PANZ News - Bologna Children’s Book Fair

Bologna Children’s Book Fair: cold outside but warm inside

Julia Marshall went buying and selling as usual at this year’s Bologna Fair, and reports that the weather was terrible as usual, but the Book Fair warm and buzzing with business.

“People were finding good books, it seems. That is the feedback I got – you hear pretty quickly if the comment is ‘there’s nothing to buy.’” Gecko Press has so far sold Mrs Mo’s Monster to Denmark, but is expecting further sales of overseas rights to their titles to follow.

On the buying side, Julia says there were choices. “We are actually looking at having to select from all the possibilities, because there are just too many to include them all in our publishing programme.”

For another Kiwi publisher attending, Dreamboat Books’ Mark Sommerset, it was his first opportunity to meet some existing European customers. He reports that Baa Baa Smart Sheep and I Love Lemonade are each now in six languages, and he also sold German and French rights to their new title The Boy in the Cherry Tree. Rowan and Mark also briefly smuggled their five year old son Linden into the Fair. While children are not officially allowed, other publishers welcomed Linden and got him to try their latest devices.

 

Terry Brooks at Armageddon for Literary Event

The Armageddon Literary Fair is a new development this year at the Armageddon expo over Labour Weekend in Auckland.

Held at the ASB Showgrounds, this literary event will be aimed at attracting readers, aspiring writers and encouraging fresh faces to take part in the fantasy, sci-fi and wider markets – action, romance, mystery and more.

With the growing youth interest in books this connection to the Armageddon audience (60,000 in 2013) is well timed to reach readers at the venue.

As well as New York Times bestselling fantasy author Terry Brooks, UK fantasy writer Robert Rankin will also be there, with further authors yet to be announced.

This event will be free for the public to attend and located in Hall 6 outside the main Armageddon event. The Literary Fair will also have Q&A panels, author signing areas and a retail area showcasing online and physical booksellers, plus feature display space for the whole publishing industry.

If you are a publisher who would like to take part in this event or would like more information on the opportunities available, contact Harrison Geradts at Harrison@beyondrealitymedia.com.
Tel 03 384 7186  Mobile 021 024 92520

Walker Books to sponsor Storylines Tessa Duder Award

Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand has announced a new sponsorship arrangement for the Storylines Tessa Duder Award for a Young Adult Novel. Walker Books Australia now sponsor the Award.

Publisher Sarah Foster said the Storylines Tessa Duder Award will be a wonderful means of discovering, encouraging and publishing New Zealand’s significant pool of writing talent. “Publishing thought-provoking, well written books for young adults has never been more important than today. In a world of internet sound bites, young people want exposure to broader experiences in order to make sense of the adult world. Good young adult fiction allows them to do this safely.”


 

Te Manu Ka Tau guest a New Zealand Festival Hit

While he was in Wellington for the Te Manu Ka Tau fellowship programme, Max Porter (right), Senior Editor at Granta Books in London (and who is also the UK editor of Man Booker prize winner Eleanor Catton) found time to be a guest at the Writers Festival.

Kathryn Carmody, Writers Festival Programme Manager, wrote to PANZ: “Thank you for bringing Te Manu Ka Tau to the New Zealand Festival this year, and for allowing us to use one of the guests in the public programme. I think it added a really valuable component for our audience. Max Porter’s session on the Monday is still the one that I’m receiving the most positive feedback about.

“We’d love to collaborate again.”

For media links to Porter's session see Radio New New Zealand and New Zealand Listener.

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