For anyone who missed the talk, it is now possible to view a recording of the evening here.

We sincerely hope you can join us to hear Gavin Bishop deliver his lecture “TŌKU WHENUA: New Zealand Stories for New Zealand Children.”  Gavin is a much-loved chiidren’s author and illustrator, but many of his books tackle very adult themes such as te ao Māori, colonialism, and war.  His deep knowledge of NZ history informs his very thoughtful depictions of our nation.  Few authors could have more insight into our perennial question of “What do books do in Aotearoa and the world?”

Gavin Bishop O.N.Z.M. has published 80 books that have been translated into 12 languages. He has won Best NZ Children’s Book of the Year five times, Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year five times and Best Non- Fiction Children’s Book of the Year three times. In 2018 he was awarded the Te Tohu a Ta Kingi Ihaka for a lifetime contribution to Maori Art and culture and in 2019 the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement. He has recently been nominated for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest award for Children’s Literature in the world.

For more details about Gavin’s work, see this Otago Bulletin story: https://www.otago.ac.nz/about/news/events/world-book-day-lecture-gavin-bishop

The lecture will take place at 5:30 in Archway 1.

If you are unable to be in Dunedin or join us in person, the talk will also be livestreamed (https://www.otago.ac.nz/its/services/teaching-and-research-services/streaming/video-streaming-channel-1).

Apology: We regret that there will be no dinner following the lecture this year.  Complexities of payment and  modern diets combined with few spaces flexible enough to accommodate our unpredictable numbers have made the planning a bit overwhelming.  However, we remain open to advice on how to manage such a function in future.