The Coalition for Books is hosting four Zoom hui to bring our members and the broader book sector together to discuss current challenges and to promote dialogue about sector needs. The hui are each an hour-long between 27 July – 8 August. More

Hui #1 – Thursday July 27th @10.00 am
Writers Festivals Post Covid
Join a discussion on Aotearoa’s festival landscape in the post covid context. Topics for discussion include programming challenges; funding; finding new audiences and allowing writers from Aotearoa to shine alongside international writers. This session is also an opportunity to connect with some of the new programming talent leading Aotearoa’s festivals in 2023.

Hui #2 – Tuesday August 1st at 2.00 pm
Inspiring Young Readers: Opportunities and Challenges in Children’s Books 
This hui is focused on Aotearoa children’s books. What role do Aotearoa books and stories have when it comes to inspiring young readers? Join the conversation and share the challenges and opportunities you see currently in the children’s book space.

Hui #3 – Wednesday August 2nd at 10.00 am
Digital Book Promotion in Aotearoa 2023
Join this conversation on digital book promotion. Discuss new and developing opportunities; hear where others have been successful and discuss aspects of digital promotion that are currently working particularly well for books. The conversation will also gauge participants’ views on where there is room for growth and improvement; and where the sector should prioritise development and training.

Hui #4 – Tuesday August 8th at 2.00 pm
Read Local, Buy Local: Book Discoverability in Aotearoa 2023
Our final hui session focuses on connecting readers and books. Hear from organisations working in the review space; discuss metadata in the book sector; gain discoverability insights from Nielsen BookScan. This is also an opportunity to discuss several new and soon-to-be launched online Aotearoa New Zealand book platforms.

What happens after the hui?
Over the course of these discussions, we will capture feedback and collate this into a report to help guide the Coalition’s strategic priorities, and it will be shared across our membership and with relevant agencies, like Creative New Zealand.