08 Oct 2010
Expressions of interest are now welcomed from individuals interested in reading and judging New Zealand‘s best books of 2010 for next year’s New Zealand Post Book Awards. Anyone wanting to be part of the judging panel should apply by 27 October - from avid and critical readers to reviewers, authors, publishers, academics, booksellers and beyond.
The New Zealand Post Book Awards, this country’s premier book awards for contemporary writing, celebrate excellence and recognising the very best books written by New Zealanders, published annually.
Last year the New Zealand Post Book Awards Advisory Committee, comprising stakeholder representatives, decided to expand the judging panel from three to five; four judges and one judge/convenor. If additional Te Reo skills are required to judge the Māori Language Award, an advisor will be appointed. Equally, if the panel requires expert assistance in any given subject area, it will be sought.
The Awards are administered for the industry by Booksellers New Zealand whose CEO, Lincoln Gould, said he received positive feedback about the new structure of judging after the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards.
The Advisory Committee considers it important that this judging panel covers a wide range of skills and expertise – it is the variety of voices and perspectives around the judging table that makes for some wonderful discussion and debate.
According to Gould: “Every book that makes it onto the shortlist does so only after close reading, robust discussion and critique. It is also important that a consensus is reached between the five members of the judging panel.
“It’s certainly no easy task. If a judge loves a book, they’ll go into battle for it – and yet the best books generally naturally rise to the top, making many decisions unanimous.
“In the past some of this country’s most highly respected authors, academics, reviewers, publishers and booksellers have sat on the panel of judges. Judging involves reading over 200 books that are entered for the Awards each year.
As a result the judging experience will be very stimulating and rewarding,” said Gould
Those wishing to apply must complete the application form (available on www.nzpostbookawards.co.nz), and provide a brief curriculum vitae to the Awards Administrator by Wednesday, 27 October 2010. The judging panel will be selected by the Awards Advisory Committee, comprising stakeholder representatives.
Closing Dates
Applications close: 5pm, Wednesday 27 October 2010.
For further information contact:
Anna Burtt
Awards Administrator
Booksellers NZ
ph: 04 815 8364
Background Information
The principal sponsors of the New Zealand Post Book Awards are the New Zealand Post Group and Creative New Zealand. The awards are managed by Booksellers New Zealand and supported by the New Zealand Society of Authors and Book Tokens (NZ) Ltd.
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 theMontana 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 were assumed by the New Zealand Post Group.
New Zealand Post Book Awards Advisory Committee
Doris Mousdale (Bookseller NZ Board Representative, Arcadia Bookshop)
Carole Beu (Booksellers NZ Board Representative, The Women’s Bookshop)
Nicola Airey (Group Sponsorship Manager, New Zealand Post)
Raewyn Bright (Creative NZ, Organisations Adviser)
Diane Brown (NZSA Representative)
David Ling (PANZ Representative, David Ling Publishing)
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