The charming Circa Theatre on Wellington’s waterfront will be the venue for the awards event of the 2016 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The date is set for August 8.

Entries in the awards close this week, and the judges’ shortlist of 30 titles across six categories will be announced on June 8.

Meantime, registrations open soon in the HELL Children’s Choice element of the awards, where the entire entry field is judged by New Zealand children. And the HELL Reading Challenge, which is now linked to the awards, and which rewards children for reading seven books with free pizza, is also about to get underway.

A finalist Authors’ Tour will run from late July nationwide, with authors appearing in bookshops, libraries and schools.

Invitations to the awards night will be issued from mid June and tickets will cost $45.

The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults is governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust, and administered by the New Zealand Book Council. The Awards are sponsored by Creative NZ, HELL Pizza, Book Tokens Ltd, Copyright Licensing Limited New Zealand, the Fernyhough Education Foundation and Wellington City Council.

For more information, please contact:

Adrienne Olsen - T / 04 496 5513

Adroite Communications, Wellington - M / 029 296 3650

Media Advisors, 2016 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults - E / adrienne@adroite.co.nz