Latest news with #WrightFamilyFoundation
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Book about Treaty of Waitangi wins top prize at NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults
Tait and Tu'akoi said all the books nominated for the book of the year award were great examples of the 'fresh and intelligent' literature written for Aotearoa's tamariki and rangatahi. The Treaty of Waitangi also won the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction. Gavin Bishop won the BookHub Picture Book Award for his book Titiro Look. Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa), together with translator Darryn Joseph (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rereahu), won the BookHub Picture Book Award for their book Titiro Look. The judging convenors described it as deceptively simple, declaring it 'a beautifully produced board book that is an absorbing exploration of reo Māori and reo Pākehā'. Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat won the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction. Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat, written and illustrated by Li Chen, won the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction. The judges said they were entranced by this 'skilfully crafted work, an all-ages book that is both fun and funny, with humour that hits on multiple levels' and found the illustration and text to be impressive in equal measure. Self-published first-time author Sanna Thompson won the Young Adult Fiction Award for her novel The Paradise Generation. The Young Adult Fiction Award went to The Paradise Generation by self-published, first-time author Sanna Thompson. This expertly crafted, 'very Wellington' resistance narrative urges readers to think critically about where humanity is headed, the judges said. 'It [is] an extraordinary novel that balances both heart-pounding tension and emotional depth.' Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro by Elizabeth Gray won two awards. Rehua Wilson (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa) received the Russell Clark Award for Illustration, for Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, written by Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa tipua, Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō hoki), which tells the pūrakau of the becoming of Hineraukatauri. The judges praised Wilson's illustrations, which they felt embodied the kaupapa with 'a breath-taking synaesthetic skill that seems quite magical'. Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro also won the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for a Book Originally Written in Te Reo Māori. This new award was introduced after the decision to split the Te Kura Pounamu category into two separate prizes, acknowledging the skills of original writing and translation. 'There could not be a more deserving first recipient,' the judges said as they praised the rhythm and poetry of the reo. Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for a Translated Work was won by Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara written by Witi Ihimaera. The Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for a Translated Work went to Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara written by Witi Ihimaera (Te Whānau a Kai, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāti Porou), translated by Hēni Jacob (Ngāti Raukawa) and illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu). Judges praised Jacob's excellent translation of the original tale. '[It] flowed smoothly and provided a platform to spark conversation about the importance of Matariki.' The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey won the NZSA Best First Book Award. The NZSA Best First Book Award was awarded to The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey. Judges said the book stood out as 'the work of a writer who wields words with exquisite care and understands the power of great storytelling'. Each category winner receives $8500, except for the first book winners, who take home $2500. David Williams is an Auckland-based Multimedia Journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Spinoff
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘Best readers in the world': Meet the NZer behind the international Kids' Lit Quiz
Wayne Mills held the first Kids' Lit Quiz in New Zealand in 1991. More than three decades years and seven countries later, he's preparing to hand over his quizmaster's top hat. Wayne Mills walks his laptop around to show me his library and reading room. 'No technology in here!' he grins through the screen. 'Only a La-Z-Boy and books.' The bookshelves are stacked. On top of the shelves stand figurines – I spy other knick knacks tucked in among the books. It's the kind of sight that makes the heart glad. Mills' reading room is put to great use: he's getting through a book every two days, mostly children's books from all over the world, because he is the founder and quizmaster of the Kids' Lit Quiz that has been running annually for 34 years and now spans seven countries. In less than two weeks the world final is taking place in South Africa – and Mills is setting the questions. The annual competition for kids ages 10-13 (intermediate level) starts with regional heats in which teams are asked 100 questions over ten rounds. Regional winners then take part in the national competition, in which a buzzer is added and points are lost for incorrect answers. National winners then quiz off against winners from the rest of the participating countries in an effort to win the title of Kids' Lit Quiz world champions. Prize money is raised through sponsorship – the $12,000 prize for the winning team at the New Zealand nationals is sponsored by the Wright Family Foundation and is used for subsidising the team's international travel costs for the world final. The Kids' Lit Quiz at large is supported by a $115 fee that each team pays to enter the competition – those funds help support the administration of the international website, quiz spot prizes, and helps cover accommodation, meals, rental cars, per diems and other expenses related to participating in the world finals. Mills has never been remunerated for the thousands of hours spent wrangling, reading and setting quiz questions – it's a passion for the project that drives him. When Mills first set up the Kids' Lit Quiz in 1991, it was partly in response to concern that boys in particular weren't reading. The hype around that year's Rugby World Cup had placed an emphasis on sport and competition and he saw a glimmer of an idea in that. The Kids' Lit Quiz is competitive and Mills thinks that having a sense of competition as well as male role model (himself – the OG quizmaster) helped intrigue the boys in those early days. The quiz took off and gathered a life of its own. This year, 530 teams from across the motu took part in Aotearoa's regional heats. Mills says that today getting boys into books isn't so much of a worry – it's the worldwide decline in reading for pleasure that's of most concern. Lynette Collis is the librarian at Palmerston North Intermediate School and the coach of the winning team in this year's New Zealnd Kids' Lit Quiz. Next week she and her team of four intermediate-aged whizz-kid readers will fly to Johannesburg for the world competition, where they'll quiz-off against teams from six other countries – Canada, USA, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and South Africa. 'They really want to win,' says Collis with a nervous laugh. Training is daily in the lead-up and consists of reading as widely as possible, and watching literary quizzes on YouTube to stock up on general knowledge. They know there will be 10 categories at the worlds, but they they won't know what they are until the day. Collis thinks your average adult would struggle at the worlds. 'Once we get to South Africa we're up against the best of the best,' she says. Both Mills and Collis agree that the Kids' Lit Quiz isn't just about competition. It's about community and conversation. Mills argues that we tend to forget that reading isn't the solitary activity we often perceive it to be. 'Reading needs social interaction!' he says. 'Adults have book clubs and get to talk about books – kids need that too! We should be talking to them about everything – what's in the news, what they're interested in.' Mills is concerned that we've entered an age where reading in-depth is on the decline: we're reading summaries and short bites, and not spending enough time in long-form discovery. Mills cites this as well as Covid as a major factor in the recently reported literacy crisis among New Zealand's teenagers. The lack of access to books and a reliance on screens he says was a huge interruption in children's lives. Collis agrees – as a full-time librarian and the only intermediate school librarian in her region, she knows only too well how important deep reading and conversation is. Students will come to her during library time and bet that she won't have anything for them. That's when Collis will chat to them about their interests and then steer them towards books that meet them where their curiosities are. This work is unfortunately a rare occurrence in New Zealand today, where approximately two out of three schools don't have a library and there are very few full-time librarians at the schools that do have one. School libraries are not mandatory in Aotearoa. 'What food did Paddington have with him when he arrived in England?' 'What revolting couple played nasty jokes on one another?' 'What would happen to Pinocchio's nose when he told lies?' These are sample questions from Mill's extensive 'question bank'. He never approaches a book with a mission to find a question – rather the questions tend to pop out at him as he reads. Myths, legends, fairytales, and nonfiction behemoths like Horrible Histories are useful given how broadly they can be understood. For the more specific questions, Mills is always trying to craft a question that will make the kids want to read the book from which it derives. While Mills is busily reading a book every two days in preparation for quizmastering, Collis and her team are eagerly anticipating the journey to Johannesburg, meeting the other teams and coaches, and taking part in a week-long programme of events including workshops and museum visits. Part of their quiz preparation involves a range of fundraising activities: their nationals winnings went a long way to covering flights and accommodation but they need a bit more to cover the rest of their costs. Next year the world final will be in New Zealand, possibly held in Northland. It'll be Mills' last stint as quizmaster – there's going to be an 'official and ancient ceremony known as the passing of the top hat' whereby Mills will hand the quizmaster title to Alan Dingley, a passionate librarian, reader and educator who has most recently filled the position of Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador (Kate De Goldi took over from Dingley last month). Mills won't be far, though: he intends to keep writing the quiz questions until 2027 and will be a regular attendee at the national and international events. His eyes light up when he explains how the finals work: the winners are announced at a deliberately formal dinner. Students wear their best clothes and one member of each team has to stand up and tell the crowd all about their favourite book. After that, the winning team is announced and the trophies and prize money handed out. 'They get treated with the utmost dignity and maturity,' explains Mills. 'That's so that the kids get a taste of what it means to be in the adult world and that they know that what they've achieved is a big deal. Those kids will be spoiled and treated and interviewed – they're the best readers in the world.'
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Sir John Kirwan's Mitey mental health initiative launches in Bay of Plenty
The event was attended by Kirwan and representatives of three local schools using Mitey. 'For us, it is a no-brainer,' Carlin said. There was a lot of anxiety for children at school, and they need the tools to help express their emotions in positive, healthy ways. The other attraction for him was that Mitey was administered at no cost to the school. 'People always laugh when we say that, but that's one of the realities. We are always scrimping and saving.' Waihi Beach School had also joined the programme. Principal Rachel Cole said Waihi Beach can be home to a lot of intergenerational trauma and is far away from conventional resources accessible in big cities. 'Our community has higher mental health and suicide statistics in relation to our population,' Cole said. The team from Mitey was working with teachers on the ground at the school, and had shifted the conversation around mental health to an everyday discussion, Cole said. 'It has been powerful to say, 'We're going to talk about this'.' The Mitey programme is designed to be taught to kids before they reach high school, Kirwan said. 'If you look at stats, a lot of our youngsters are harming themselves.' The initiative launched in 2022 and has been rolling out in schools around the country. Kirwan would like to reach 600 schools by the end of this year and eventually see the programme in all 1400 New Zealand primary schools. Kirwan has spoken openly about his mental health struggles and in 2006 became the face of the National Depression Initiative awareness campaign. 'Mitey stemmed from failure. I woke up after being the face of mental health in this country, and the stats are still going the wrong way.' The Sir John Kirwan Foundation built a data-driven curriculum with the support of the University of Auckland, based on a Māori model. He wanted to see New Zealand go from having some of the worst mental health outcomes to the best. 'What is important for me is getting the data so we can see the truth.' According to the most recent available Te Whatu Ora Health NZ data, 579 people took their own lives in 2023, and 108 were under the age of 24. Māori accounted for 23% of suicides in 2023, but only made up 17% of the population. Over 82% of youth view mental health as the most significant issue they face, according to Youthline. Mitey is supported and funded by the Wright Family Foundation, led by Wayne Wright. 'It just made sense,' he said. Wright took a more active role in the Wright Family Foundation after his wife, businesswoman and philanthropist Chloe Wright, died in September 2023. He said the foundation's focus included early childhood care, child health services, music, literacy and maternity wraparound services. Bay of Plenty faces unique challenges that make resources like Mitey particularly valuable, the region's MP Tom Rutherford said. It has diverse communities with different needs, from urban centres to rural areas, along with socioeconomic disparities that impact children's wellbeing. 'By embedding these vital life skills into everyday learning for Years 1-8, we're normalising conversations around mental health from an early age.' There was increasing anxiety and stress in younger age groups across the region, often exacerbated by social media pressures and the aftermath of Covid-19 disruptions, Rutherford said. 'The Mitey program represents exactly the kind of proactive approach we need to be taking with children's mental health.'
