Multi-award winner of the Book Publishers Association of New Zealand (BPANZ) Review Award, David Eggleton will be a judge of the same award this year.

He is joined by academic writer and retired publisher, Elizabeth Caffin in the task of selecting winners for the awards which have two categories: BPANZ Reviewer of the Year and the BPANZ Review Page or Programme of the Year.

Submissions for the two awards close on 2 May.

David Eggleton says The BPANZ Awards are important because they highlight the key role reviewers play within New Zealand’s book culture.

`By being heard or read in the media, book reviews help connect literature with society.

`The good reviewer is a passionate advocate who makes you passionate too – for or against, or perhaps undecided but at least strongly aware of a book’s existence.’

As a judge Mr Eggleton says he will be looking for eloquence and honesty, along with an informed independence of mind and an astuteness of perception.

`I’m looking forward to the task, because I know that we have a whole community of interesting reviewers in this country, drawn from all walks of life.’

Ms Caffin says the lively, intelligent and perceptive feedback that good reviewers provide is essential to authors, publishers, booksellers and above all readers.

`I’ll be looking for well-written, engaging reviews that describe a book effectively, place it in context and give a clear opinion as to how successful the author has been.’

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

The BPANZ Reviewer of the Year receives a $1,000 prize. Special acknowledgement will also be made for the best broadcast review, best short print review (under 500 words) and best long print review (over 500 words).
The awards for BPANZ Best Review Page or Programme Award will be made to the publication, website or programme which, in the opinion of the judges, presents the selection of highest quality book reviews in a style that is relevant to their target audience. Special acknowledgement will also be made for the best broadcast review programme, best magazine review pages and best newspaper review pages.

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

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.

For a submission form and conditions of entry to the awards go to www.booksellers.co.nz or contact the awards administrator Jillian Ewart , jillian.ewart[at]xtra.co.nz.

ENDS
Notes:

David Eggleton, biographical information
David Eggleton – poet, writer and critic – lives in Dunedin. His articles, reviews and essays have appeared on a regular basis in a variety of publications since the late 1980′s.
He was a judge in the 1997 Montana New Zealand Book Awards, poetry category advisor in the 1998 Montana New Zealand Book Awards and fiction category advisor in the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Awards. He won the inaugural Book Reviewer of the Year Award in 1991, and won the Award again in 1997, 2001, 2003, and 2007, and was short-listed in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

David Eggleton’s anthology of New Zealand landscape writing, with photographs by Craig Potton, Here on Earth, was shortlisted for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards in 2000. His book, Ready to Fly, an illustrated history of New Zealand rock music over the past 50 years, was short-listed for the same award in 2004. He has published five books of poems and a book of short fiction, and has written or contributed to a number of works of non-fiction. His most recent book is Towards Aotearoa: a Short
History of Twentieth Century New Zealand Art, published by Raupo Books in
December 2007.

Elizabeth Caffin, MNZM – biographical information
Elizabeth Caffin, a well known writer and retired publisher lives in Auckland. She was, for more than a decade, director of the Auckland University Press. Prior to this she held editorial positions in a variety of publishing houses in New Zealand. She is a kaitiaki of the Alexander Turnbull Library, and has held positions on a variety of arts bodies including the Queen Elizabeth ll Arts Council, the Press Council and Book Publishers Association of New Zealand.

She has written a wide range of academic articles and essays and has reviewed extensively for such publications as the NZ Listener, Landfall, Dominion Post and New Zealand Books.

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