Books Alive virtual programme announced, and we mark 25 years of poetry celebrations

BOOKS ALIVE CALENDAR REVEALED

From 25 July, a number of our finalists in the 2022 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will be revealing more about themselves and their shortlisted books to thousands of keen young readers through an exciting line-up of online events.
 
The 2022 Books Alive virtual programme has once again been co-ordinated by the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA), thanks to a grant from the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme. Hosted via LIANZA’s YouTube channel, it will feature daily sessions matching a library with a finalist, and includes Q&As, book discussions, how-to-be-an-illustrator workshops, and even a book play.  
 
“We’ve had such amazing feedback from libraries, children and authors that have participated in the Books Alive virtual programme these past two years, that we’re delighted to be bringing it back again,” says LIANZA executive director Ana Pickering. “While the pandemic continues to create challenges for in-person events, it’s such a bonus that we can still promote the best of New Zealand children’s and young adult literature, and the joy of reading, through the online reach of libraries and their communities around the country.”
 
Librarians will also be sharing virtual storytimes featuring the finalist books in the lead-up to the awards ceremony on 10 August. These readings will also be hosted on LIANZA’s YouTube channel, and shared from there to our social media channels as well as the libraries involved.
 
If you subscribe to LIANZA’s YouTube channel you will know when new sessions are available. So sign up now, or keep a watch on the developing programme on LIANZA’s Books Alive calendar page.
 
The 2022 NZCYA finalists will also get the chance to engage in person with hundreds of Wellington school children on the day of the awards ceremony, with a booked-out programme of Books Alive events at the National Library’s Tiakiwai Conference Centre, facilitated by an amazing team from Wellington City Libraries.

MARKING 25 YEARS WITH 25 POETS

For 25 years, National Poetry Day has been celebrating poetry across New Zealand in late August. To mark this fantastic milestone, we’ve collected together 25 poems from 25 exciting poets, from emerging writers to iconic names, who have had their poetry pasted on billboards on our streets over the past 25 years by our visionary sponsor, Phantom Billstickers.

We’ve got in touch with each of the poets to remind them about their poster, and to ask them to share a few personal thoughts about the poem selected.
 
Central Otago poet Brian Turner describes his 2012 poster poem ‘Keep It Up’ as ‘a wry response to a quip from one of the local farmers, some of whom indicated that writing wasn’t “real work”’.

Supported by a Creative New Zealand grant, the #NZPoetryDay25 campaign is being shared across NPD social media channels in the lead up to Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day on 26 August 2022. Other 25th anniversary celebrations will include an Australia-New Zealand Online Poetry Showcase, hosted in conjunction with Australian Poetry Month and featuring the 2022 poetry winners and the finalists in the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
 
NDP organisers have until 20 July to register to have their poetry events included in our nationwide calendar, before it launches on 4 August.
 
JOIN US AT THE NZCYA CEREMONY
 
There is just a month to go until we celebrate the very best books for young New Zealand readers, and their authors, at an exuberant awards ceremony – MC’d by Jase Te Patu – in the Alan Gibbs Centre at Wellington College on Wednesday 10 August. We’d love you to join us!
 
Thirty-eight fine children’s writers, illustrators and translators are finalists in the 2022 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and their talents and achievements will be acknowledged on the night by publishers, politicians, booksellers, librarians, media and supporters of the children’s literature community. Members of the public are also welcome to buy tickets (which include a post-ceremony reception) for $47.50 plus booking fees.
 
You can find out more about the evening on our website or go directly to Eventfinda to buy your ticket.
 
This is a popular event with a limited number of seats available, so don’t miss out!

OCKHAMS 2023 ENTRIES OPEN 3 AUGUST

We’d like to give publishers and authors a heads-up that submissions for the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, for books for adult readers published between 1 January and 31 December 2022, will open on Wednesday 3 August.
 
The first tranche of entries is for books published January to August 2022. To find out more about how to enter when the time comes, or to check whether a book will be eligible, you can view the previous Call for Entries pack on our website.
 
The 2023 pack and entry information will be loaded to our How to Enter page on 3 August.
 
SCHOOLS BACK A BOOK

Students from Dyer Street School in Lower Hutt sing the praises of Gavin Bishop’s Atua.
 
Everyone is hanging out to hear on 10 August which of our fabulous finalists have been selected by the judges as winners of the 2022 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. But we all know that having rangatahi themselves back their book can mean just as much to an author.
 
So that is just what we gave young readers the opportunity to do. Schools around the motu were invited to apply to participate in our 2022 Back-a-Book challenge, and around 40 put their hands up. Their task was to create a short video trailer for the book they were backing. We were blown away by the standard of the videos submitted and can’t wait to share them with you. Keep an eye on our social media channels after the school holidays for the winning entries.
 
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
 
20 July 2022: Deadline to register events for Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, to be included in National Calendar of Events
25 July to 9 August 2022: Books Alive virtual NZCYA finalist author events programme, coordinated by LIANZA
3 August 2022: Submissions open for the 2023 Ockham NZ Book Awards, for books published 1 January to 31 August 2022
4 August 2022: Calendar of events launched for Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day
5 August 2022: #BooksAlive Day on social media
10 August 2022: NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults ceremony in Wellington
26 August 2022: Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day