WHO WILL THE READERS ELECT IN 2007?

The voting has begun! Kiwis can vote online and decide who will be in this year’s Six Pack – an anthology of six pieces of new writing designed to showcase new NZ writing and published to celebrate NZ Book Month in September.

From May 14th-June 14th New Zealanders are invited to read excerpts from a short list of 15 anonymous entries online at www.nzbookmonth.co.nz, vote for their favourite piece of writing and elect a new literary representative. All voters go in a draw to win $500 worth of Booksellers Tokens. NZ Book Month asked published and aspiring authors nationwide to submit their best piece of new writing in the categories fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

The winning piece chosen by NZ readers will be published in the Six Pack and receive one of six $5,000 prizes. The other five winning entries will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges including author and literary legend Dame Fiona Kidman, presenter of TV2's 20/20 programme Miriama Kamo, journalist and media personality Finlay Macdonald, retiring Director of Auckland University Press Elizabeth Caffin, and Joan Mackenzie, Book Manager for Whitcoulls.The judges are thrilled to be able to support NZ Book Month and encourage new writing.

Dame Fiona Kidman believes that, “The voice of New Zealand writing has never been more diverse, exciting and interesting than it is at present.” The panel is also pleased that during the judging process and online voting all authors remain anonymous.

Finlay MacDonald says, “For me NZ Book Month puts the focus back on writing, rather than the commercial mysteries of publishing and bookselling, which is why I'm happy to support the Six Pack project as a judge.“

Project Director of New Zealand Book Month Phil Twyford encourages everyone to cast a vote, “This is the public’s chance to take control and be the publisher. It’s their turn to decide what is good New Zealand writing. Every vote counts." The six winners will be announced at the launch of NZ Book Month at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington on Sunday 2nd September.

The Six Pack will then be for sale at all good bookshops for $6. In 2006 the inaugural NZ Book Month involved hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders and The Six Pack 2006 was a stunning success: 13,000 copies sold, and 10,000 more were distributed free through schools, libraries and other non-profit channels. It remained in the top five of the Booksellers New Zealand Bestsellers List for New Zealand Fiction for 14 weeks.

NZ Book Month, from 2-30 September 2007, is a month long celebration of NZ books and NZ writers which aims to inspire book lovers all over the country.