The NZ book awards season has really kicked off in earnest today, but alongside the grown-up awards (The Ockhams) generating a lot of talkonline, it's also the day that both the Storyline Notable Books 2020 and the Storylines manuscript award finalists have been announced! We've pulled together a list of all of the manuscript finalists in one place – these are writers to watch out for in the future. For more details on each category, there are links to the Storylines website.

Did you know that there is a gathering especially for writers and illustrators happening in Auckland at the start of October? There is! The Storylines Hui looks set to be an invaluable opportunity to catch up, learn from and hang out with your fellow authors and book industry folks. Leonie Agnew helped to organise it: here's why. OK this is from the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, but it was the best I could find. Photographer: Lindsay Keats Nobody is an island

Earlier this month, we treated you to an excerpt from Gareth Ward's award-winning debut steampunk adventure novel, The Traitor and the Thief. Here's an interview with the fascinating, hardworking author himself. Gareth Ward at the Hawkes Bay launch of The Traitor and the Thief Your bio notes read like an adventure novel of their own! How do you describe yourself to people these days? For example, if someone says, 'So, Gareth, what do you do...?' I’ve had an interesting life:

Over the past decade, Kiwi illustrator Richard Fairgray has moved from self-publishing comic books, to picture books, to being picked up internationally. He is published in New Zealand by Puffin and Scholastic NZ. Richard Fairgray is a comic book artist who has ventured into the world of children’s literature. In 2016, Fairgray published two children’s titles, and his book Gorillas in our Midst made the Storylines Notable Books List 2017. Farigray’s talent in drawing and st

Storylines Children's Literature Charitable Trust continues to play a significant part in boosting the children's literature culture here in New Zealand. We asked Tessa Duder, beloved author and Storylines Trustee, to tell us how the Storylines Awards came about. When the organisation that grew into today’s Storylines first set up shop in 1991, among its first aims were to bolster the number and type of awards open to New Zealand children’s writers and illustrators. The 1980s

The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award has been offered to a promising Kiwi illustrator since 2009. Set up by Gavin Bishop and Jenny Hellen, then Children’s Publisher at Random House NZ, they are administered now by Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust. This year’s winner was announced at today's Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and National Awards Day in Auckland. Congratulations to Lael Chisholm. Lael Chisholm As somebody who has recently been judging books, I asked G

Every two weeks we compile, for your browsing pleasure, cool children's book happenings (and peripherally related news) from around Aotearoa, the world and the internet. The enticing children's book section at Nelson bookstore VOLUME. A little US-centric but here are some great ideas to get your whole family thinking about feminism. And here's an article about feminism in YA books. And from closer to home, Nelson bookshop VOLUME have put together a great post about their femi