The New Zealand Book Council today
proudly launches Booknotes
Unbound – www.booknotes-unbound.org.nz – a vibrant new online books hub
for Kiwi readers.
The NZ Book Council’s website is already
recognised as the leading resource for information on New Zealand writers, but
today’s launch represents a dramatic expansion of its online presence.
Brimming with Aotearoa flavour, Booknotes Unbound is the only dedicated books website
aimed at New Zealand booklovers, and will be regularly refreshed with feature
articles and essays, author interviews, new writing and commentary.
Log on today and you’ll find new writing
and discussion by and about Kiwi writers, including Man Booker Prize winner
Eleanor Catton; Dame Fiona Kidman; Lloyd Jones; Carl Nixon; Selina Tusitala
Marsh; Whiti Hereaka, and Catherine Robertson.
Also featured is the inaugural
“Mansfield Questionnaire”, an irreverent local spin on Vanity Fair’s famous
“Proust Questionnaire”, in which a Kiwi author is grilled with a series of
questions linked to our earliest literary heroine, Katherine Mansfield. First
up for interrogation is award-winning author Kirsty Gunn, dishing on such
Mansfield-inspired topics as what brings her bliss and whether she has ever
been called ‘a dangerous woman’.
For over 20 years, the Book Council has
published Booknotes, the high-quality quarterly publication for lovers
of New Zealand books and writing, but this was available only to paid-up
members. Booknotes Unbound, by contrast, is available online, for free,
to all New Zealanders, and is backed up by a monthly newsletter. It is edited
by Rachel O’Neill and Emma Gallagher.
‘As a nation of readers, we never cease
to be fascinated by what's going on in the world of books. We want to know how
books happen, what makes writers tick and what we can expect to find next in
the bookshops. Here is just the site we need to keep us informed and on our
toes,’ said Dame Fiona Kidman, writer and President of Honour of the New
Zealand Book Council
‘Our research tells us that Kiwis love
to read, and we love to read our own stories,’ said Catriona Ferguson, Chief
Executive of the New Zealand Book Council. ‘As the amount of space given in the
mainstream media for New Zealand books reduces, Booknotes Unbound fills
a gap, offering a home to those who share our passion for our local
literature.’
‘Booknotes Unbound lets you take the pulse of the New
Zealand book world,’ said O’Neill from the Book Council. ‘You can also
subscribe to the free Booknotes
Unbound newsletter and
receive our editor's picks, special giveaways, and New Zealand book news and
views delivered to your inbox each month.’
Visit www.booknotes-unbound.org.nz to read, discuss and explore the world
of New Zealand books.
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