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Writers in Schools: information for writers

How the programme works

Writers in Schools pays writers, storytellers and illustrators of books for children and adults to visit schools throughout the country and talk to students. The programme is supported by funding from Creative New Zealand, New Zealand Community Trust and Learning Media.

How a Writers in Schools visit is arranged

All schools that belong to the New Zealand Book Council are eligible to request one free half-day visit a year. Many schools organise a writer visit as part of their school's Book or Library Week. This is how it all works:

• The school contacts the New Zealand Book Council with a list of writers they would like to have a visit from and some suitable dates. View the online booking form schools use to do this.
• The Book Council approaches writers in order of school preference to find a suitable writer. Communication is conducted by phone and email, and we appreciate a quick response to visit requests, as otherwise an alternative will need to be discussed.
• If you are able to visit, the Book Council endeavours to set the date and time of the visit before confirming it with the school and writer. However, if the writer is happy to work this out with the school, then the visit can be confirmed before the date is set.
• The Book Council confirms the visit with the school and writer by formal email. The school is given the name of the writer and their contact details; as well as guidelines on how to host a visiting writer, biographical information about their visiting writer and a report form. Your email will contain:

1. a form confirming the visit: date, time, length, address of the school and contact details of the person at the school
2. a claim form for noting the time of the visit, mileage and any ancillary expenses
3. a report form, for you to give us feedback on the visit.

• The school makes contact with the writer prior to the visit. It is not up to the writer to contact the school. If the school hasn't made contact with you at least a week before the visit, please contact the Book Council and we will call the school.
• The school and the writer discuss the visit. At this point you and the teacher should be talking/emailing about what the school wants to achieve in the visit. It may be an 'author talk' (biography, books, life of a working writer, etc). It might be a talk with a more specific theme, or a workshop with some curriculum connection (i.e. poetic writing, building character, etc). This is all a matter of negotiation between you and the school contact. Be sure you're absolutely clear about what you're doing and importantly, comfortable with it. If the school asks you to run a workshop or stay for a full-day visit, and this is not on your confirmation form, please check that they are aware of the extra costs involved with this. If they are not, please ask the school to contact us, and we'll ensure that the school has agreed to being invoiced for the extra costs, then confirm with you. Make sure that at the end of this conversation/email exchange you know:

1. Age and size of classes/groups, as well as how many sessions you will be required for
2. Which rooms (library/classroom) you will be in
3. What materials you need school to have (whiteboard, pens, OHP, PowerPoint, etc)
4. That there will be a supervising teacher with the groups at all times (this is an essential Book Council requirement).
5. How to get to the school - rural schools can be tricky!
6. Who will meet you, where (school office is best) and when, keeping in mind set-up

• Once the visit has taken place, please remember to send your report form and claim form to the Book Council. Payment is made upon receipt of the writer's payment claim, which you can submit using either our forms, or your own personal invoice.

For information about how to run a successful Writers in Schools visit, please consult the guidelines written by Kate De Goldi that can be found here.

Payments

The Book Council pays all of the writers it contracts by direct credit. Please ensure we have your bank account number prior to completing a visit, to ensure we are able to pay you promptly. Please note we can no longer pay writers by cheque, due to signatory requirements.

The Book Council processes writer payments on a fortnightly basis. Your payment will usually go through on a Friday night and be in your bank account by Saturday morning.

Withholding tax and GST

All writers are taxed at the withholding tax rate of 20%, unless they have provided the Book Council with a Tax Exemption Certificate. GST is not paid unless a writer has a GST number. Please provide us with this number, if you do become GST-registered. Any queries about writer payments can go directly to Bianca Cornford, at accounts@bookcouncil.org.nz.

Tours

If a school requests an out-of-town writer, the Book Council can arrange for a writer to visit several schools as part of a Writers in Schools tour. It is a way of keeping extra costs low for that school, and giving other member schools in that area the chance to have a writer visit. We aim to create 3-4 tours per term.

If you are requested, we will approach you to see if you are happy to tour, and how long you would like to be away for. If you are keen, we will then approach other member schools in the region. The free visit slots are allocated to schools on a first come, first served basis.

The Book Council organises the schedule of the tour and sends the writer and schools a copy of the itinerary. From there, it is up to the schools to contact the writer, as per the usual format of Writers in Schools visits.

We will book and pay for your accommodation. We usually try and find something which is comfortable, but affordable - suggestions are always welcome. We pay for up to $100 in additional expenses for a writer visit, per school. Anything above this is invoiced back to the school.

Per diems of $50 are paid for every day in which a writer is visiting schools and spends the night away from home. These are paid to the writer prior to the tour (either by direct credit or cheque) and are to cover costs such as food.

Please remember to claim at the correct rate when claiming payment for a tour. For instance, if you do a full-day visit at a school on one day, the correct rate to claim is a full-day rate. But if you visit two schools the next day, you need to claim at the separate morning and afternoon rates for this visit.

Media

If you have reporters or photographers from the local newspaper covering your Writers in Schools visit, please let them know that you are there as part of the New Zealand Book Council's Writers in Schools programme.

If media ask for background information on the programme, please refer them to this website or ask them to contact Sarah Forster (nee Hughes), Education Manager on ph: (04) 499 1569 or email: education@bookcouncil.org.nz