Monday, May 14, 2007


Storylines Festival of New Zealand Children’s Writers and Illustrators 2007

Storylines Festival seminar tickets now available.
Story is a Place – featuring Shaun Tan (Australia) and John Boyne (Ireland)

The Heritage Hotels Seminar Series are stimulating evening events for adults interested in children’s literature, where you can hear top international authors talk about the thinking that underlies their books, with specific reference this year to how the keynote authors consider place and context in developing their work.

The 2007 seminars are at Heritage Auckland on 6 June, Heritage Christchurch on 7 June and National Library Auditorium in Wellington on 8 June. Tickets are on sale now from The Children’s Bookshop in Christchurch, The Children’s Bookshop in Wellington and Jabberwocky Children’s Bookshop in Auckland for the event in their city.

This year we have a superb author/illustrator from Australia, Shaun Tan, with a particular focus on his new wordless graphic novel The Arrival (currently finalist in the Australian Children’s Book of the Year Awards). Teachers with a focus on visual literacy will particularly find his presentation informative, as will those involved with speakers of English as a second language, for whom The Arrival reaches across the barriers of language to tell a story that is accessible for all. Shaun’s work has fabulous depth and detail and he has a great talent for sharing his work with the audience.

Irish novelist John Boyne is the author of the much-discussed The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – a story of childhood in the time of the Holocaust and winner of the Irish Book Award Children's Book of the Year and Listener's Choice Book of the Year. It is currently number one in the Irish Bestseller Charts, where it has been for 47 weeks so far.

John has written several novels for adults but this was his first for children, and he is currently in Budapest where a film of this powerful book is in production.

Originally, Carnegie medal winner Mal Peet was to have appeared at the seminars with Shaun, but his visit has been cancelled due to serious illness in the family.

Each seminar will be chaired by a different New Zealander – Bill Nagelkerke in Auckland, Mary McCallum in Wellington and Trevor Agnew in Christchurch. All are experts in various aspects of the book world with library, bookshop, reviewing and writing experience making them well qualified to lead these interesting events.

Seminars are preceded by drinks and nibbles and a chance to meet other children’s literature experts and fans. A bookseller will be at each event with time for signing at the end of the evening.

Early booking is recommended, tickets sold out last year. Full details on http://www.storylines.org.nz/

For further information about the seminars and the many other Storylines Festival events, to request photographs or arrange interviews please contact:
Crissi Blair
Storylines Festival Manager
Phone 09 836 1261
Email festival@storylines.org.nz

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