David Ling new Life Member of PANZ

News from  PANZ

 Long serving PANZ councillor – since 1998 - David Ling stepped down from Council at this AGM. Apart from a brief break, he served on the council under seven different presidents since that time. He was elected a life member to acclaim at the AGM

His initial role at PANZ (then BPANZ) was as treasurer. Proposer Linda Cassells noted: “In those days our finances were extremely slim. David’s attention to detail and tireless dedication not only ensured that our accounts were always well organised and clearly presented, but also that the association extracted the maximum benefit from what few resources we had.”

David was also for many years the PANZ councillor responsible for all industry award activities. As Linda noted, this was no small portfolio as it encompassed PANZ representation on the committees of the New Zealand Post Awards and Children’s Book Awards, at a time when major changes were being made to the structures of the awards. David’s portfolio also included revitalising the PANZ Book Design Awards, and recently, the CLL Educational Publishing Awards. Adrian Keane remarked on David’s vigilant eye on the financial requirements on these assignments, critical to the success of the events.

“David has selflessly dedicated significant time and effort on behalf of the association over the years… a long and valuable contribution,” concluded the nomination.

Read the full nomination on PANZ website

Footnote:

The Bookman offer warm congratulations to David on his Life Membership honour.

When I first moved to Penguin Books way back in 1977 from Beattie & Forbes Bookshop in Napier David was senior editor at Longman Paul (now Pearson Education). Longman Paul and Penguin Books were sister companies and shared premises in Wairau Rd., Glenfield. 

David, Tony Harkins & I, and Englishman Patrick Wright from whom I took over as Penguin's MD, used to play darts together at lunchtime. David won most days!

His time at Longman Paul  marked the beginning of a distinguished career with David heading a number of  publishing teams in various publishing houses before setting up his own company in 1992. DAVID LING PUBLISHING LIMITED is  a boutique, highly regarded independent New Zealand book publishing company  with up to ten new titles published each year including fiction, biography, travel and general non-fiction. Recently he created a new imprint, Duck Creek Press, now active in publishing children's books.