“The beneficial impact of authors and illustrators visiting schools to encourage a love of reading cannot be under-estimated,” says the chair of Storylines Children’s Literature Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki, Christine Young.

“That’s why the Storylines Story Tours are so important as a way of directly engaging young New Zealanders with books and stories created with them in mind.”

In 2021 Storylines Trust sent 24 authors and illustrators on five tours across New Zealand to talk about the pleasures of books and reading to a total of 30,190 students.

The tours – four in person and one to Northland which because of Covid-19 was accomplished digitally – visited a ”staggering” number of 535 schools and early childhood centres.

“The number would have been even greater,” says Christine Young, “if Covid-19 hadn’t forced the Southland tour in August to be cut short and the Masterton tour in September to be cancelled.”

“We are very grateful for funding which enables us to finance these five-day tours, which are free to everyone we visit. Authors and illustrators feel privileged to have this opportunity to share their love of storytelling and books with children and young people, and the feedback we get from teachers and parents is always positive.”

Because of the demand, Storylines is planning eight tours (Covid-19 permitting) in 2022, to Masterton, Canterbury, Northland, Southland, Palmerston North/ Manawatu, Taranaki, West Coast and Auckland.

Storylines gratefully acknowledges funding support received from Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, The Lion Foundation and Lottery Community.