Print Media Dominate Review Awards Shortlist

News Release

For immediate release
23 June 2008

Print Media Dominate Review Awards Shortlist

Print media have taken all six shortlist spots in this year’s Book Publishers Association of New Zealand (BPANZ) Review Awards.

Presented each year in conjunction with the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, the BPANZ Review Awards recognise the vital importance of articulate, responsible, informed criticism in maintaining a healthy literary culture.

This year’s judges, former BPANZ Reviewer of the Year winner, David Eggleton and publisher, Elizabeth Caffin said the quality of this years review entries is a sign of the health of reading and writing in this country at the moment.

‘We were impressed by the increasing sophistication of reviewers. Lively reviews written with style and showing a familiarity with authors and their context were the norm,’ the judges’ said.

The finalists in the BPANZ Reviewer of the Year category are: Jolisa Gracewood, Charlotte Grimshaw and Paula Morris.

Reviewers submitted a portfolio of three to five reviews for consideration by the judges. This year all three shortlisted finalists’ reviews were published in the New Zealand Listener.

The judges’ said that the best review pages and programmes entered this year covered a range of titles and revealed a strong sense of their reader.

The finalists in the 2008 BPANZ Review Page or Programme Award are: Landfall, the New Zealand Listener and Sunday Star-Times.

The BPANZ Review Awards are one of the only avenues that publicly recognise the role of literary critics.

The BPANZ Reviewer of the Year receives a $1,000 prize. Special acknowledgement will also be made for the best short print review (less than 500 words) and best long print review (more than 500 words).

The awards for BPANZ Best Review Page or Programme Award will be made to the publication, website or programme which presents the best selection book reviews in a style relevant to their target audience.

Special acknowledgement will also be made for the best magazine review pages and best newspaper review pages.

The principal sponsors of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards are Montana and Creative New Zealand. The awards are managed by Booksellers New Zealand and supported by Book Publishers Association of New Zealand, the New Zealand Society of Authors and Book Tokens (NZ) Ltd.

The winners of the BPANZ Review Awards will be announced at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards gala dinner on Monday 21 July at the Wellington Town Hall.

ENDS

www.montananzbookawards.co.nz

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