• Alan Dingley named new national Reading Ambassador

    29 March 2023 Alan Dingley, Librarian at Palmerston North Intermediate School, has been named as the next Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador for children and young people. Alan is a passionate advocate and school librarian who communicates the joy and transformation reading can bring to a young person’s world. He brings impressive experience, skills and […]

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  • Gavin Bishop nominated for international honour

    Congratulations to Gavin Bishop, who has been nominated for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award by IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest distinction given to authors and illustrators of children’s books, recognising a lifelong achievement and a body of work that has made an important, lasting […]

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  • Emma Neale to judge $1000 Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems

    11 April 2023 International Writers’ Workshop NZ Inc (IWW) is thrilled to announced that New Zealand poet Emma Neale will judge The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems in October.   The competition, which has been made possible by a bequest from the late Jocelyn Grattan in memory of her mother, Kathleen, is […]

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  • Working Together: Accessibility in Aotearoa Theatre – new resource available

    In this Arts For All Network national Zoom hui, Henrietta Bollinger and Nathan Mudge talk about the new Playmarket resource they wrote. A best-practice guide for working with practitioners and communities with access needs, It covers programming, planning, policies, budgets, contracts, riders, remuneration, rehearsal rooms, schedules, warm-ups, intimacy, costumes and make up, and design. It […]

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  • PLAYS FOR THE YOUNG Playmarket competition

      Do you have an original and inventive play written to inspire and excite young audiences? Whether you are a young person or a senior writer, the age of the audience is what counts. Your play might be written for adults to perform to children, or for young actors to perform themselves. It might be […]

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  • Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel 2023 – Longlist announcement!

    The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa and Text Publishing are delighted to announce the longlist for the Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel 2023. The longlisted writers are: G.M. Allen, Jane Bitomsky, Tina Cartwright, Oliver Clifton, Thom Conroy, Rachel J Fenton, Danielle Heyhoe, Anne Lochead, Alex Lodge, Heidi North, […]

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  • Announcing the NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize 2023 shortlist

    We are pleased to announce that five writers have been shortlisted for an award that celebrates fresh writing with a ‘unique and original vision’. NZSA congratulates shortlisted writers Susanna Elliffe, Melanie Kwang, Wes Lee, Lee Murray, and Kathryn van Beek. 58 applications came in for this prize and the shortlist judging panel of Tina Shaw […]

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  • 2023 COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

    2023 COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED World’s most global literature prize showcases 28 writers from 19 countries and highlights the ‘beat and pulse’ of contemporary storytelling. New Zealander Himali McInnes shortlisted for ‘Kilinochchi’ She joins five-strong Pacific shortlist alongside writers from Australia and Papua New Guinea Judges hail stories that ‘brim with the energy […]

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  • Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day highlights outstanding contributions

    The 2023 Margaret Mahy National Awards Day took place on 2 April with an annual ceremony highlighting of the best of children’s literature in Aotearoa. Hosted by Storylines Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki, the awards coincided with International Children’s Book Day and celebrated the wisdom of seasoned writers as well as exciting new manuscripts. Decorated […]

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  • Fast Fibres Poetry 10: call for submissions

    Fast Fibres Poetry this year has an open theme. We invite poets with a strong Northland connection to submit 3 of your best poems. Please include a two line biographical statement. Deadline: June 10, 2023.Email submissions to: fastfibres@live.com Each poem should be single spaced and typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman. Poems must be […]

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  • The Mike Riddell Writers’ Residency  

    The indefatigable Mike Riddell instigated the idea of administering a writers’ residency in Ōtūrēhua.  The idea was to offer a generously donated package of house and stipend to a writer or writers over 12 winter weeks in the hope that they would find inspiration in this grand landscape as well as the support of a […]

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  • NZ Booklovers Awards 2023 Winners Announced

    NZ Booklovers Awards 2023 Winners Announced Simon Lendrum, Laura Keenan, Brianne Te Paa, Jane Ussher and John Walsh are winners in the 2023 NZ Booklovers Awards announced today. ‘We are delighted to announce four award-winning books that families in New Zealand will enjoy for many reasons,’ says NZ Booklovers Director Karen McMillan. ‘Our winning novel […]

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