Sarah at education@bookcouncil.org.nz with your entries, each attached to the entry form attached, as a word or PDF document. There is a word limit of 200 words for all entries.

/ENDS
For further information please contact Sarah Forster, Education Manager, education@bookcouncil.org.nz, ph:(04)499 1569, fax:(04)499 1424

The titles that the Book Council will give away courtesy of Scholastic NZ are:

For 5 – 7 year olds
Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig by Diana Nield, illustrated by Philip Webb
Hester's Blister by Chris Gurney and Sarah N Anderson
Finnigan & the Pirates by Sherryl Jordan
Denzil: The Wednesday Wizard by Sherryl Jordan
The Mad Tadpole Adventure by Melanie Drewery, illustrated by Jenny Cooper

For 8 – 12 year olds
A Crack in the Sky by Kyle Mewburn
Jonty and Choc by Vince Ford
Viola Vincent Reporting by Anna Kenna
Salt River by Elizabeth Hegarty
Conspiracy 365 January by Gabrielle Lord

For teen readers
The Chronicles of Stone: Scorched Bone by Vincent Ford
The Chronicles of Stone: Set in Stone by Vincent Ford
The Chronicles of Stone: Tribal Ash by Vincent Ford
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Rocco by Sherryl Jordan

For schools
Hester's Blister by Chris Gurney and Sarah N Anderson
Finnigan & the Pirates by Sherryl Jordan
The Mad Tadpole Adventure by Melanie Drewery and Jenny Cooper
Denzil: The Wednesday Wizard by Sherryl Jordan
A Crack in the Sky by Kyle Mewburn
Jonty and Choc by Vince Ford
Viola Vincent Reporting by Anna Kenna
Salt River by Elizabeth Hegarty

Poetry lovers in Winton and Te Anau will be among the first to hear new work from Poet Laureate Cilla McQueen when she visits next month.

McQueen will be performing at public library events in Winton and Te Anau on August 10 and 11. She will read a selection of her earlier work as well as poetry which will appear in her forthcoming new collection, her first since being named Laureate last year.

The Bluff poet says she particularly enjoys reading to Southland audiences.

“We have in common the beautiful landscape and history that surrounds and nurtures us all. They’ll know what I mean when I speak of landscape features, weather, or a Southern way of thought.”

Cilla McQueen will also visit Central Southland College and Fiordland College during her tour of the region.

“I always enjoy visiting schools and hope to be able to share some of the students’ poetry as well as discussing my own.”

Cilla McQueen was appointed National Library New Zealand Poet Laureate in July last year and will hold the post for two years. She has published ten collections of poetry and is included in most New Zealand poetry anthologies. Her many awards include three New Zealand Book Awards, a Fulbright Visiting Writer’s Fellowship, and two Burns Fellowships at Otago University.

McQueen was born in Birmingham in 1949 and moved to New Zealand as a child. Although she has lived for much of her life in and around Dunedin, for the last 13 years she has lived in Bluff. Of Southland, she says:

“I love the space and freedom, both physical and mental, which allows my work to develop naturally, without excessive ‘mainstream’ influence.”

Details of Cilla McQueen’s public events are:

Winton
Winton Public Library
11 Wemyss Street, 10.30am

Te Anau
Te Anau Library
Town Centre, 7.30pm

For further information, please contact:
Sarah Forster
New Zealand Book Council
04 499 1569
events@bookcouncil.org.nz

New Zealand Book Council members are invited to this year’s Annual General Meeting, to be held at Toi Poneke, The Wellington Arts Centre, 61 Abel Smith Street on Friday 23rd July at 12.30pm. Click through for full details of the agenda, the 2009 AGM minutes and our extended annual report.

The AGM will be followed by a welcome for our new chair Peter Biggs. Over coffee and lunch Peter will talk about the Book Council’s future plans and creativity in New Zealand.

Members who would like to attend can send an RSVP to reception@bookcouncil.org.nz or telephone on 04 499 1569 by Wednesday 21st July.

A New Zealand Book Council short film promoting books and reading has won two awards at the world’s most prestigious advertising awards at Cannes.

The animation, which uses an excerpt from Maurice Gee’s novel Going West, last week won two Film Craft Lions awards for ad agency Colenso BBDO at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival (www.canneslions.com).

Launched last November, the Going West film quickly became a YouTube hit and reached the worldwide top 10 in the viral video charts. It was viewed online more than 811,000 times, inspired more than 3400 tweets on Twitter or blog posts worldwide, and reached number 8 in the Viral Video Chart compiled by Unruly Media (http://vvc-origin.unrulymedia.com).

It has won several awards in addition to the Cannes Lions, including two New Zealand Axis Gold awards (www.caanz.co.nz), and an international animation prize awarded by New York’s Museum of Art and Design (www.movingpaper.org). Earlier this month it also reached the shortlist of another international award, the “Pencil” award for animation at the D&AD creative awards in London (http://awards.dandad.org/2010/categories).

The two-minute Going West film was produced for the Book Council by Colenso BBDO Auckland, who worked with Andersen M Studios in London to develop a concept that would show Gee’s classic New Zealand novel coming to life through hand cut ‘pop up’ scenery springing up from the pages.

The result of eight months of hard work and intricate hand paper cutting can be viewed on YouTube at http://bit.ly/k0lQE or on the Book Council website at www.bookcouncil.org.nz (www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Readers/Introduction/Information).

Book Council chief executive Noel Murphy says the aim of the film is to excite people about books and reading.

“The idea that lies at the centre of this project is that reading is an activity that surprises, delights, challenges and ignites the imagination,” he says.

“We wanted to grab people’s attention for just one moment in the hurly burly world of modern media and direct them to the adventure that can be had in one’s own head at the flick of a page. Colenso and the Andersen M Studios created something that achieved that and more by literally bringing the book itself to life. “

Get your kids to review their favourite books to be on the New Zealand Book Council website and win great prizes from Scholastic!

Top reviewers and their schools will each be in to win a fantastic prize pack of books from Scholastic NZ every two months, with the first selections to be made on Friday 30 July.

The best reviewer aged between 5-7 years, 8–12 years, and 13+ will each receive a pack of books courtesy of Scholastic NZ. These reviews will also be published in The School Library, the Book Council’s reviews publication sent to member schools.

The top three students from each age group who submit reviews for the website will also be rewarded. Their reviews will be published on the Book Council site in the ‘Your Reviews’ section of the Kids’ Education site.

The school that encourages the largest number of entries from their students in relation to its size will receive a pack of new release Scholastic NZ books for their library.

To submit a review or three and be in to win these fantastic books, simply email Sarah at education@bookcouncil.org.nz with your entries, including the name and age of the author, and name of the school in the top right-hand corner of the word or PDF document.

/ENDS

For further information please contact Sarah Forster, Education Manager, education@bookcouncil.org.nz, ph; (04) 499 1569, fax: (04) 499 1424

Following on from the hugely successful Pecha Kucha night in Auckland earlier this year, the New Zealand Book Council presents another sideways take on storytelling.

Seven people from different professional backgrounds come together next Sunday night April 18th at TAPAC theatre in Western Springs. Guest speakers include bFM radio DJ Simon Miller, actress Sylvia Rands, actor Bruce Hopkins, funeral celebrant Chris Foote, spatial designer Emily O’Hara, burlesque dancer Lara Fischel-Chisholm, and a surprise guest.

Each guest will speak for around 10 minutes, telling a story about something close to their hearts. Unrehearsed and live, the event is something never done before, and offers people a fresh way to enjoy storytelling.

Susanna Andrew says, ‘We will be flying by the seat of our pants in a way, but TAPAC is a great venue. We want to achieve a salon-type atmosphere where people with a love of books, writing, and reading can get together.’

Audience members at Writers and Readers events often ask, “Where do you get your ideas for stories from?”, but as Lee Childs said on his recent visit, "There is no shortage of material for stories - one only needs to look around at daily life. It’s deciding what to choose that is the problem.”

Event Details:
True Stories Told Live
Sunday 18 April, 7.00 – 8.30pm
TAPAC, Motions Road, Western Springs, Auckland
Tickets $10.00, Door Sales only

A New Zealand Book Council short film promoting books and reading has won an international prize for paper cut animation awarded by New York’s Museum of Art and Design.

The animation, which uses an excerpt from Maurice Gee’s novel Going West, won the Museum's Choice grand prize award at Moving Paper, an international film festival of cut paper animation being held at the museum this month (www.movingpaper.org).

The judges commented: “Your piece is truly exceptional, and the decision to award it the grand prize was unanimous among our judges.”

Launched last November, the Going West film quickly became a YouTube hit and reached the worldwide top 10 in the viral video charts. It was viewed online more than 725,000 times, inspired more than 3400 tweets on Twitter or blog posts worldwide, and reached number 8 in the Viral Video Chart compiled by Unruly Media (http://vvc-origin.unrulymedia.com).

The two-minute film was produced for the Book Council by Colenso BBDO, who worked with Andersen M Studios in London to develop a concept that would show Gee’s classic New Zealand novel coming to life through hand cut ‘pop up’ scenery springing up from the pages.

The result of eight months of hard work and intricate hand paper cutting can be viewed on YouTube at http://bit.ly/k0lQE or on the Book Council's website at www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Readers/Introduction/Information.

Book Council chief executive Noel Murphy says the aim of the film is to excite people about books and reading.

“The idea that lies at the centre of this project is that reading is an activity that surprises, delights, challenges and ignites the imagination,” he says.

“We wanted to grab people’s attention for just one moment in the hurly burly world of modern media and direct them to the adventure that can be had in one’s own head at the flick of a page. Colenso and the Andersen M Studios created something that achieved that and more by literally bringing the book itself to life. “

In collaboration with the New Zealand Book Council:

PKN_AKL_16 // tomorrow, thursday 11 february 2010 // galatos // 17 galatos street, off k-road, city // start 8.20pm, doors open from 7.30pm // $9 cash, doorsales only // come early, there are limited seats

Started in Tokyo by Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham Architects, Pecha Kucha was conceived as a place for young designers to meet, network and show their work in public. It has gone global, now running in more than 270 cities around the world.

Each Pecha Kucha speaker is only allowed to present 20 images; each shown for 20 seconds, resulting in 6 minute and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter's up. Presenters at PKN_AKL_16 include:

Dylan Horrocks // cartoonist // burning comics

Keely O'Shannessy // artist and designer // the cover as canvas: making art and designing books

Marie Shannon // artist // the cardboard footprint

Kathryn Burnett // TV3 writer/script advisor // writing for television

Sarah Maxey // evolution of the hand lettering artist

Paula Green // poet/ children's writer // words for children

Renee Liang // poet // a writer's toolbox

Emily Perkins // writer // trying to eat a book

Simon Oosterdijk and Markus Hofko // publisher // about pie paper

Lily Richards // Unity Books Auckland, Brand Manager // judge everything by its cover: the art of Unity Books' aesthetic

Louise Lever // research tutor // the links between Judith Butler's ideas on performativity and feminine sexuality and the work of Rebecca Swan

Louise Tu'u // We Should Practice // To Fergusson with Love

Hilary Beaton // Director Downstage Theatre // some thoughts on theatre and current practice

This Friday, Waitara hosts the first in a series of events by five of New Zealand’s top writers, who are hitting the region as part of the New Zealand Book Council’s annual Words on Wheels programme.

There are two local writers on the bus this year – teen writer David Hill, and non-fiction writer Janet Hunt. The tour will also include fiction and scriptwriter Duncan Sarkies, script and playwriter Briar Grace-Smith, and poet and novelist Alison Wong. The tour includes two events in New Plymouth, and one in each of Waitara, Inglewood, Stratford, Eltham, Hawera, Waverley, and Opunake from 12-18 February, appearing at schools, libraries, educational institutes and other local venues across the region.

This is a special tour for environmental writer and biographer Janet Hunt, who has just returned to live in Taranaki after a 40-year hiatus. She says:

‘For me, Taranaki means the mountain — as a child growing up at its foot, it was the giant shape filling the sky above the top paddock and even now it defines all: the many moods of the weather, the landscape with its bush, birds, streams, rivers, wetlands and black-sand coastline.’

Teen writer David Hill has lived in Taranaki for many years now, and he likes ‘the way you've got such a wide cross-section in such a compact space.

‘There's all the material a writer could wish for in this province, and only half the distance and expense in finding it.’

Paekakariki-based writer Briar Grace-Smith has strong family ties with the region:

‘The mountain pulls people together. When I go to Taranaki I meet old friends, or new friends that know old friends. Sometimes a cousin or two. It's also the place my mum and dad met. I remember Parihaka and the Prophets. I soak up the stories, the mountain and the sea.’

The New Zealand Book Council is excited to be touring such a passionate group of locals and visitors around Taranaki. New Plymouth Mayor Peter Tennent will welcome the writers to Taranaki at a gala opening event on Friday 12 February at 6pm at the Puke Ariki Museum in the city. All welcome.

Word on Wheels is funded by Creative New Zealand; proceeds from four of the Taranaki events will be donated to local charities: door takings from the Hawera event will go to Hospice Taranaki; Opunake Volunteer Firefighters, Waverley Playcentre and Eltham Village Gallery will also benefit from events in their towns.

For further information, please contact:
Sarah Forster
New Zealand Book Council
04 499 1569
(021) 176 7684 (while on tour)
events@bookcouncil.org.nz

• WoW 2010 Itinerary

About the Writers
Duncan Sarkies lives in Wellington, and is well-known as a fiction writer, screenwriter, playwright, and stand-up comedian. He co-wrote the hit film Scarfies (1998) with his brother Robert, has written episodes of Flight of the Conchords, and released his second work of fiction, Two Little Boys, in 2008.

Janet Hunt was born in Taranaki, and writes non-fiction for teens and adults, most often biographies or books on an environmental theme. Her book Wetlands of New Zealand: a bitter-sweet story won the Montana Medal for Non-fiction in 2008. Her most recent book is E3: Call home.

Alison Wong is about to become an Australia-based New Zealand poet and fiction writer. Her poetry collection Cup (Steele Roberts, 2006) and novel As the Earth Turns Silver (Penguin, 2009) were widely praised by reviewers across the world.

Belonging to the Ngati Hau hapu of Nga Puhi, Briar Grace-Smith lives in Paekakariki, and is a highly regarded playwright, screenwriter, poet and short story writer. Her most recent work is feature film The Strength of Water, which was released across the world to excellent reviews in 2009.

David Hill is based in New Plymouth, and has been writing for teens for over 20 years. His acclaimed books include the brilliant See-ya, Simon!, Duet, and more recently Fire on High and The River Runs.

In collaboration with the New Zealand Book Council:

Started in Tokyo by Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham Architects, Pecha Kucha was conceived as a place for young designers to meet, network and show their work in public. It has gone global, now running in more than 270 cities around the world.

Each Pecha Kucha speaker is only allowed to present 20 images; each shown for 20 seconds, resulting in 6 minute and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter's up. Presenters at PKN_AKL_16 include:
- Dylan Horrocks // presenting snippets of his new work with a narrative
- Keely O’Shannessy // artist and designer // ‘the cover as canvas’
- Marie Shannon // artist // the cardboard footprint
- Louise Tu'u // We Should Practice // To Fergusson with Love
- Kathryn Burnett // TV 3 writer/script advisor // writing for television
- Sarah Maxey // evolution of the hand lettering artist
- Paula Green // poet/ children's writer // words for children
- Renee Liang // poet
- Emily Perkins // writer // cooking from Iris Murdoch novels and other fiction
- Simon Oosterdijk and Markus Hofko // publisher // about pie paper
- Lily Richards // Unity Books Auckland // 'judge everything by its cover'
- Louise Lever // Art History Research Assistant

February 11th, 2010
Galatos
17 Galatos Street
doors open 7.30, start 8.20pm
$9 doorsales, cash only
limited seating so come early

A New Zealand Book Council film using paper craft animation to promote books and reading has become a YouTube hit, reaching a worldwide top 10 in the viral video charts.

The film, which uses paper cut animation of Maurice Gee’s novel Going West, was launched on YouTube a fortnight ago, and has since been viewed more than 330,000 times. It has inspired more than 1000 tweets on Twitter, 439 blog posts across the world, and has reached number 9 in the Viral Video Chart compiled by Unruly Media (http://vvc-origin.unrulymedia.com).

The film was produced for the Book Council by Colenso BBDO, who worked with Andersen M Studios in London to develop a concept that would show Gee’s classic New Zealand novel coming to life through hand cut ‘pop up’ scenery springing up from the pages.

What resulted was eight months of hard work and intricate paper cutting to create the two minute film, which can be viewed on YouTube at http://bit.ly/k0lQE or on the Book Council website at www.bookcouncil.org.nz .

Book Council chief executive Noel Murphy says Colenso and Andersen M Studios more than fulfilled their brief to excite people about books and reading.

“The idea that lies at the centre of this project is that reading is an activity that surprises, delights, challenges and ignites the imagination,” he says.

“We wanted to grab people’s attention for just one moment in the hurly burly world of modern media and direct them to the adventure that can be had in one’s own head at the flick of a page. Colenso and the Andersen M Studios created something that achieved that and more by literally bringing the book itself to life. “

Co-founder of Andersen M Studios, Martin Andersen, says “everything [in the film] is made by hand. The piece is a result of plenty of scalpel blades, paper and a lot of preparation and patience.”

In preparation for the film Martin and sister/business partner, Line Andersen, who worked as the animator on this project, researched New Zealand extensively.

They found the visceral language and detailed descriptions of scenery in Going West particularly helpful in creating the three-dimensional scenes in the film.

“Having done so much research we are both very intrigued by New Zealand, so hopefully we will pay a visit soon,” Martin says.

For further information, please contact:

Noel Murphy
New Zealand Book Council
021 02482637
director@bookcouncil.org.nz

Aimee Penman from Saints Peter and Paul School, Lower Hutt, has won the New Zealand Book Council’s inaugural Speed Date an Author student writing competition for her entry, ‘A Treasure Trunk of Memories’.

The year 7 student said she was amazed and proud of herself. ‘I am honoured that my narrative was selected as the winner. And I’m excited about winning more books to read!’ said Aimee.

The judges said Aimee’s story was an evocative and moving piece of writing about an elderly woman climbing her childhood tree and remembering her first love. They were particularly impressed at her poetic use of language and strong characterisation.

Aimee wins a $100 worth of Book Tokens from Booksellers New Zealand and a pile of books by the 2009 Speed Date an Author writers, as well as winning her school a free 12-month membership of the New Zealand Book Council. Her story can now be found in the NZ Book Council’s Creative Writers’ Gallery.

Two other young writers were also recognized in the competition, which was open to the 57 students who participated in the Speed Date an Author workshop. First runner-up Daisy Lutyens (Year 8) from Wadestown School placed with the fantasy-inspired ‘Not a Chance in Heaven’. Second runner-up Logan Byrne (Year 8), with the tension-filled story ‘Balloons’, was also from Saints Peter and Paul School. Both of these young writers win a pile of books, and have also had their work published online in the Creative Writers’ Gallery.

Saints Peter and Paul teacher, Patricia Roche said, ‘I am proud of Aimee’s and Logan’s efforts, and pleased that their efforts and abilities have been recognised on a wider stage.’

ENDS

Background
Speed Date An Author is the latest incarnation of the New Zealand Book Council’s Writers in Schools programme. Groups of top writing students spend fifteen minutes each with six of New Zealand’s best children’s writers and illustrators as they share their experience, knowledge and passion for reading and writing. The 2009 writers were: Tessa Duder, Gavin Bishop, Mandy Hager, Melinda Syzmanik, Maria Gill, and Ruth Paul.

School membership of the New Zealand Book Council allows schools to request a free author visit through the Writers in Schools programme, which sees leading New Zealand writers reach 50,000 students each year. Since its inception in 1974, many of New Zealand’s leading writers have inspired and motivated students in their reading and creative writing across the country.

Photo Opportunity with Aimee Penman and Logan Byrne: Wednesday 11th November, 1:30pm at Saints Peter and Paul School, Myrtle Street, Lower Hutt.

Contact: Sarah Forster at the New Zealand Book Council on 04 499 1569, or email education@bookcouncil.org.nz.

Former Creative New Zealand chair Peter Biggs is the new chair of the New Zealand Book Council.

He replaces Maggie Barry, who stood down from the council’s board in July following her move to Auckland.

Acting chair Owen Marshall says the Book Council’s board is delighted Peter Biggs has agreed to lead the board.

“Peter has an ideal background to provide leadership for the Council,” Owen Marshall says. “A former chair of Creative New Zealand, he is also a successful businessman and has governance experience in various organisations. Above all he has a long standing enthusiasm for cultural pursuits, especially literature and music.”

Peter Biggs was also recently announced as chair of the Government’s Cultural Philanthropy Taskforce, and, in Melbourne, is a member of the board of the Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas; the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; and the Chunky Move Dance Company.

“New Zealand literature has been a deep part of my life for as long as I can remember,” he says. “I regard it as a privilege to be able to chair the New Zealand Book Council and contribute to the promotion of New Zealand’s extraordinary writing tradition and talent – both within our country and around the world.”

Peter Biggs is Managing Director of Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne, winner of the B&T Agency of the Year in 2007 and 2008, Campaign Brief Agency of the Year in 2008 and AdNews Agency of the Year in 2008.

Before taking up his appointment in Melbourne in March 2006, he was Managing Director of Clemenger BBDO in Wellington, New Zealand. During his time at Clemenger BBDO Wellington, the agency was New Zealand Agency of the Year in 2002 and 2004, and he was chosen as Agency Chief Executive of the Year in 2003.

Peter was Chair of the Arts Council of New Zealand (Creative New Zealand) from 1999 to 2006. He was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Growth and Innovation Advisory Board from 2002 to 2006, and was on a number of other Boards, including Wellington’s Westpac Stadium, The Asia: NZ Foundation, the New Zealand Institute, Creative HQ and Ngai Tahu Communications.

He has a first class honours degree in English Literature and Latin from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He is a sought-after speaker on branding, marketing, creativity and leadership.

Peter is married with four children and has a farm in the Wairarapa.

The literary histories connecting Katherine Mansfield to Jackie Onassis; The Wire television series and what it has to do with reading; the essential hipness of Young Adult fiction; the London experiences of one of New Zealand’s brightest young literary stars; and the celebration of a fine 70-year-old vintage novel.

All this and more can be found in the latest issue of the New Zealand Book Council magazine Booknotes.

Designed for the New Zealand book lover, Booknotes offers a lively mix of news, views, and discussion about books, writing and writers in New Zealand. It is mailed as a free subscription to all New Zealand Book Council members and is available to read online at the council’s website www.bookcouncil.org.nz.

Some of the highlights from the Winter issue, published this week, are:

The Wilberforces are Coming
Sally Conor asks why writing for young adults has become so unbearably hip

‘At Home’ in Thorndon
London-based writer Kirsty Gunn finds her Randell Cottage Residency in Wellington a return to home in more ways than one.

Letter from London
Young writer Eleanor Catton was in London to enjoy the extraordinary critical success of her first novel The Rehearsal.

Soapbox
Book reviewer Laura Kroetsch tires of the blandness of modern fiction and finds hope in the writing for television’s The Wire.

Six degrees
From New Zealand’s first lady to America’s most memorable: Noel Murphy traces the six degrees of separation between Katherine Mansfield and Jackie Onassis.

Man Alone
A classic of New Zealand fiction, John Mulgan’s Man Alone is far from widely known these days. Vincent O’Sullivan introduces an extract to mark its 70th anniversary, and reminds us why it deserves to be read and reread.

Masterclass
Crime novelist Paul Cleave shares his experience of research, and balancing fact with fiction.

Reading Tribes
In The Children’s Corner column, the creators of the Big Star children’s book website describe their seven tribes of readers.

Booknotes can be viewed in pdf form at www.bookcouncil.org.nz. To subscribe, become a member of the Book Council at www.tmmc.co.nz/nzbookcouncil.

Budding young writers will take the fast lane to New Zealand’s top creative talent when they get to “speed date” a room of authors later this month.

Up to 50 intermediate-level children will get the benefit of years of accumulated writing experience at the New Zealand Book Council’s Speed Date and Author event in Wellington on September 18.

Six of New Zealand’s top writers for children will speak with small groups of the students for 15 minutes each on a key aspect of writing. Gavin Bishop, Tessa Duder, Mandy Hager, Melinda Szymanik, Maria Gill and Ruth Paul will cover illustration, characterization, structure, tone, generating ideas and playing with words in their speed dating sessions with the children. A further session on editing will finish up the morning’s crash course in writing technique.

The students are being asked to use what they have learned to write a 500-word story in their own time, and can enter their finished work in the Speed Date an Author story competition. Prizes will include books by the writer-tutors and publication on the Book Council’s website www.bookcouncil.org.nz.

Book Council Chief Executive Noel Murphy said the Speed Date an Author event was sure to be a fun, stimulating, and valuable experience for the students involved.
‘Our successful Writers in Schools programme has shown us that this kind of contact with authors is extremely motivating for children to do more creative writing, and to explore and enjoy more in their reading.

‘It will be wonderful to see how the children taking part in Speed Date an Author write with a bit of advice and inspiration from some of our leading writers. As well as improving their skills, working alongside those authors will allow the children to see where their own creativity might lead them. It’s another way for us to nurture young people who just might be among our next generation of great writers.’

The New Zealand Book Council is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes books, reading and New Zealand writing. Its flagship programme Writers in Schools sends top Kiwi writers into hundreds of schools each year to inspire and encourage young readers and writers

Students from schools throughout Wellington and the Hutt Valley will be taking part in the speed dating event, with young writers from Palmerston North also coming down especially for the experience.

**********

The Book Council’s Speed Date an Author event will run from 9am – 12 noon on Friday 18 September, at Island Bay Primary School. All authors appear in association with Spinning Gold New Zealand Children’s Writers’ and Illustrators’ conference, which goes from 18-20 September. Speed Date an Author is sponsored by Island Bay Primary School, The Children’s Bookshop Kilbirnie, National Library, Scholastic Ltd, Penguin Group NZ, Random House NZ, and Book Tokens Ltd.

For further information, contact Sarah Forster, Education Manager, New Zealand Book Council. Ph; (04) 499 1569, email: education@bookcouncil.org.nz
- Interviews with writers are available by arrangement, both on the day and leading up to it
- Spinning Gold, the New Zealand Writers’ and Illustrators conference, will be held from 18-20 September; all writers appear in association with this conference

15.07.09: The Book Council’s chair of three years, Maggie Barry, has stood down from the council’s board.

Maggie Barry gave her resignation from the chair and the board at the council’s Annual General Meeting this month. She said her recent move to Auckland, along with increasing professional commitments, were preventing her from devoting the attention and focus that she felt her board position deserved. She considered it had been a privilege to be chair of the Book Council and her three years on the board had been ‘enormously satisfying and stimulating’. She would remain a committed member and supporter, she said.

Fellow board member Owen Marshall thanked Maggie on behalf of the board and praised her leadership during her time as chair. The meeting also passed a formal motion of thanks.

Owen Marshall is interim chair of the Book Council board until a replacement chair is appointed.

12.05.09: New Zealand book lovers have a new means to sate their literary appetites with the relaunch this week of the Book Council’s magazine, Booknotes.
The Book Council has revamped Booknotes for its autumn issue to provide a fresh mix of news, views, and discussion about books, writing and writers in New Zealand.

Chief Executive Noel Murphy hopes the new Booknotes will prove a valuable addition to the arts media landscape.

'The Book Council’s primary focus is to encourage a love of reading and books, and we believe there’s room for more media discussion that stimulates New Zealanders’ interest in books,' he says.

'We hope readers welcome the broad and deep coverage of all things books that Booknotes offers, and, in particular, the New Zealand perspectives it provides. We wanted it to be a lively and satisfying read for book enthusiasts.'

The Book Council’s members’ magazine, Booknotes is also available to all to read online at the council’s website www.bookcouncil.org.nz. Three issues will be published this year, and it will return to quarterly publication next year.

The relaunch of the magazine to reflect a broad range of reading interests is central to a new strategy for the Book Council to increase its relevance for readers of all ages, from all corners of New Zealand, Noel Murphy says.

The autumn issue includes discussion by Paula Morris on ways to rethink the Montana Book Awards, a feature on emerging writers Michele Powles and Eleanor Catton, and a 'writing masterclass' from Owen Marshall on journal writing. Regular features in the magazine will include new poetry or fiction (a Tusiata Avia poem in this issue), a topical opinion piece (in this issue, publisher Nicola Legat on electronic readers), event previews, hidden treasures among New Zealand bookshops, a spotlight on a fiction or non-fiction genre (in this issue, crime picks from writer Neil Cross), reading group notes (this issue, Opportunity and Singularity by Charlotte Grimshaw), and more.

'We’ve reconceived Booknotes to cater to the diverse tastes that reflect the reading interests of our members and of New Zealanders generally,' says Noel Murphy.

'The magazine will have a particular, but not exclusive, emphasis on New Zealand writing, in line with the Book Council’s aim to familiarise more readers with New Zealand writing and writers.'

The new Booknotes is the first in a series of changes arising out of a major reshaping of the Book Council’s activities over the past year.

“The Book Council has a long and successful history of promoting books and reading, and helping children discover the joy of reading through programmes like Writers in Schools.

'We’ve rethought how best to fulfil these aims in 2009 and beyond, and inspire more readers across New Zealand to read more.

'A major priority in this has been to create a new focus and forum for New Zealand’s community of book lovers in Booknotes, alongside the launch of a new website later this month, and the improvement of our flagship schools programmes.'

23.02.09: Five writers, six days, one very windy road. Words on Wheels is off again from 2-7 March, visiting libraries, schools, and the odd town hall on the road from Christchurch to Queenstown. On the bus this year will be Anna Mackenzie (Teen Fiction), Vanda Symon (Fiction), David Geary (Scriptwriting), Janet Charman (Poetry) and Steve Braunias (Non-fiction). Read more...

The New Zealand Book Council 2008 Annual Report is available online. Please click the link below to download the report.

•  2009 Full Annual Report