National Book Awards Call For Maori Language Entries

There will be no Māori Language Award given this year in the country’s most prestigious book awards – the New Zealand Post Book Awards - as there were no books submitted into that category; a sign, says Te Reo advisor and Awards’ judge, Paul Diamond that there are still very few books being written or published for adults in  Māori.

Mr Diamond further commented that while it was disappointing there were no submissions this year, he knows of ground-breaking works currently in production that, given the research and expertise involved, have a long gestation period.
 ‘There are clear signs that writing in Te Reo Māori is flourishing in other areas, especially writing for film, television and publishing on the web. The Māori Language Award aims to foster and celebrate books in Te Reo and to show publishers that there is support for them.
‘I anticipate the market for books written in Te Reo for adults will grow exponentially with the next generation of fluent Te Reo speakers.
 ‘My vision for the future is to see Te Reo fiction in every bookshop in the country. Let’s see Te Reo ‘chick-lit’, Te Reo mystery series’ and thrillers. It would be great to also see Te Reo cookbooks, histories, biographies and more.’

A Māori Language Award was presented for the first time in 2008 to editors Piripi Walker and Huriana Raven for their book Te Tū a Te Toka: He Ieretanga nō ngā Tai e Whā. In 2009 He Pātaka Kupu - te kai a te rangatira, the first-ever dictionary written entirely in Te Reo Māori was honoured with the award.
This year the monetary prize for the Māori Language Award winner doubled in value to $10,000.

The Category Award winners, People’s Choice Award and the overall New Zealand Post Book of the Year will be announced at a gala dinner held in Auckland’s Langham Hotel on 27 August 2010.
New Zealand Post Group’s sponsorship of the country’s national book awards is symbolic of their strong and active support of the country’s literature. As sponsor of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards for 15 years, this new sponsorship highlights the company’s commitment to promoting literary excellence. Working closely with Booksellers NZ, New Zealand Post and other dedicated segments of the community actively encourage New Zealanders to read and enjoy books.

The New Zealand Post Book Awards 2010 are also funded by Creative New Zealand.  The Awards are managed by Booksellers NZ and supported by the New Zealand Society of Authors and Book Tokens (NZ) Ltd.

Kore tohu Māori i Ngā Tohu Pukapuka a-Motu

Kāore he Tohu reo Māori mō tēnei tau – i Ngā Tohu Pukapuka a-Motu- nā te mea kīhai he pukapuka i tukuna mō taua wāhanga;  e ai ki a Paul Diamond, kaiwhakawā  kaitohutohu Māori mō te tohu, kei te ruarua tonu ngā pukapuka e tuhia ana, e tāia ana rānei, mā te hunga pakeke i roto i te reo Māori.

Hei tā Paul Diamond anō, ahakoa he mea pouri te kore pukapuka i te tau nei, ki tana mōhio kei te haere i nāianei ētahi tino mahi tuhi, heoi nā te rahi o te rangahau me te waihanga, he roa te wā e whakatō ana.
‘Kei te ora te reo i ētahi atu wāhi, pērā i te tuhi kiriata, te tuhi mō te pouaka whakaata me te ipurangi. Ko tētahi o ngā whāinga a Te Tohu Reo Māori, he atawhai, he whakanui i ngā pukapuka kei roto i te reo Māori, ā, he whakahau i ngā kaiwhakatā kei te tautokona rātou. 
‘Ko taku mahara, ka tipu ake ngā pukapuka reo Māori mā te pakeke, i te reanga e heke matatau mai nei  i te reo.
‘Ka tāku e wawata ai mō āmua, kia tau ki roto i ngā  wharehoko pukapuka katoa o te motu, ngā pakiwaitara reo Māori. Kia kite tātou i roto i te reo ngā mea ‘paki wāhine’, ngā kōrero muna me te whakaihihi.  Ka pai hoki ki te kitea ngā pukapuka taka kai, ngā hītori, me ngā kōrero koioranga, me ētahi atu anō.
Ko te tau 2008 te wā tuatahi i tukuna he Tohu Reo Māori ki ngā etitā a Piripi Walker rāua ko Huriana Raven mō tā rāua pukapuka Te Tū a Te Toka: He Ieretanga nō ngā Tai e Whā. I riro te tohu i te tau 2009, i a He Pātaka Kupu – te kai a te rangatira, he pukapuka taki kupu i roto katoa i te reo Māori .
I te tau nei, i piki tuarua te utu o Te Tohu Reo Māori ki te $10,000.

Ka pānuitia ngā toa mō Te Tohu o te Wāhanga, Te Tohu a Te Iwi  me te Pukapuka a New Zealand Post mō Te Tau ki te hākari nui ka pupuritia i te hōtera Langham a te 27 Akuhata 2010.

Kitea ai i ngā tohu pukapuka a-motu nei, te kaha tautoko a te Huinga o New Zealand Post i ngā tuhinga o te whenua. Kua 15 tau i nāianei a New Zealand Post e tautoko ana i ngā Tohu Pukapuka mā ngā Tamariki, ā, nā tēnei kaupapa hou ka kitea anō  te ngākaunui o te kamupene ki te awhi i  te putanga ake o te tuhi rangatira. Mā te mahitahi me Booksellers NZ, whakahau ai a New Zealand Post me ērā wāhanga piripono o te iwi, i te katoa o te motu kia pānui, kia harikoa te kōrero pukapuka. He āwhina anō tā Creative NZ i te tahua mō Ngā Tohu Pukapuka a New Zealand Post. Whakahaerea ai ngā tohu e Booksellers NZ, tautokona ai  e te New Zealand Society of Authors and Book Tokens.