Thursday, October 14, 2010

PANZ Book Design Awards 2010 Winners

PANZ Book Design Awards 2010 Winners

New Zealand’s best book designers were celebrated at this year’s PANZ Book Design Awards which saw an outstanding group of winners emerge from a strong field.

This year’s Supreme Winner was The Life and Love of Trees by Lewis Blackwell, designed by Cameron Gibb. It is a book in which, said awards judge Peter Gilderdale, “the design choices and content came together to yield a breathtaking result.”

See the full list of 2010 PANZ Book Design Awards winners.

Supreme Winner 2010: The Life and Love of Trees
Gerard Reid Award for Best Book: PANZ Book Design Awards 2010
Sponsored by Nielsen Book Services
 Designer Cameron Gibb


JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Lewis Blackwell’s The Life & Love of Trees is a combination of breathtakingly beautiful photographs and wonderfully written, elegant and accessible essays. It reaches the highest standards of international design and publishing, and will sit proudly on bookshelves all around the world.

Best Cover 2010: Magpie Hall
Designer Sarah Laing
HarperCollins Award for Best Cover: PANZ Book Design Awards 2010


JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Like it or not, people often do judge a book by its cover, hence cover design is always a major element in the publishing process and can have a significant impact on its success or failure. Several of the best covers this year were to be found on fiction titles, with the winner and one highly commended title being from this genre.

Awa Press Young Designer of the Year: Keely O'Shannessy


JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Congratulations are due to all of the young designers who entered. They have found themselves a place in a small and particular market. That takes courage and passion. If these guys are the future book designers of New Zealand, the industry is in exciting hands.

Pindar Award for Best Typography: Art at Te Papa
Designers: Grant Sutherland, Mission Hall (interior), Robyn Sivewright, fineline (typesetting), Neil Pardington (cover)


JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Th typography and non-illustrated book categories tend to overlap. However, since our choices in non-illustrated acknowledged several highly typographic books, we decided to look beyond these ‘pure’ books,and recognise the strongest type across all categories.

Best Illustrated Book: The Life and Love of Trees
 Designer Cameron Gibb


JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Considering the high number of entrants in this category, it is a given that all finalists have a well-resolved grid, great typography and a well-handled cover. Over and above these, however, all three books have major strengths.

Best Non-Illustrated Book: Mirabile Dictu
Designers Keely O'Shannessy (cover), Katrina Duncan (interior)
Hachette New Zealand Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book: PANZ Book Design Awards 2010


JUDGES ’ COMMENTS
The non-illustrated book category this year had fewer strong non-fiction books, but this was counteracted by the quality in poetry and fiction. It was noticeable that production values sometimes let down otherwise well-designed books – an effect, perhaps, of the recession. The best of the category transcended the gloom, however, and the finalists are all highly effective in different ways.

Best Educational Book: Year 9 Graphics
Designer Book Design Limited
Pearson Award for Best Educational Book: PANZ Book Design Awards 2010


JUDGES’ COMMENTS
The educational book category attracted more entries than in 2009, and the quality of entries was fairly even. Educational books often have to get a lot of information into a constrained space, and this can lead to clutter when not handled well. The finalists all managed to combine well-sequenced information, solid typography and visual appeal.

Best Childrens Book: Old Hu-Hu
 Designer Michael Greenfield
Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book: PANZ Book Design Awards 2010


JUDGES’ COMMENTS
New Zealand has a wealth of talented authors and illustrators in the world of children’s books, and every year the category attracts a raft of fine books that make judging difficult. The judges were again impressed by the overall standard this year.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

New Zealand Post Book Award Winners 2010

Judith Binney Wins 2010 New Zealand Post Book of the Year
Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Christopher Finlayson tonight honoured historian Judith Binney with the country’s highest literary accolade, the New Zealand Post Book of the Year, for her work Encircled Lands, a book about Tūhoe’s quest for self-government of their lands, granted to them in law more than a century ago.


Tūhoe, represented by kaumatua Wharehuia Milroy and Pou Temara, responded in numbers to the presentation at the gala awards ceremony held in Auckland’s tonight. Last year, Tūhoe bestowed Binney with the name Tomoirangi o Te Aroha (a little cloud of rain from heaven) in recognition of her work.
New Zealand Post Book Awards judge, Paul Diamond, described the winning work as one that will profoundly change our understanding of our shared history.
‘Encircled Lands is an exhaustive, comprehensive history of Te Rohe Pōtae o Te Urewera, the only autonomous tribal district that was recognised in law. Not only does it fulfill the author’s hopes of revealing an almost unknown history to a new audience, it also deftly illustrates why the history of the Urewera and its people continues to resonate.’

Debut novelist, Alison Wong won the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Award for Fiction for her book, As The Earth Turns Silver, ahead of established writers, Fiona Farrell and Owen Marshall.

‘Based on meticulous research, this novel opens new windows on the development of our nation; it also opens our hearts to the anguish caused by racism, ignorance, failures in family relationship and communication, and war. The book is a delight to look at and hold, as well as deeply moving to read,’ says Pountney.

Brian Turner, a leading biographer, essayist, poet and conservationist, was presented with the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Award for Poetry for his collection, Just This, described by judge Elizabeth Smither as a life’s work in its reach, its depth and its deceptive plainness of surface.

‘Just This dares to ask the profoundest questions about place and human existence, how we live now and how we hand the world on. It is dangerous poetry because it addresses ethics but at the same time it is leavened with a sweet and sly self-awareness as it searches for “something you can have faith in, swear by”. The journey from the first poem to the last is a revelation,’ says Smither.

In a tightly fought contest that had judges reaching for superlatives, co-owner of Wellington’s famed Logan Brown restaurant, celebrity chef and passionate fisherman, Al Brown won the Illustrated Non-fiction category for his book Go Fish: Recipes and stories from the New Zealand Coast.

'Colourful images pour from the pages and spicing up the illustrative side are busy montages demonstrating how to prepare crayfish, crab and paua, and how to fillet a flounder – no mean feat, any of this. The recipes themselves, easy to follow, employ an engaging mix of type sizes and layout techniques. For a cookbook, it’s a remarkable page-turner,’ says Peat.
Go Fish also won this year’s coveted People’s Choice Award as voted by thousands of readers nationwide.
The full list of 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards winners is as follows:


New Zealand Post Book of the Year and General Non-fiction Award winner:
Encircled Lands: Te Urewera, 1820-1921 by Judith Binney (Bridget Williams Books)

Fiction Award winner: As the Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong (Penguin Group (NZ)

Poetry Award winner: Just This by Brian Turner (Victoria University Press)

Illustrated Non-fiction Award and People’s Choice Award winner: Go Fish: Recipes and stories from the New Zealand Coast by Al Brown (Random House NZ)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Author Talk - A Life on the River Gorge


Robert's visit to the Library on Monday 6th September was a great success, all those who attended were entertained with Robert's great storytelling about his and his family's adventures. Below is an overview of Robert's story and some photos of the event.
Robert Long and his family - wife Catherine, and children Christan (19) and Robyn (17) - live in complete isolation (Christan is currently studying at Otago Polytechnic and Robin is in Year 13 at Mount Aspiring College in Wanaka), in a hut two days' walk south of Haast in South Westland. Robert has lived there for nearly 30 years; Catherine for 20 and the kids all their lives. Their only contact with the outside world is a helicopter or plane once a month, and two trips a year to the 'outside world'. This is the story of how and why Robert - known locally as 'Beansprout' - came to live at Gorge River, and the family's experiences there over the years, living self-sufficiently and forging close bonds with the natural environment. It is an inspiring tale of one man's decision to 'drop out' of capitalist society and successfully establish a lifestyle most New Zealanders can't even imagine, harking back to the days of the earliest pioneers.
This is the inspiring and truly impressive story of how and why Robert — known locally as ‘Beansprout’ — chose to live ‘outside’ society and came to live at Gorge River.
I found his story riveting, couldn't put it down.

It is the inspiring tale of one man’s decision to ‘drop out’ of capitalist society and successfully establish a lifestyle most New Zealanders can’t even imagine, harking back to the days of the earliest pioneers, living self-sufficiently and forging close bonds with the natural environment.










Thursday, August 19, 2010

Inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award Finalists Announced

The three finalists for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which will be presented at a ceremony at the upcoming The Press Christchurch Writers’ Festival in September, have now been confirmed. The award is made for the best crime, mystery, or thriller novel written by a New Zealand citizen or resident, published in New Zealand during 2009.
A panel of seven local and international judges has been considering the best of locally written crime and thriller fiction published last year.
The three finalists are:



The winner of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel will be announced at a ceremony at the conclusion of the “Setting the Stage for Murder” event at the Festival on the evening of Friday 10 September 2010.

The international judges said CUT & RUN was “complex and suspenseful” and had “scenes and incidents which are jaw-droppingly good”, that BURIAL “maintained the tension and the atmosphere from beginning to end, keeping the atmosphere creepy”, and that CONTAINMENT had “an attractive series heroine (feisty but vulnerable)” while starting with a “superb” opening scene that by itself would make the judge “want to read more Vanda Symon”.

“There were a number of high-quality crime novels published last year, and it has been a tough decision for the judges,” said Judging Convenor Craig Sisterson. “It is fantastic to see crime writing of this quality being produced by New Zealand writers, and great that the Award recognises both the best of our current authors, while also honouring the memory of one of our country’s true literary legends, who we have perhaps underappreciated in the past.”

The Awards namesake, Dame Ngaio Marsh, is renowned worldwide as one of the four “Queens of Crime” of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, having published 32 novels featuring Inspector Roderick Alleyn between 1934 and her death in 1982. With sales in the millions, and her books still in print to this day, Dame Ngaio is possibly New Zealand’s bestselling author, ever.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Library Week

Library Week

16th – 22nd August

Check out what’s happening @ your Library



Come in during the week and win a great prize just for visiting us!!

Plus Guess the number of jellybeans in the jar and you could win the lot!!



Mystery Book Week

Try something new!!

Borrow a lucky dip book parcel – you might be surprised what you get to read!!



Library Book Art

Enter our Book Art Design Competition…

Design & create an art work from an old discarded Library Book

Entries close 3rd September



Join the Library

Not a Library Member???

Join the Library and receive a Free Book 

NB This applies to New Adult Borrowers only



Competitions

Try our Website Scavenger Hunt – how well do you know your way around our website, test your skills!!!

Worst Opening Line – let your creative juices run wild and write the “best” worst opening line of a novel



Mini Book Sale Timaru Only

Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd

Pick up a bargain or 2 at our Mini Book sale

Starts 10am Friday



For more information and online competitions visit

Monday, August 9, 2010

Playaways

Playaways


Playaway Speaks for Itself

Playaway is the simplest way to listen to audio on the go. Each Playaway comes with the digital content already pre-loaded on it and a battery to make it play. Simply plug in earbuds and enjoy.

No Cassettes. No CDs. No Downloads. Just Play.

“For people who just want to press play and go.” TIME Magazine

Playaway Pre-Loaded Audio Format

Simple Technology

Pre-Loaded Content

Digital Functionality

Ultimate Portability

The Next Generation of Audiobooks

Each Playaway holds an entire audiobook, regardless of length

Easily navigate back and forth through chapters

Automatic bookmarking remembers where you stopped listening

Universal headphone jack

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Changes in Overdue Fines

From 1st August we will be introducing a new overdue fine system.

When items are overdue:

On day 1 & 2 A grace period applies.

On day 3 & each day thereafter Each item incurs a 10 cent per day overdue fee (to a maximum of $3.00 per item).

On day 9 Borrowers will be contacted by email or mail advising that they have overdue items.

On day 23 Borrowers will again be contacted either by email or mail advising that they still have overdue items.

On day 30 Borrowers will be phoned to request the return of the overdue items.

On day 37 Borrowers will receive an invoice for the cost of replacement of the overdue items. At this stage borrowers may not borrow further items until the overdue items are returned and fines paid.

On day 67 Any outstanding amounts may be referred to a debt collection agency.

To check items onloan and their due date:

* check your items borrowed slip
* phone the Library on 6877202
* email us: library@timdc.govt.nz
* check online with your borrower number and PIN at http://www.timarudistrictlibraries.co.nz/
(to get a PIN visit a library or phone 6877202)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards 2010

The Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards are back for 2010. Launched in 1984 with a vision to recognise and encourage the talent of aspiring New Zealand writers the Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards are a key part of the NZ literary calendar.
Many of the country’s best-known authors have achieved success in the competition including Norman Bilbrough, Judith White, Barbara Anderson, Linda Olsson and Sarah Quigley.

The People’s Choice Award will be back again this year, where excerpts from the ten finalists' stories will be published online and the winner will be decided entirely by public vote. Last years winner was also the second runner up for the Open Division written by Thom Conroy.

The Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards could be your opportunity to become a published writer and win fantastic cash and book prizes. Judged by leading New Zealand writers Charlotte Grimshaw and Joy Cowley, the winning three stories in each division will win cash, books from Random House and be published in the Sunday Star-Times.
Celebrated with an awards ceremony on October 28th, the competition, in association with Whitcoulls and Random House provides a generous prize structure as follows:

OPEN DIVISION

1st prize: $5000 cash, story published in the Sunday Star-Times and $500 worth of books from Random House
2nd prize: $2000 cash, story published in the Sunday Star-Times and $300 worth of books from Random House
3rd prize: $1000 cash, story published in the Sunday Star-Times and $200 worth of books from Random House

SECONDARY SCHOOL DIVISION

1st prize: $1000 cash, story published in the Sunday Star-Times, work experience day at Random House (day imediately after awards ceremony) PLUS $500 worth of Random House books and a $500 Whitcoulls gift card for the finalist’s school.
2nd prize: $500 cash, story published in the Sunday Star-Times PLUS $300 worth of Random House books and a $300 Whitcoulls gift card for the finalist’s school
3rd prize: $250 cash, story published in the Sunday Star-Times PLUS $200 worth of Random House books and a $200 Whitcoulls gift card for the finalist’s school.

BEST UNPUBLISHED WRITER

Random House experience with key members of the company, including time with fiction publisher Harriet Allan and $200 worth of books from Random House.

PEOPLES’ CHOICE AWARD

$750 cash, story published in Sunday Star-Times and $250 worth of books from Random House.

CLICK HERE to download entry form

CLICK HERE for Terms and conditions.

Monday, July 12, 2010

New Zealand Post Book Awards

Background
Before 1996, there were two major New Zealand literary prizes, the New Zealand Book Awards (1973‐1995) and the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards (1968‐1993).
Montana took over the sponsorship of the Wattie Awards in 1994, and the Awards became the Montana Book Awards (1994‐1995). In 1996, the two Awards merged to form the Montana New Zealand Book Awards (1996‐2009). In 2010, sponsorship of the Awards was assumed by New Zealand Post.

The finalists for the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards have been announced!

FICTION CATEGORY

As the Earth Turns Silver

Alison Wong


Limestone

Fiona Farrell


Living as a Moon

Owen Marshall


POETRY CATEGORY

Just This

Brian Turner


The Lustre Jug

Bernadette Hall


The Tram Conductor’s Blue Cap

Michael Harlow


GENERAL NON-FICTION CATEGORY

Aphrodite’s Island

Anne Salmond


Beyond the Battlefield: New Zealand and its Allies, 1939-1945

Gerald Hensley


Cone Ten Down: Studio pottery in New Zealand, 1945-1980

Moyra Elliott and Damian Skinner


Encircled Lands: Te Urewera, 1820-1921

Judith Binney


The Invention of New Zealand Art & National Identity, 1930-1970

Francis Pound


ILLUSTRATED NON-FICTION CATEGORY

Art at Te Papa

William McAloon (editor)


Go Fish: Recipes and stories from the New Zealand Coast

Al Brown


Māori Architecture: From fale to wharenui and beyond

Deidre Brown


Marti Friedlander

Leonard Bell


Mrkusich: The Art of Transformation

Alan Wright and Edward Hanfling


BEST FIRST BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2010

NZSA HUBERT CHURCH BEST FIRST BOOK OF FICTION AWARD WINNER

Relief

Anna Taylor


NZSA JESSIE MACKAY BEST FIRST BOOK OF POETRY AWARD WINNER

Fast Talking PI

Selina Tusitala Marsh


NZSA E.H. MCCORMICK BEST FIRST BOOK OF NON-FICTION AWARD WINNER

Trust: A True Story of Women & Gangs

Pip Desmond


PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
The extremely popular Readers’ Choice Award is the public’s opportunity to vote for their favourite book of the 16 finalist titles, as selected by the judges, either online or by paper ballot. Voting opens every year with the public announcement of the finalist list.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The Hunting of the Sock...

Ella Davey about to embark on the Red Sock Hunt in the Children's Library. Happy hunting Ella!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

RED : Read Every Day!

In the Children's Library we’re seeing red these school holidays!!
Join in the fun…
 Face Painting - Tuesday mornings 10:30 - 11:30am @ Timaru Library
 Have a go at our RED Sock Hunt
 Come into the Library on Tuesdays or Thursdays wearing something red and you could win cool prizes
 Competitions (available at all libraries)
 Quiz
 Create a red book character
 Leadership competitions
 Poetry competition
 Who am I? quiz or colouring competition for younger children
And on Wednesday 7 July 10.30-11.30am @ Timaru Library you can
Meet a Firefighter!
Don't forget to join the 200+ awesome kids in the district who've signed up for the Hot Reads for Cool Nights Winter Reading Challenge! 
Plus there's Storytime every Friday 11.30-12 at Timaru Library
See you here!!!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

New Zealand Poetry Day

National Poetry Day is a celebration of poetry in New Zealand. It’s a day which gives communities all over New Zealand an opportunity to enjoy the written word out loud. What makes the day work is a series of public events and activities that aim to involve as many people as possible in celebrating the extraordinary world of New Zealand poetry. Enter our New Zealand Day Poetry Competition, prizes will be awarded to selected poems and announced at our Poetry Day Readings on Friday 30th July in the Main Libarry. For more details email nigel.brown@timdc.govt.nz.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

BNZ Literary Awards 2010

After 51 years, the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Awards are getting a facelift and are being renamed as the 'BNZ Literary Awards', with the Premier Award becoming the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award.

For over half a century BNZ has been proud to support New Zealand's preeminent Short Story writing competition, which was founded to acknowledge the work of Katherine Mansfield and celebrate New Zealand literature.

For many of New Zealand's famous writers, such as Frank Sargeson, Keri Hulme, Maurice Shadbolt, Charlotte Grimshaw and CK Stead, winning the main Award was where it all started. So make sure you send us your short story between 1 June and 23 July 2010. For more information visit the BNZ website here.