Our annual Storylines awards ceremony ­– the Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day – was postponed during the first Covid-19 lockdown. We have now had to cancel the rescheduled celebratory event for Storylines award winners, due to be held on Sunday 6 September.

Maria Gill, winner of the 2020 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, presented the Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture online on our YouTube channel at 9.30am on Sunday 6 September. If you missed it, you can still watch now.

We still hope that celebration of our 2020 Storylines Notable Books Award winners will be in November, alongside the presentation of the Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award and Spring Lecture. We'll post details closer to the date.

We will profile our other award winners in the coming weeks on our website and YouTube channel. In the meantime, read the details of each of our award winners on the web pages:

• Storylines Margaret Mahy Award for lifetime achievement and significant contribution to the broad field of children’s literature and literacy: Maria Gill
• Storylines Te Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award for a manuscript originally written in te reo Māori, sponsored by Huia Publishing: Ngā Ngeru o te Tiriti o Pāia by Amiria Stirling from Aro Valley. Watch the award presentation online now to celebrate at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xPAq2haGHU
• Storylines Joy Cowley Award a picture book text, sponsored by Scholastic NZ: Grandpa Versus Swing by Tania Sickling
• Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for a junior novel manuscript, sponsored by Scholastic NZ: A recipe for disaster by Belinda O'Keefe
• Storylines Tessa Duder Award for a young adult manuscript, sponsored by Walker Books Australia: Displaced by Cristina Sanders of Havelock North
• Storylines Janice Marriott Mentoring Award, sponsored by Janice Marriott: Janine Williams

Maria Gill	Amiria Stirling	Belinda O'Keefe
Cristina Sanders	Janine Williams	Tania Sickling

In October our Northland Story Tour goes live online

The Storylines Northland Story Tour is going digital and you can join us from your bubble, your classroom, your living room or anywhere else you choose!

Applications are open to all of New Zealand to join one (or more) of the digital sessions, for different age groups, that will be LIVE-streamed. The sessions run from Monday 12 October to Friday 16 October – you choose the session(s) and the guest(s).

You also have the opportunity to ask questions to the presenters in real-time.

These live-streamed sessions are exactly what they say: they are only available to watch live, at the stated time.

There is no cost to join any of the streams. Once you book, a link and password will be sent to you.

Registrations for the Northland Story Tour open soon. Watch this space or our Facebook page for updates. Presenters will be confirmed shortly. A tentative programme includes:

Michael Petherick

Sarah Ell

Zak Waipara

Chrissie Walker

Monday12 October: Michael Petherick

Debut novelist Michael Petherick lives, writes and plays music in Wellington. He wrote the popular Rhyme Ninja poems in Annual, and first introduced readers to the seething world of Newtoun in Annual 2’s prequel, Community Noticeboard. #Tumeke! is his exciting new book. Described as a multimedia novel for young readers and those who are young-at-heart, #Tumeke! has truly unique and visually appealing pages.
Michael's sessions are: 9.15 - 10.00am Yrs 7 & 8; 11.30 – 12.15pm Yrs 5 & 6; 2.00 - 2.45pm Yrs 7 & 8

Tuesday 13 October: Sarah Ell

Born and raised on Auckland’s North Shore, Sarah Ell is a journalist and writer of fiction and non-fiction, whose books often have a maritime theme. She has worked as a journalist and a sub-editor for the Auckland Star, Boating New Zealand, Trends and The New Zealand Herald, and as a commissioning editor for publishers Random House. Sarah has written three novels for young readers, and in 2003 was shortlisted for the LIANZA Esther Glen Medal. She has also written the historical survey There She Blows: Sealing and Whaling in New Zealand.

Sarah's sessions are: 9.15 - 10.00am Yrs7 & 8; 11.30 – 12.15pm Yrs 5 & 6; 2.00 - 2.45pm Yrs 7 & 8

Wednesday 14 October: Zak Waipara

A former New Zealand Herald graphic artist and HOD of Animation at Animation College, Zak Waipara (Rongowhakāta, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu) is now Digital Media Lecturer at AUT. He has worked as a designer for Māori Television’s children’s show Miharo, illustrated comics and a range of books, and created animated music videos. Zak also created the design and artwork for New Zealand's International Children's Book Day 2007 poster. Zak’s illustrated his latest book, The Stolen Stars of Matariki, with Miriama Kamo who provided the text.

Zak's sessions are : 9.15 - 10.00am Yrs 3 & 4; 11.30 – 12.15pm Yrs 5 & 6; 2.00 - 2.45pm Yrs 3-6

Thursday 15 October: Chrissie Walker

The Short but Brilliant Career of Lucas Weed by debut author Chrissie Walker won the 2017 Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for an unpublished writer.

The book tells the story of Lucas Weed. He hasn’t really made any friends at his new school, so when the ‘cool kids’ suggest he carry out a prank in class, Lucas thinks it might be his path to being accepted. And when the pranks keep getting more and more outrageous – and with videos uploaded to YouTube – Lucas Weed’s popularity soars! But soon things start to go out of control ...

Chrissie's sessions are: 9.15 - 10.00am Yrs 5 & 6; 11.30 – 12.15pm Yrs7 & 8; 2.00 - 2.45pm Yrs 5 & 6.

Friday 16 October: Combined presentations

9.00am Chrissie Walker and Michael Petherick

2.00pm Sarah Ell and Zak Waipara

You are welcome to book more than one session.

Any questions? Email festival@storylines.org.nz

Please share with your networks and communities around New Zealand.

New name for Storylines Children's Literature Foundation