Julia Marshall has been selected as the 2021 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal  winner for lifetime achievement and distinguished contribution to New Zealand children’s literature. She will be presented with her medal and deliver the 2021 Storylines Margaret Mahy lecture on 28 March at Storylines’ national awards ceremony in Auckland.

Julia Marshall has been described as “a truly innovative and fearless publisher [whose] standards of excellence never waver”. She has a record of being innovative and brave – no more so than when starting Gecko Press in 2005.

She began by selecting other quality titles previously unpublished in English, and has continued her approach to publishing quality literature for young people over the last 16 years. More recently, she began publishing titles as te reo Māori editions.

She has published numerous books selected for “Best of” lists, including in 2020, The House of Madame M by Clotilde Perrin and Migrants by Issa Watanabe by Kirkus Reviews; Bear Named Bjorn by Delphine Perret in the New York Public Library Best books for Kids 2020; The Gobbledegook Book: A Joy Cowley Anthology by Joy Cowley in the International Youth Library, White Raven selection 2020; and The Mapmakers’ Race by Eirlys Hunter as an IBBY Honour Book in 2020.

Early publishing success for Julia and Gecko Press came in the form of Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop, which won the New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year award and the Junior Fiction award in 2008. Snake and Lizard was the first original New Zealand title from Gecko Press.

In addition to making Gecko Press a publishing success story, Julia is also strongly supportive of local writers and the New Zealand children’s literature community. Over the past two years Julia has been President of the Publishers Association of New Zealand, and one of the PANZ/NZSA/CNZLA Copyright Working Group set up to protect the rights of writers and illustrators of Aotearoa.

Storylines congratulates Julia, and looks forward to her presentation of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture.

Read more about the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal & Lecture Award.
Read more about Julia and Gecko Press.

The role of Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador for children and young people was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in August 2020.

Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador champions the importance of reading in the lives of young New Zealanders, their whänau, and communities. They are a national reading role model, building visibility and awareness of reading across all sectors in Aotearoa New Zealand and helping to create a nation of readers.

The name Te Awhi Rito comes from the harakeke or flax plant. The 'rito' is the young shoot at the centre of the plant and ‘Awhi Rito’ are the strong mature leaves that stand straight and tall to surround, protect and nurture the rito. Outside Te Awhi Rito are the 'Tupuna' or older leaves that bend towards the ground, supporting the entire harakeke bush and eventually becoming part of the fertile ground beneath. The harakeke is sometimes used as a metaphor for the generations in a family with te Awhi Rito as parents, connecting the young people or rito in the centre of the bush to their grandparents or tūpuna. Te Awhi Rito represents this role in nurturing and inspiring the rito who are the young readers and new readers. The tūpuna represent the many organisations, authors, teachers, libraries and other advocates for reading in Aotearoa New Zealand

Over time, each Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador will add their mana and mahi to strengthen the whole harakeke or He Pā Rito.

The Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador initiative is led by the National Library in collaboration with founding partners Te Puna Foundation, Creative New Zealand, Storylines and Te Pou Muramura Read NZ. Funding for the role has been provided by Te Puna Foundation for the first three years, though it is anticipated that this will be an enduring programme.

The inaugural Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador will be appointed part time for two years. The details of the programme they will undertake will be determined by the strengths and interests of Te Awhi Rito, working with the partner group, which will provide support to the successful appointee.

Appointment to the position is by nomination. A selection panel of up to eight people, including representatives of the founding partner group, will make the final decision.

More detail is on the web page.

The establishment of a high-profile national voice for reading and literacy is something Storylines has worked for and dreamed of for many years. We are delighted to be working with National Library, Te Puna Foundation, Creative New Zealand and Te Pou Muramura Read NZ to bring the dream to reality in 2021.

2021 Storylines National Awards