Overseas Interest in NZ Lit Continues to Grow

Overseas Interest in New Zealand Literature Continues to Grow

Creative New Zealand media release

Six New Zealand writers have been invited to attend prestigious Australian, Asian and American literary festivals as a result of Creative New Zealand’s Te Manu Ka Tau (Flying Friends) programme.

CK Stead and Lloyd Jones have been invited to attend the prestigious PEN International World Voices Festival in New York after the festival director Caro Lewellyn was hosted in New Zealand as part of the 2009 Te Manu Ka Tau programme.

Meanwhile Emily Perkins and Mo Zi Hong will travel to the Man Hong Kong International and Shanghai International Literary Festivals and Kate De Goldi and Eleanor Catton to the Perth Writers Festival. Emily Perkins will also travel to Adelaide Writers Week.

The invitations are the result Creative New Zealand initiatives:

• Te Manu Ka Tau – which brings key people from the international performing arts, literature and visual arts sectors to New Zealand to meet the local arts community and see their work

• International Travel Fund for New Zealand Writers – a fund administered by the New Zealand Book Council which targets key international literary festivals.

Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright said the invitations as well as connections made with international literarti last year reflect the exceptional standard of New Zealand literature.

“It’s a Creative New Zealand priority to build on the relationships fostered through the Te Manu Ka Tau programme to raise the profile of New Zealand artists and increase the international market for their work.“

Te Manu Ka Tau at New Zealand Post Writers & Readers Week

Creative New Zealand in partnership with New Zealand Post Writers & Readers Week (9-14 March) is also hosting directors, publishers, festival directors and literary agents from Toronto, New York, London , Korea and Australia.

The confirmed line up of international guests includes:

• Michael Hayward - Publisher, Text Publishing (Australia)
• Caroline Baum - Director Two Heads Media and regular contributor to national newspapers and magazines (Australia)
• Grace Chang - Rights Manager BOOK 11.com, the pioneer of the e-book service in the Chinese language territory (Taiwan based)
• Derek Johns - Literary Agent and Director of A P Watt (UK)
• Geoffrey Taylor - Director of Authors at Harbourfront Centre & International Festival of Authors (Canada)
• Laurie Chittenden - Executive Editor, William Morrow/HarperCollins (USA)
• Timothy Travaglini - Senior Editor for G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group (USA)

Laurie Chittenden, Michael Heywood and Derek Johns will take part in a discussion panel with New Zealander Sam Elworthy during the New Zealand Post Writers & Readers Week on Publishing in the 21st Century, 12 March 12.30pm, Downstage Theatre.

In 2009 more than forty international engagements for New Zealand artists were secured as a result of Te Manu Ka Tau programmes for literature, visual and performing arts.

ENDS