New Zealand Frankfurt Guest of Honour program announced

18 June 2012 Books+Publishing

The Frankfurt Book Fair Guest of Honour program has been announced.

As the 2012 Guest of Honour, New Zealand will send more than 60 authors and 100 performers to Germany to showcase the country’s creative output in the months leading up to and during the fair.

Announcing the program in Germany, New Zealand Frankfurt Book Fair director Tanea Heke said it would span ‘the centuries from traditional Māori storytelling techniques through to state-of-the-art transmedia’, according to a statement.

Heke said a 2300sqm pavilion at the fair would host a ‘rich and varied writers and cultural program’. ‘For five magical days we will be bringing the best of New Zealand creativity and innovation to Germany,’ she said.

Authors scheduled to appear as part of the program before and during the festival include Kate De Goldi, Lloyd Jones, Paul Cleave, Paddy Richardson, Alix Bosco, Annabel Langbein, Joy Cowley, Bernard Beckett, Brian Falkner, Hamish Clayton and Tina Makereti. A ‘highlight event of the festival will be A Long Night of Māori Stories featuring, amongst others, internationally acclaimed writers Alan Duff, Witi Ihimaera and Paula Morris and Māori orator, Joe Harawira,’ added Heke.

Poets due to take part include Bill Manhire, Glenn Colquhoun, Chris Price, Hinemoana Baker, Robert Sullivan and Tusiata Avia.

The program also features comic artists Roger Langridge, Colin Wilson, Greg Broadmore and Dylan Horrocks, who will appear in the Comics Zone at the fair ‘as well as in book stores and comics festivals across Germany, Italy and Belgium’.

New Zealand chefs including Langbein, Al Brown, Robert Oliver, Charles Royal and Peter Gordon, will also appear as part of the program, and film special effects professionals
Richard Taylor, Martin Baynton and Greg Broadmore will present a keynote speech at Frankfurt’s Storydrive conference.

As previously reported by Bookseller+Publisher, New Zealand’s status as Guest of Honour has resulted in a marked increase in the number of rights to New Zealand works sold into Germany.

‘Guest of Honour status this year has increased our German sales by at least six hundred percent,’ said Publishers Association of New Zealand president Kevin Chapman.

Category: Local news