Storylines Awards deadlines

Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award - for service to New Zealand children’s literature. The award honours the ‘unsung heroes’ of children’s literature, either at a regional or national level. Entries are now being accepted – see here for entry forms and guidelines. Nominations close 31 August 2018 and the presentation is held in November 2018.
2017 Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award winner, Maureen Crisp
Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award - for lifetime achievement and a distinguished contribution to New Zealand children’s literature and literacy. Nominations are invited, deadline is 30 November and the presentation is held in April 2019. 2018 Storylines Margaret Mahy Award winner, Janice Marriott
Storylines Gavin Bishop Award - biennial award for illustration by new and unpublished illustrators. See here or the story, Ruru and Kiwi’s Midnight Feast by Clare Scott, chosen by sponsor Penguin Random House to be illustrated plus a storyboard template, plus entry forms and guidelines. Entries close 30 November 2018. 2017 Storylines Gavin Bishop Award winner, Lael Chisholm
Storylines Notable Books Awards - for books published in 2018. Submissions are now being accepted from publishers and authors. See here for entry forms and guidelines. Deadline 30 November 2018.
Storylines manuscript awards - the Storylines Joy Cowley Award for a picture book text and the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for a junior fiction manuscript. Entries for both close on 31 October 2018. 2018 Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award winner, James Guthrie

Storylines has published "wish lists" from publishers - guidelines for successfully submitting manuscripts. Restricted to Storylines members only. Join Storylines here.

The 2018 Storylines Notable Book lists of the best children's books published in 2017 are out. Read the lists here.

Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, presented Janice Marriott with the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal on 8 April. Read more here.

Recent News

Storylines Margaret Mahy Awards Day

The Storylines Margaret Mahy Awards Day in April was a celebration of successes in the children's literature world. Prime Minister and Minster for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern attended and presented Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal winner Janice Marriott with her award.
Read more about the day.
Watch the video of Janice Marriott's lecture, or read the text.

IMG 6080 Jacinda Adern presents the Margaret Mahy Medal to Janice Marriott-372-973-790-227

Notable Books 2018

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The annual list of Storylines Notable Books has been announced. The list is a great guide to the best new Zealand children's and YA books published in the last year.

Info worth reading

Member-only videos and tip sheets launched

Storylines members can now receive access to a series of 16 videos, filmed at the 2017 Storylines Writers and Illustrators Hui. The videos provide insights into the creative and writing processes of 16 of our top writers and illustrators.Check out a sample here. Members can access the first videos here. Others will be uploaded during may and June.
The series of "Top Ten Tips" sheets offer pithy and useful advice to aspiring writers and illustrators, andfor teachers, parents and librarians. They're written by leading practitioners such as Bruce Potter and Leonie Agnew among others. Coming: more from writers and Illustrators, plus from educators on getting your child reading and an agent on how to get published.

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New Zealand children's books fit for a prince

Storylines is delighted to know that the country’s official gift to the new royal baby Prince Louis included a selection of New Zealand children’s books. Chosen by Kate De Goldi to feature a range of experiences, these were:

My New Zealand ABC Book; learn the alphabet with art and objects from Te Papa, text by James Brown
My New Zealand 123 Book; learn counting with the art and objects from Te Papa, text by James Brown
My New Zealand Colours Book; learning colours with the art and objects from Te Papa, text by James Brown
Nga Ahua - Shapes by Kitty Brown & Kirsten Parkinson
The Word Witch by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by David Elliott, edited by Tessa Duder
The Fish of Maui by Peter Gossage
Slinky Malinki by Lynley Dodd
Bad Dog, Flash! by Ruth Paul
The Longest Breakfast by Jenny Bornholdt, illustrated by Sarah Wilkins
The House that Jack Built by Gavin Bishop
The Duck in the Gun by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Robyn Belton
Kiss, Kiss, Yuck, Yuck by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Ali Teo & John O’Reilly
The Kuia and the Spider by Patricia Grace, illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa
Talia by Catherine Hannken, illustrated by Trish Bowles
So Many Wonderfuls by Tina Matthews.

The Word Witch was among a number of New Zealand children's books selected as part of the gift for Prince Louis by Kate de Goldi.

Publication of book from 35^th IBBY Congress

Understanding Ourselves and Others through Children's Literature in a Multiliterate World.

Trentham Books has agreed to publish abook of 12 chapters with a foreword by the IBBY President Wally De Doncker and an introduction by the joint editors, Nicola Daly, Pam Dix (chair of UK IBBY and an editor) and Storylines' chair Dr. Libby Limbrick.

The publication timeline allows the book to be available for sale at the 36^th IBBY Congress in Athens, in late August this year. Trentham’s publishing editor Gillian Klein has asked that we obtain pre-orders (at a discounted price) to help meet the costs. For more information, contact Libby Limbrick.

IBBY NZ project provides books for refugee children

A USD 5000 (NZ$6,633.23) grant from the Yamada Foundation was recently received by IBBY NZ to fund providing books in their own languages to refugee children arriving in new Zealand. Books are shortly arriving from Iran, Singapore, Myanmar, and Palestine in the following languages to meet the needs of refugee children arriving this year: Farsi, Arabic, Tamil, Punjabi, Burmese, Karen, Chin, and hopefully Rohingyan. Books will be delivered directly to the AUT Refugee Education Centre at Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre.
The goodwill engendered by the Auckland Congress is evident by the widespread interest and support from National Sections in the Yamada project with several offers of donations of books.

Our Supporters

Storylines would like to thank our major funders and supporters:

Creative New Zealand

Storylines is supported by the Creative New Zealand Toi Uru Kahikatea (Arts Development) Investments Programme, with funding to assist us in our mission of supporting New Zealand children's and young adult writers and illustrators, and in engaging young New Zealanders with books and reading.

Foundation North

Lottery Grants Board, Community Matters

We also receive generous funding from:

Auckland Council	Lion Foundation	New Zealand Book Council

Other organisations

Other organisations who share our objective of promoting books and reading in New Zealand include:

Storylines Awards deadlines

Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award

Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award

Storylines Gavin Bishop Award

Storylines Notable Books Awards

Storylines manuscript awards

Recent News

Storylines Margaret Mahy Awards Day