Report from Book Brunch
The Frankfurt Guest of Honour Programme delivered all that New Zealand hoped for, and more, writes Anne de Lautour. Much of the time since then has been spent in winding up our operation and preparing a report to our Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the ministry ultimately responsible for the overall programme.
The Books and Writers programme, operated by the Publishers Association of New Zealand, has now reported, and runs to 483 pages. From PANZ's point-of-view, the GoH experience has been an overwhelmingly positive one. When Frankfurt first approached us in 2009, we created an initial pitch document that we took to the NZ Government. In it we talked about not only author visits and events, but a programme of performing arts and visual arts, a film festival, trade events in areas such as wine, food, tourism and education, and a political element.
In our final report we have been able to record that all of these things were delivered. It was a larger, more colourful, and more widely received celebration of New Zealand throughout Germany than we would have thought possible. And books, authors and publishing were at the centre of it all. Even the food and wine events were built around authors in those genres.
For PANZ itself, we were given the responsibility of the Books and Writers programme. Right at the beginning (June 2011) we set ourselves some goals: 80 author visits to Germany over the year of GoH, and 100 titles translated into German between Frankfurt 2011 and Frankfurt 2013. Despite operating initially with a budget one-third below what we needed, we have achieved both those goals. In addition, we provided the spine for the rest of the programme, and raised over €200,000 in separate sponsorship.
Our authors have been enhanced, our cultural sector has new opportunities, and various trade bodies are much advanced on their previous positions. Even award-winning Weta Workshop stated that GoH had opened doors they had been knocking on for years.
As I write, our Frankfurt GoH programme manager, Sarah Ropata, is on her way to the Leipzig Book Fair to conduct follow-up meetings with publishers and festivals that were our important partners. Ensuring legacy value from the considerable investment (about €4 million) is important to us and government, so the scroll handover cannot signal an end to activity.
The New Zealand team looks back fondly on our GoH experience. We made many friends, especially at Frankfurt Book Fair, and feel that we delivered for our country an outcome far exceeding expectations. We wish Brazil and future guests well, and hope that they get as much from the experience as we have.
Anne de Lautour is Director of the Publishers Association of Australia and New Zealand
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