Wellington City Libraries – “Stories Aloud CD”

Wellington City Libraries is calling for a selection of well-known local Wellington children’s authors’ to either: write a short story to be read aloud on a CD for children or read an existing short story for a Community Project. There is also an opportunity for illustrators to submit proposals for the CD cover.

The Idea and Concept.

Wellington is a city with a strong contemporary culture of arts and literature and is home to a number of children’s authors.

The objective is to connect young readers/listeners with this body of exceptional talent. Wellington City Libraries intends to create a truly authentic storytelling experience for children, their parents, grandparents, and the wider community by inviting authors to tell their own stories on CD.

Recording a CD will involve either the author writing a short story especially for the CD or reading a short story that they have already written and agree to record. The CD may also include a short interview and questions about the author, the story they read, about their growing up, or why they love writing. Authors and their stories will become more alive, real and authentic and ignite a love of reading and writing in children.

Project Objectives

The ‘Stories Aloud’ CD will:

· connect young people and their families with the rich local tradition of story telling

· target the 5-12 year old market

· develop auditory skills and imagination in children

· promote literacy to children by connecting the written and spoken word

· give children a sense of identity and connection with local authors

· connect authors to children, their primary audience

· demonstrate how libraries value local authors, stories and story telling

· continue the oral tradition of stories being passed down to the next generation.

The selected authors will work with Wellington City Libraries to either write or use an existing children’s story, then record the story in their own voice at a studio. The sessions will be videoed and the footage may or may not be used at a later date. We aim to start recording by the end of September 2009.

Story requirements:

• 5-6 minutes reading time in total
• a New Zealand story with an element of, or reference to Wellington
• appeal to the target market
  

Local children’s authors are asked to submit a sample of their work for the proposal above. In return, a small remuneration will be offered to the successful applicants. The copyright of the story and the audio rights will remain the author’s. Wellington City Libraries will use the story with the author’s permission on CD. The CD will be sold within Wellington City Libraries and potentially bookshops. No royalties can be offered for this CD. Wellington City Libraries may also at a later date place podcasts of the CD on their website.

Local children’s illustrators are asked to submit a sample of their work for the proposal above and quote for their work. In return, a small remuneration will be offered to the successful applicant. The copyright of the illustration will remain the illustrator’s. Wellington City Libraries will use the illustration with the illustrator’s permission on the CD, website, and any promotional material that Wellington City Libraries may choose too. The CD will be sold within Wellington City Libraries and potentially bookshops. No royalties can be offered for this CD.

Author criteria

Interested authors will:

• Be a children’s and/or young adult writer
• Be living within the greater Wellington region
• Use a New Zealand and/or Wellington theme

Artist’s criteria

Interested artists will:

• Be a children’s illustrator or professional artist
• Be living within the Greater Wellington Region
• Use a New Zealand and/or Wellington theme

Submissions of interest

All expressions of interest may be submitted to Wellington City Libraries, P. O. Box 1992, Wellington, or email your application to ella.martin@wcc.govt.nz by 5pm, Friday 11 September. Please include:

• A one-page written summary about your story’s theme, or a small sample of existing work.
• A current CV or author’s biography
• Up to four images of your work

Selection Process

Wellington City Libraries will select 8-10 local authors. Successful authors will be notified by email or phone.

For more information please contact

Ella Martin (04) 803 8222 or email: ella.martin@wcc.govt.nz or

Rose Barker (04) 803 8285 or email: rose.barker@wcc.govt.nz.

Storylines Family Day this weekend!

Come to Te Whaea in Newtown on Sunday for the Storylines Free Family Day. There are writers, illustrators, storytelling, crafts, Weta Workshop, book launches, coffee, gelato, facepainting and more. The best value for (no) money you'll get this recession!
For a full programme of events for all the centres click here

Fantastic Voyages

Thornspell author and Spinning Gold panelist Helen Lowe is coming to Wellington in advance of the conference to join forces with local author Tim Jones for what promises to be a fascinating discussion on speculative fiction.

Here are the full details:

Fantastic Voyages: Writing Speculative Fiction—

An Evening with Tim Jones & Helen Lowe, chaired by Lynn Freeman

7.30-9pm, Thursday 17 September

Upper Chamber, Wellington Arts Centre/Toi Poneke

61 Abel Smith Street

Free admission

Supported by Unity Books

Tim Jones (Transported; Anarya's Secret) and Helen Lowe (Thornspell) are both successful speculative fiction authors with national profiles. At this event, Tim and Helen will share their love of writing science fiction and fantasy, the challenges and rewards of being a New Zealand speculative fiction writer, how they've gone about getting published, and how they see the future of these genres. Lynn Freeman, host of Radio New Zealand's "Arts on Sunday" programme, will keep the discussion flowing and the questions coming. Both Helen and Tim will be available to sign books after the event.

For more information, contact 027 359 0293 or timjones at actrix.co.nz

Fleur Beale wins the Esther Glen!

Well from the fabulous pool of Wellington fiction writers nominated for the Esther Glen Award (Jack Lasenby, Kate De Goldi, Denis Wright and Fleur Beale), our congratulations go most especially to Fleur for winning the category. Brian Falkner was also shortlisted and though we can't claim him, he will be at our conference running a workshop on marketing yourself and your book. Fleur will be running two full intensive workshops on 'Mining the Gold', Kate will be giving a keynote speech and Jack, our beloved patron will have a few words to say too. We feel very privileged to have such talent in Wellington.
Congratulations to all on being shortlisted and/or winning in the 2009 Lianza Children's Book Awards.

From the Lianza website:
The Esther Glen Award was established in 1944 and is presented to the author whose work is considered a distinguished contribution to fiction for children. The prize was presented to Wellington writer Fleur Beale for her young adult novel Juno of Taris (Random House). The judges said Beale "excels in descriptions of life as a feisty teenage girl. Juno is a remarkable character, the reader delights in her triumphs and commiserates in her disappointments."