First-timers up against establishment in awards

PRESS RELEASE
28 MAY 2007

This year's Spectrum Print Book Design Awards shortlist, announced today, pits first-time publishers against the established companies that have dominated the awards in recent years.

Designer Alexandra Johnson has been shortlisted for her work on African Wildlife written by Dr Rod East and published by friends after his death from cancer late last year. Dr East was the Deputy Chief Executive of NIWA until his retirement in 2002, and won the Sir Peter Scott Award for Conservation Merit in 2006.

Up against them is multinational Random House, who published six out of the fifteen shortlisted books, including two designed by Nick Turzynski, a multiple nominee for these awards.

Joining Turzynski are two others who have dominated the awards in recent years: Wellington designers Neil Pardington and Sarah Maxey.

Maxey has earned two shortlistings this year for Best Non-Illustrated Book, for How to Catch a Cricket Match (published by Awa Press) by Harry Ricketts, and Brief Lives (published by Auckland University Press) by Chris Price. Pardington has been shortlisted for Best Cover and Best Illustrated Book for his cover work on Eagles' Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand (published by Te Papa Press), written and illustrated by Audrey Eagle.

Convenor of judges, Denis Welch says the judges enjoyed the experience of choosing from such a "wealth of wonderful design ideas". "We were impressed by the standard of entries for Best Illustrated Book and found it hard narrowing down the choice."

Welch, who is Deputy Editor of the New Zealand Listener, was joined on the panel by bookseller Beth Davies and William Chen, founding art director of Metro magazine and Art Director of Cuisine.

The book design awards have been run annually since 1997 by the Book Publishers Association of New Zealand. The winners will be announced on 29 July at an awards ceremony in Auckland.

ENDS

FULL SHORTLIST

BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK

Eagle's Complete Trees & Shrubs of New Zealand
Author and Illustrator Audrey Eagle
Designer Covers by Neil Pardington, interior by Robyn Sivewright of Afineline
Publisher Te Papa Press

Landscape Paintings of New Zealand
Author Christopher Johnstone
Designer Nick Turzynski
Publisher Random House New Zealand

Stitch
Author Anne Packer
Designer Sharon Grace
Publisher Random House New Zealand

BEST NON-ILLUSTRATED BOOK

Brief Lives
Author Chris Price, Illustrator Brendan O'Brien
Designer Cover by Sarah Maxey, interior by Katrina Duncan
Publisher Auckland University Press

How to catch a cricket match
Author Harry Ricketts
Designer Cover by Scott Kennedy, series design by Sarah Maxey
Publisher Awa Press

Instructions for New Zealanders
Author Richard Wolfe
Designer Cover by Katy Yiakmis, Interior by Christine Hansen
Publisher Random House New Zealand

BEST EDUCATIONAL BOOK

African Wildlife
Author and Photographer Dr. Rod East
Designer Alexandra Johnson & engine
Publisher Rod's Friends

Sigma Mathematics (3rd Edition)
Author David Barton
Designer Cover and page design by Polly Faulks, interior by Mona Mohun
Publisher Pearson Education New Zealand

Te Kete Kupu
Author Huia
Designer Ross Mills
Publisher Huia (NZ) Ltd

BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK

Barnaby Bennett
Author Hannah Rainforth, Illustrator Ali Teo
Designer Lynley McDonald
Publisher Huia (NZ) Ltd.

Legends of Ngatoro-i-rangi
Author Karen Taiaroa-Smithies & Mervyn Taiaroa
Designer Cheryl Rowe
Publisher Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd

Riding the Waves
Author Gavin Bishop
Designer Jacinda Torrance and Sharon Grace
Publisher Random House New Zealand

BEST COVER

Eagle's Complete Trees & Shrubs of New Zealand
Author and Illustrneline
Publisher Te Papa Press

Farm
Author Vaughan Yarwood
Designer Nick Turzynski
Publisher Random House New Zealand

Paintings of the Birds of New Zealand
Author J G Keulemans
Designer Chester Elliot
Publisher Random House New Zealand

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