Many of Aotearoa’s favourite children’s writers will be among the stellar lineup.
In leadup to the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults (NZCYA), three different venues across Invercargill will host the authors.
Local author and award-winning writer Pauline Smith will be leading the Books Alive event.
"I am thoroughly delighted to be project managing this amazing opportunity for our young people and kaiako [teachers] to be involved with.
"I have the utmost respect for the work of the New Zealand Book Awards Trust.
"Having been a past recipient of an award, judging the awards, and being a convener of judges it is so lovely to be creating spaces to support the success of others," Ms Smith said.
The Awards Trust has hosted other programmes across the country and was pleased to extend this to Southland for the first time.
The event will be barrier free, costing nothing for participants.
With around 450 pupils registered for this one-day event, there will be opportunities for them to get up close with authors and illustrators and hear what makes them tick.
Rachael King, Stacey Gregg and Feana Tu’akoi are all 2024 finalists in the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction.
They will join talented authors and illustrators Ruth Paul, Steve Mushin and Rob Foote in a series of panels and workshops on August 7.
There will be theatre presentations, smaller group workshops, Q&A’s, activity books with spaces for pupils to gather autographs from the finalist authors and illustrators and book signings.
"We anticipate this will contribute to layers of positive impact.
"Hopefully it will inspire more kids to future writing and illustrating pathways," Ms Smith said.
Local grants from ILT and Community Trust South have covered bus transport cost for attending pupils.
Workshops and illustration sessions will be held all over the city, at the Centre Stage Theatre, the Southland Business Chamber and the Invercargill Public Library.
Finalists’ books will be available for sale, and they will be on-hand to sign their texts.
Every pupil attending the events will receive a free print copy of the 2024 NZCYA finalists activity booklet.
