Some people love Oscar season, but for me, it's got nothing on NZCYA Book Awards season! And this year we're off to an exciting start! The finalists were announced today, and I'm extra excited this year, because there are four Christchurch-based authors in the running!
Gavin Bishop is once again a finalist, this time in the BookHub Picture Book category with his board book Titiro Look. Bishop has won several times before, in a variety of categories, so it's not surprising that Titiro Look is a finalist.
Also up for the picture book award are Juliette MacIver with Beddy Bye in the Kowhai Tree, Dahlia Malaeulu with Mataali‘i, Kate Preece for Ten Nosey Weka, and Ruth Paul with You Can't Pat a Fish.
Next up is Rachael King with her rockstar-wannabe Violet Grumble in Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff. She is a finalist in the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award. When I look at the Violet and the Velvets books, I can't help but remember about how much my step-daughter loved Hannah Montana, or how much year-old me loved Jem and the Holograms! (Jem is now available as comic books! Though I'm not sure how closely this version of Jem resembles the Jem of my youth...) So I'm sure 13-year-old me would have loved this book, and no doubt there are plenty of tweens about now who will love it too. Whether that's enough to beat out Jane Arthur, Li Chen, Bren MacDibble, and Claire Mabey remains to be seen of course!
In the Elsie Locke Non-fiction category, Ross Calman is our local finalist with his latest work on the Treaty of Waitangi. Also in the running are David Riley with Black Magic, Hinemoa Elder with Dear Moko: Māori Wisdom for our Young Ones, Katie Furze with Ruru: Night Hunter, and Mele Tonga Grant with Tui Pea Luva.
Finally, Ariana Stevens is a contender for the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for her translation of Miriama Kamo's The Kai Stars of Matariki. She is up against A Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara, Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, Ka mātoro a Whetū rāua ko Kohu i Rotorua, and Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina.
For the full list of finalists, check out the NZCYA awards website.
A few years back, I had a go at picking the winners. It turned out that I completely failed, but I enjoyed the attempt. I might have another go... although given my track record, I think I'll just pick my favourites, rather than trying to actually predict anything!! (Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Wellington on Wednesday 13 August).
Add a comment to: The NZCYA Book Awards feature four finalists from Ōtautahi-Christchurch