NEW ZEALAND BOOK MONTH MOVES TO MARCH TO REACH EVEN MORE KIWI READERS


New Zealand Book Month (NZBM) will take place each March from 2011 to better fit with the book industry’s annual calendar and to build a broader reach for the campaign. New Zealand Book Month has previously been held in October.

“We have taken the decision to move in order to ensure that New Zealand Book Month is sustainable for the future”, says Nikki Crowther, Project Director.

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I've big news to share – starting with renewed passion, a new Project Director – and a new time for Kiwis to celebrate their love of books.
 
Firstly, let me introduce myself. I joined New Zealand Book Month as the new Project Director in April. If you haven't heard, Michele Powles was awarded the Robert Burn Fellowship and is currently in Dunedin writing her heart out! I'd like to extend both Michele's and my own thanks and appreciation of all you accomplished last October.

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New Zealand Book Month announces today that Nikki Crowther is appointed as Project Director for New Zealand Book Month 2010.

Nikki has over 15 years' experience in bookselling and publishing. A recent migrant from the UK, she has most recently worked with REDgroup, advising on promotional strategies for Whitcoulls. Prior to that she was fiction trading controller at WHSmith and has worked as an international book buyer for Scholastic UK and Books Are Fun. Nikki started her career in books with Readathon, the UK sponsored reading campaign to get children reading for pleasure whilst raising money for the Roald Dahl Foundation for sick children.

Nikki Crowther
Project Director, NZ Book Month

A Big Fat Thank You Letter

From Fleur Beale To
The brilliant and wonderful readers who wrote to me for the ASB Wordbank Competition

It’s always a thrill to get letters from people who have read something I’ve written, especially when the letters are as thoughtful as these were...

 
The winners are:
5–7 year age category: Isla Thompson, with runner up Brian Kim; 8–10 year age category: Joe Perry, with runner up Devan Ngataaria Hammond; 11–13 year category: Cheyenne Kumeroa, with runner up Lucas Netana-Rakete.

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The October Story

He shrugged the brightly patterned shirt on over his watermelon-sized head. Cycle helmets, caps and beanies had always sat ridiculously upon this sphere, now, with both arms stuck up in the air and the shirt’s top button wedged up his left nostril, a ludicrous panic set in.



It wasn’t the sort of panic that beaded sweat, or made him shake. It was an old fear, one that filled his mouth with saliva and brought the memory of a stale smell like a smog swarming around his senses. He pulled the shirt firmly down and tried to breathe…

You're still able to read excerpts from all the shortlisted entries here and the winning stories will be published in this week's Sunday Star-Times.

And, here are the winners…

Janet Frame Legacy Continues

Internationally acclaimed author Janet Frame was a life member and a past honorary president of The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc.). To honour her memory, the Society in association with New Zealand Book Month will be hosting the annual Janet Frame Memorial Lecture on Thursday 22nd October, at the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa.

14 October 2009

The top 10 finalists of the Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards have been announced. The judges, leading writers Elizabeth Smither and Fleur Beale, have made their cut, but now it's your turn to help decide the winner of the People’s Choice Award.

Simply read the 10 excerpts from the top open division finalists below, and then vote for your favourite story by clicking VOTE NOW and typing in the title of the story in the subject line. The winner will receive the People's Choice Award at the Sunday Star-Times 2009 Short Story Awards Evening on the 27^th October plus you will go into the draw to win 1 of 3 Six Packs from NZ Book Month.

Voting opens Sunday, October 11, and closes on Friday, October 23.

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14 October 2009

He shrugged the brightly patterned shirt on over his watermelon-sized head. Cycle helmets, caps and beanies had always sat ridiculously upon this sphere, now, with both arms stuck up in the air and the shirt’s top button wedged up his left nostril, a ludicrous panic set in.

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6 October 2009
 
Twenty-six-year-old Wellington writer, Alice Miller has won the country's top short fiction award, confirming her place as one of the nation's most talented emerging writers.
 
Far-North resident, Karen Phillips won the Novice category and Emma Robinson, a Year 12 student at Awatapu College, Palmerston North won the Youth category of the 50th BNZ Katherine Mansfield Awards at a ceremony held in Wellington.

Friday 25 September

Some of New Zealand’s best emerging talent in music, writing, dance and visual arts are represented in the list of new University of Otago Arts Fellows for 2010.

In announcing the four fellowships, University Vice-Chancellor Professor David Skegg says the task of selecting the recipients is always difficult because Otago’s Fellowships are each seen as a national prize, with the standard of applicants from around New Zealand always being very high.

“We are delighted with the people chosen to be next year’s arts fellows and we look forward to hosting them at the University of Otago as they work on their creative projects,” says Professor Skegg.

Auckland novelist and media/marketing practitioner Michele Powles is the 2010 Robert Burns Fellow.  

Ms Powles has a Master of Creative Writing degree from Auckland University (2006) and became the Director of New Zealand Book Month in 2008. This year she published her first novel, Weathered Bones, to excellent reviews.

The Going West Books & Writers Festival Literary Weekend is almost upon us – Nicola Strawbridge, festival programmer, gives us a taste of what to expect this year.

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New Zealand’s oldest book prize awarded – 2009

New Zealand’s oldest book prize, the Esther Glen Award, was presented at the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards ceremony in Wellington on 10th August.

READ who the winners are…

I live at the edge of the universe, like everybody else.
  —Bill Manhire

Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing competition for 2009.
 
This year we are celebrating the International Year of Astronomy. You are invited to write between 2,000 – 3,000 words about the place – past or present or future – of human beings in the universe. There are two categories, fiction and non-fiction—

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MEDIA RELEASE 6 AUGUST 2009

Despite the proliferation of bad news in the current recession, New Zealand readers and writers received a boost this week when two significant organisations signed up to showcase our Kiwi written word. National law firm Buddle Findlay and ASB join with New Zealand Book Month this year to make sure the written voice of all New Zealand is celebrated, rewarded and loved by young and old.

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The complete list of 2009 Montana New Zealand Book Awards winners is as follows…

Celebrate Te Reo during Māori Language Week, now in its 30th year. The theme for 2009 is Te Reo i te Hapori – encouraging all New Zealanders to kōrero Māori in the community. To enter your writing – from business to script writing – and download an entry form, visit the website.

Here are some ideas of how you can be part of the Week…

July 2009

Cilla McQueen officially steps in as the 2009/10 Poet Laureate after the full and successful tenure of our inaugural Poet Laureate, Michele Leggott.

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Thursday 21 May 2009

Congratulations to Kate De Goldi who has won the country’s highest accolade in children’s and young adult writing; she is the winner of the 2009 New Zealand Post Book of the Year Award for her novel, The 10 pm Question.

Our very best wishes from the NZBM team to the authors in the categories too…

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