A grand total of six appearances in the shortlists for book awards this season is making New Zealand's only museum publisher very happy.
“Every title entered for the 2007 awards has been short-listed,” says Claire Murdoch, Publisher of Te Papa Press, “and that is a very welcome salute to our authors and their work.”
The three books in the upcoming awards are all natural environment titles: Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Audrey Eagle; The Extinct Birds of New Zealand by Alan Tennyson and Paul Martinson and New Zealand Hebes: An Illustrated Guide by Michael Bayly and Alison Kellow. New Zealand Hebes is also eligible for the New Zealand Society of Authors Best First Book Award.
Ms Murdoch is particularly heartened by the news that Eagle’s Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand is short-listed for the Booksellers’ Choice Award.
“This award is given to the book that bookstores have enjoyed reading, selling and promoting the most,” explains Ms Murdoch, “it’s a popularity contest we’re delighted to be in the running for.”
Following in a proud tradition of scholarly museum-based publishing by the previous incarnations of the national museum, Te Papa Press was founded in 1997 and is New Zealand’s only dedicated museum publishing house. The Press specialises in publishing books that reflect New Zealand’s art, culture and unique natural environment. Many, but not all, of the books they create draw on the collections housed at Te Papa.
“This year’s nominations confirm the Press’s reputation for beautiful but serious books about New Zealand and New Zealanders,” Dr Seddon Bennington, Te Papa’s Chief Executive. “Congratulations to Te Papa Press and to the authors of the nominated books.”
The awards will be announced as part of the Booksellers New Zealand Conference in July and a visit behind the scenes at Te Papa Press is one of the activities available in The Big Look-See in Wellington on Saturday 9 June.
A grand total of six appearances in the shortlists for book awards this season is making New Zealand's only museum publisher very happy.
"Every title entered for the 2007 awards has been short-listed," says Claire Murdoch, Publisher of, "and that is a very welcome salute to our authors and their work."
These books are available for purchase online through Te Papa Store.
For images and further information, contact:
Jane Keig, Manager Communications, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 029 601 0180, 04 381 7083, janek@tepapa.govt.nz; or
Kathryn Carmody, Te Papa Press publicist, 027 287 7963, 04 387 2833, kathryn.carmody@gmail.com
LIST OF TE PAPA PRESS NOMINATIONS 2007
SPECTRUM PRINT BOOK DESIGN AWARDS FINALISTS
Best Illustrated Book: Eagle's Complete Trees & Shrubs of New Zealand, Audrey Eagle. Designers: Neil Pardington (covers), Robyn Sivewright (interior)
MONTANA NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS FINALISTS
Environment: Extinct Birds of New Zealand by Alan Tennyson and Paul Martinson
Illustrative: Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Audrey Eagle
Reference and Anthology: An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes by Michael Bayly and Alison Kellow
The New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Best First Book Awards finalist (Non fiction ):
An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes by Michael Bayly and Alison Kellow
BOOKSELLERS’ CHOICE AWARDS SHORTLIST
Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Audrey Eagle