Speeches 

Speech notes prepared for the opening of the Storylines Festival of New Zealand Children's Writers and Illustrators, 11 June 2008.

A warm welcome to you all. Thank you for inviting me to the opening of the Storylines Festival.

It is a credit to the organisers, and to the increasing interest of New Zealanders in the field of children’s literature, that the Storylines Festival continues to be so successful after 15 years.

On reading this year’s programme, I am, as always, very impressed by the range of events available in the centres where the Festival is taking place, and the sheer number of New Zealanders who will take part in Festival activities.

The Festival provides a great opportunity to promote reading, to give New Zealand children access to a wide range of literary experiences and to promote the work of authors and illustrators.

Like all the adults present today, I can remember the books that were special to me, that transported me to another world, and gave me a thirst for further reading.

Fortunately, the range of books available to children today is wildly in excess of what New Zealand children had when I was growing up. Children are now blessed with so many local books with stories and information which is pertinent to their experience. It is exciting to see increasing use of te reo in English-language books, and the rise of books published in te reo.

Good stories also travel of course, and in a sense know no borders.  Our successful authors have their work published all over the world, and our children’s lives are enriched by stories from other countries.  Young (and older) fans of the international visitors to the Festival this year, Babette Cole and Carole Wilkinson, will be delighted to see these authors in person this year.

I don’t need to tell this audience how important children’s literature is for the development of life-long learning, and also the huge pleasure that books bring to our lives.

Good writing feeds the soul, enabling us to work through our psychic dramas.   Good writing and informed, creative reading are also key components of intelligent cultural development.   They are essential to our understanding of each other, and of the contexts and environments in which we live.

A passion for reading will help New Zealand children develop the critical thinking skills, knowledge and imaginative approaches they need to live in the information society of the future.

So we need to celebrate excellence and talent in children’s literature, and to acknowledge the dedication of writers and illustrators.

Their work is solitary, and this Festival gives them an opportunity to connect with their audience – an experience of benefit to all parties.  Children can meet their literary heroes and talk about their responses to books, and authors can get a sense of where their young audience is heading.

And a wonderful feature of these festivals is the opportunity for children to have a go at writing and illustrating stories themselves.  Budding authors and illustrators may well be developed in the process.

In recent years the government has provided an unprecedented level of support to cultural activities. The government cannot sustain a healthy creative sector on its own, however. We have always emphasised the importance of partnerships with the wider community and the business community as an essential complement to government support.

I was impressed to see the long list of organisations that supported this year’s Storylines Festival, in particular the longstanding sponsor, ASB Trust.  The generosity and foresight of all the sponsors are appreciated, and the community will be enriched by the activities you have made possible.

I am very pleased now to declare the Storylines Festival of New Zealand Children’s Writers and Illustrators open. Congratulations to the Children’s Literature Trust of New Zealand and all its supporters, and I wish you all the very best for another successful and memorable week of literary treats.

Thank you.

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