Creative New Zealand releases final ‘Review of Literature’ report

12 March 2015 Books+Publishing

New Zealand arts development agency Creative New Zealand (CNZ) has released its final ‘Review of Literature’ report into support for New Zealand literature, reports Booksellers NZ.

In the report’s key findings, CNZ has agreed to prioritise grants and investment programs that support activities that increase national readership and sales of New Zealand literature.

CNZ will increase the range of activities supported through the Toi Uru Kahikatea (Arts Development) program and establish a ‘single literature key role’ in the Toi Tōtara Haemata (Arts Leadership) investment program, inviting arts organisations to apply to deliver this program.

The agency will also open up funding to publishing proposals from individual writers by revising its publishing criteria to focus on the quality of proposals rather than their source.

Publishing subsidies will be increased for literature in te reo Māori or Pasifika languages, nonfiction works and publications on artforms, with the CNZ acknowledging that some of these works have a smaller potential market, higher costs in creation and a unique cultural value.

The agency will maintain support in developing international markets for New Zealand literature and will call for proposals for a single organisation to develop services in international markets over the next three years. Services include supporting publishers that participate in international book fairs and managing an international travel fund and a fund for the translation of New Zealand works into other languages.

CNZ will also call for proposals for a single organisation to deliver a national publishing internship program.

New publishing criteria, funding priorities and additional subsidies are due to take effect from 1 July 2015. Read the full report here.

As previously reported by Books+Publishing, CNZ released its draft report in October 2014.

Category: Local news