Eco-Friendly Books Dominate Design World

Please find below a press release regarding the announcement of the 2008 BPANZ (Book Publisher's Association of New Zealand) Book Design Awards shortlist. These highly prestigious national awards are of great interest to booklovers, design enthusiasts and professionals across the design spectrum.

Eco-Friendly Books Dominate Design World

The BPANZ Book Design Awards 2008 shortlist was announced today, with a list dominated by beautiful books with eco-friendly themes and a social conscience.

With subjects ranging from recycling to organic farming, Bill Hammond's art to Cook Islands tivaevae quilting, the list represents the best in book design for books released in 2007. Dear to Me is also included¸ an anthology that features well-known New Zealanders' favourite poems, and gives all royalties from sales to Amnesty International.

The judges had a tough time narrowing the field to just twelve titles, and this was a process not without conflict, with a few books' inclusion splitting the team of three judges led by New Zealand Listener's Guy Somerset. They were looking for "the complete package: the book whose insides matched their outside for the thought and care that had gone into them, striving for something a little bit different, or a little bit better".

A new player in the Book Design Awards, Scholastic's Vasanti Unka, is well-represented with two shortlisted books, What is a Bird? and The Bean's Story, which showcases her own hand-quilting in every illustration. 

Also included in the final list are seasoned designers such as Robbie Burton from Craig Potton Publishing, Sarah Maxey for Victoria University Press, and well-known artist and designer Aaron Beehre for Christchurch Art Gallery.

The competition is judged in four categories, including Non-Illustrated, Illustrated, Educational and Children's books, with the winners being announced at the Booksellers' NZ Industry Awards Dinner in late July. There are also highly-coveted Best Cover and Best Book winners chosen from within the shortlist.

The Awards help promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand, a worthy cause for an oft-overlooked arm of the New Zealand design world.

The Book Publisher's Association of New Zealand is proud to be principle sponsor of the awards. The BPANZ Director Tony Fisk says "The books shortlisted for this year's awards exemplify the very best of book design and it is once again gratifying that the quality of work produced in New Zealand competes favourably with that produced anywhere else in the world."

ENDS

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