75 years of working for writers

75 years of working for writers

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Janet Frame Legacy Continues

Internationally acclaimed author Janet Frame was a life member and a past honorary president of The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc.). To honour her memory, the Society in association with New Zealand Book Month will be hosting the annual Janet Frame Memorial Lecture on Thursday 22nd October, at the Museum of New Zealand,Te Papa. 

The current NZSA President of Honour, critically acclaimed children and young adults writer, William Taylor will be presenting the lecture this year on the Te Papa Marae.  Taylor is one of New Zealand’s most prolific and popular writers with a significant body of his work published internationally, often in translation. His humorous novel for 10-12 year olds, Agnes the Sheep, is now considered by the National Library of New Zealand as a 'classic' book for the young.   His more reflective young adult fiction has touched on issues seldom addressed in New Zealand writing for the young; for example, the widely acclaimed, and recently re-published, The Blue Lawn; also Jerome, and Pebble in a Pool. His most recent novel for young adults is Land of Milk & Honey (HarperCollins).  Taylor was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 for his services to children's literature.

The aim of the Janet Frame Memorial Lecture is to deliver an overview of the “state of the nation” for literature and writing in New Zealand to help the reading public have a greater understanding of what it means to be a writer in New Zealand.

The Society had previously nominated authors for a lecture given at The Listener Women’s Book Festival of which Janet Frame was the Patron and the lecture was called the Fiona Kidman Vintage Lecture. However, when the festival ceased, so did the lecture.  In conjunction with NZ Book Month NZSA saw an opportunity to sustain the lecture, and Dame Fiona Kidman made the suggestion that the lecture be given in Janet Frame’s name with the Janet Frame Literary Trust endorsement.

The lecture is jointly sponsored by The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) and Random House New Zealand. New Zealand Book Month runs for the calendar month of October and features a variety of events across the country.

Previous presenters of the Janet Frame Memorial Lecture were Owen Marshall and Greg O’Brien. 

Janet Frame Memorial Lecture presented by William Taylor

Thursday 22nd October,  6pm-7pm

The Marae, Level 4, Te Papa, Wellington

ENDS

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