Up to 80 New Zealand authors could be winging their way to Germany in October next year for the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair where New Zealand will be the Guest of Honour Maggie Tarver, CEO of the New Zealand Society of Authors, devotes the cover feature of the society's bi-monthly journal, New Zealand Author, to the nomination of New Zealand as the Guest of Honour at the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair, heading it "An honour INDEED."
This has already been recognized by the New Zealand Government, she writes, which has "generously committed $1.8m for seed funding to support this significant opportunity.
Other initiatives:
1. A steering group will be formed, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, together with representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Publishers Association of New Zealand, and Creative New Zealand. A nomination for an authors' representative has been submitted.
2. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage has advertised for a project director.
3. Teams will be formed, to cover literature, arts and culture, education and science, PR and marketing, and budgeting and finance.
4. A literature program will be devised and directed by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ), involving:
* liaising with publishers and booksellers
* an extensive translation program
* an expanded literary program
The translation program is particularly significant. PANZ is aiming at a minimum of 100 translated works. A full colour, 32-page rights catalogue will be produced in both German and English, to promote New Zealand writers and books available for translation, and a judging panel will decide which 100 books are to be featured in this.
Exciting times, indeed.
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