Online story competition

Online story competition starts today for young Māori writers

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission) encourages up and coming Māori language writers aged between 8-13 to participate in the Library Information Association of New Zealand and Aotearoa (LIANZA) te reo online interactive story competition being launched as part of Māori Language Week celebratory activities.

The competition will end in Library Week which will take place from 16-22 August.

Young Māori language speakers and writers are asked to submit a paragraph and add to the story that is already on the LIANZA website. Each week from now until Library Week a winning paragraph will be chosen, with the winners receiving books and other prizes. The writer of the overall winning paragraph will win a new Māori language graphic novel entitled Hautipua Rererangi.

“Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is pleased to support this initiative, as quite often during Māori Language Week our focus is somewhat skewed towards wider societal messages for the language. The opportunity to support an initiative that acknowledges our up and coming writers for whom te reo is an everyday enterprise, was just too good an opportunity to miss as a promotional drive during Māori Language Week”, says Chief Executive Glenis Philip-Barbara.

“While Māori Language Week is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate and use the language, we are mindful of the need to pay special recognition to the language heroes and champions for whom daily te reo Māori use is the norm and we acknowledge them for the difference they are making in our communities”, says Glenis Philip-Barbara.

“We also congratulate LIANZA for adding this to their annual Library Week celebrations”.

To check out the interactive story, go to the Library Week website on www.libraryweek.org.nz

ENDS

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