New Zealand Listener announces key appointments

Media information appts - 1
28 February 2008

The New Zealand Listener announces key appointments

The New Zealand Listener has announced three new appointments to its editorial team. Mary Jane Boland has taken up the role of deputy editor, David Fisher is on board as a senior staff writer and Guy Somerset is new arts and books editor.

Mary Jane Boland, Deputy Editor
Mary Jane Boland comes to The Listener with an extensive background in daily and weekly newspapers. She has written for publications around the world including The Guardian, Sunday Life in South Africa, and even a Czech newspaper. Most recently Mary Jane worked at the Sunday Star-Times where she was deputy assistant editor and formerly chief reporter. She has a particular interest in health and education issues, and covered those rounds for the New Zealand Herald, Dominion Post and Evening Post. Along with Qantas and travel writing awards, Mary Jane is also author of ‘The Good Weekend Guide’ travel book.

Guy Somerset, Arts and Books Editor
British-born arts and books editor Guy Somerset joins The Listener from The Dominion Post, where he won both Qantas and Montana awards for his book pages. He was also a regular panellist on TV One's The Book Show and wrote the Shelf Life blog for Stuff. Before moving to New Zealand in 2001, Guy was deputy arts and entertainment editor of Metro newspaper in London. He will be returning to the blogosphere shortly with Culture Vulture on The Listener and New Zealand Herald websites.

David Fisher, Senior Writer
David Fisher has worked as a journalist for 18 years in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. David brings with him highly respected investigative journalism skills for which his efforts have won him a string of journalism awards. These include most recently the Qantas Media Awards' Reporter of the Year and the Wolfson Press Fellowship to study at Cambridge University in the UK. David most recently worked at APN's Herald on Sunday.

Listener editor Pamela Stirling says the appointments are a huge coup for The New Zealand Listener.

“Mary Jane’s wide experience in national and international broadsheet media means she is exceptionally well prepared to take on the role of deputy editor. She is an excellent journalist and it is a pleasure to have her working beside me.

“Guy Somerset‘s literary expertise and sophisticated command of the written language make for engaging reading and our readers will appreciate the entertaining style of his articles and blogs,” Ms Stirling says. Guy’s blog, Culture Vulture, a continuation of the Listener column of the same name, will be appearing at nzherald.co.nz from Monday March 10. Within the arts and books pages of the magazine, Guy has already commissioned stimulating viewpoints from commentators such as Hamish Keith. Hamish’s first column appears in the March 8 issue of the Listener on sale now.

“David brings his superb investigative skills complemented by a determination to get to the heart of any story and write it in a compelling way – his presence augments our already strong newsroom.”

ENDS

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