2017 Awards news

Awards were presented at the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal Presnetaton and Awards day on 2 April 2017 for award winners of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award, the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award, and the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award, as well as certificates for Storylines Notable Books 2017, and for the highly commended and commended authors in the Storylines Joy Cowley Award.

Veteran children’s novelist Des Hunt was the recipient of the 2017 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal. Des is the much-admired author of more than 20 acclaimed children’s and young adult novels, most set in New Zealand with strong environment and science themes. Read the full press release here.
Des received his award and presented the 2017 Margaret Mahy Lecture in Auckland on 2 April, at the annual Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal Presentation and Awards Day. Read more here. You can see a video of Des' lecture here.

Other Award winners also received their awards, and Notable Book winners were presented with certificates. Read more on each of the Awards pages. You can read details of all the Awards on the links below:

Storylines, in line with its general advocacy for the development of New Zealand children’s literature, offers eight awards to writers, illustrators, publishers and those working in the field of children’s literature and literacy.
These include:

• Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award for lifetime achievement and a distinguished contribution to New Zealand children’s literature and literacy.
• Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award for outstanding service to New Zealand children’s literature and literacy.  
• Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for a children's novel manuscript by an unpublished writer, in association with Scholastic New Zealand.  
• Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-Loved Book.
• Storylines Joy Cowley Award for a picture book text, in association with Scholastic New Zealand.
• Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for a previously unpublished picture book illustrator, in association with Penguin Random House New Zealand.
• Storylines Tessa Duder Award for a young adult novel manuscript, open to published and unpublished writers in association with Walker Books Australia.
• Storylines Notable Book Award List for books published in the previous calendar year.

These awards are nationally and internationally recognised, acknowledging achievement and service and providing opportunities for new and emerging talent.
Most awards are presented at the Storylines Margaret Mahy Day in March/April each year, at which the winner of the Margaret Mahy Medal presents a lecture on a topic of their choice. The Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award recipient delivers the Storylines Spring Lecture at an award presentation usually held in November.