For the first time in 70 years, NZ will host the IBBY Congress

For the first time in 70 years,  New Zealand will hold the IBBY Congress The children's international literature conference is attracting top speakers, including this year's winner of the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing, China's Cao Wenxuan

 

The 35th IBBY International Congress will be held at the Aotea Centre, Auckland, from 18-21 August this year.

 

IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) is an international non-profit organisation which represents a network of people from all over the world who are committed to bringing books and children together. Storylines is the New Zealand national section of IBBY and is helping to bring this prestigious biennial Congress to New Zealand. The theme of this year’s Congress is Literature in a Multi-Literate World and will feature an exciting blend of local and international speakers, including Cao Wenxuan, the winner of the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing and Leigh Hobbs, the current Australian Children’s Laureate. This is the first time that the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award (which was awarded to our own Margaret Mahy in 2006) will be presented to a children’s writer from China. A large contingent of Chinese publishers is expected to be at the opening of the Congress.

 

In addition, Markus Zusak, the author of international bestseller The Book Thief, Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award–winning creator of graphic novels Smile and Sisters and Martin Baynton and Sir Richard Taylor, creators of Thunderbirds Are Go! and The WotWots are speaking in special presentations open to the public. Tickets for these public events will soon go on sale via: www.storylines.org.nz.

 

There will also be academic paper and poster presentations from 58 of the 500 IBBY delegates around the world. A full list of speakers and registration details are available on:  http://ibbycongress2016.org and full information about the international organisation of IBBY can be found on: www.ibby.org. ‘While IBBY’s focus is on children’s literature, its main purpose is to support children’s sense of identity and their sense of understanding, of their own culture, and other people’s cultures through reading,’ says Dr Libby Limbrick, co-director of the IBBY Congress. Raina Telgemeier photo credit Marion Vitus