Hundreds of students in Christchurch and Wellington are set to be entertained and enlightened by finalists in the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults at Books Alive events in the immediate lead up to the awards ceremony.
In Ōtautahi on 4 August, WORD Christchurch will host a selection of shortlisted authors and illustrators in panel discussions for primary and intermediate schools. There are still some spaces available for the 10am and 1pm sessions in the spacious Christ’s College Auditorium. Interested teachers can find out more on our website, then book their classes in by emailing the WORD schools team.
The Books Alive events in Pōneke, programmed by the talented Wellington City Libraries team, are already fully booked, having attracted 20 schools from around the city. All available spaces in the National Library’s Tiakiwai Conference Centre on Molesworth Street will be abuzz on the day of the awards ceremony, 10 August, with finalists conducting workshops on writing and illustration, behind-the-book talks, panel discussions, and live drawing sessions.
Nicola Legat, Chair of the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa, says that fostering a love of reading in tamariki and rangitahi by engaging them with books and their authors is an essential part of the award’s kaupapa. “After several years in which the pandemic forced much of our Books Alive activity online, we’re delighted to be bringing our finalists in person to Ōtautahi Christchurch again, and to be hosting a bigger-than-ever event in Pōneke Wellington. Our warmest thanks to our wonderful partners in both centres for helping to make this happen.”
