Perhaps not the right reward for excellence....

Last week was a shocker. The New Zealand Children's literature community was rocked by the news that the Government is closing Learning Media, the organisation that has produced the School Journal and other educational literacy material for use in schools. This award winning material is provided free to schools and forms the backbone of learning to read and extends many other courses of study within the classroom. The School Journal and other materials have an international reputation for excellence and are the envy of many other countries. Concerns were raised earlier this year when we were alerted to the fact that the production of these materials was being put out to tender. Learning Media were required to compete for the business that it had previously held sole responsibility for. And now they are to close. We wonder what might happen next to these wonderful educational publications.

Paul Little had this to say in the Sunday Herald - The state-owned enterprise that publishes the School Journal is to close, largely because it lost a Government publishing contact.

Don't expect the Journal itself to last much longer. The decision not to bail out Learning Media and ensure continuity of this beloved resource shows, as if we needed reminding, that we value money ahead of reading, imagination, creativity, tradition, inspiration, history, art, stimulation, fun, language, writing, communication, children, dedication, variety, the music of words, open minds, canons, culture and memories.

And here is a good explanation of what happened and why we should care about what happens next, written by NZ illustrator Adele Jackson - "There is a company that wasn't managing to return a profit and perform well under the government's new procurement processes, certainly. The reasons for this are many but essentially, Learning Media were forced to compete for their work, where once they had a monopoly. The company produces literacy resources for the Ministry of Education and all kinds of other wonderful educational materials like 'Ready to Read' books used by most if not all schools, and science magazines of a quality not seen anywhere in the world, te reo resources and pacifica resources. They also produce the School Journal which contains plays, fiction, nonfiction, poetry and craft activities. Now that the company is being wound up, the School Journal will be tendered out to other publishing companies for production. These companies are on a panel of providers. There is nothing to stop overseas companies from applying to be on the panel of providers and content for the Journals could be sourced from overseas in future. In all probability it will eventually stop being published altogether if the new tendering process fails to reach the levels of economies required by the Ministry. Before that happens we may see it being sold to schools ... and this will be a huge expense for lower decile schools. 

So looking at the effects now:
The the demise of the school journal *will* affect literacy levels undoubtedly - Journals are primary schools' main resource for teaching reading, social studies, science, history, english and culture... (and they are free to all schools I might add). The School Journals have uniquely New Zealand content which is written and illustrated by New Zealand authors and illustrators. They are graded to match literacy standards imposed by the Ministry of Ed as a child progresses through school, and they're matched against the New Zealand Curriculum with extensive teachers notes. All journals are indexed so back issues can be used to support classroom planning and the curriculum at any time. Picture books like The Gruffalo (not a NZ book) aren't core learning materials. The School Journal reflects New Zealand culture and arts as well as New Zealand history and the achievements of New Zealanders.

So you see... there really is a lot to lose and they are a hell of a lot more than a sentimental memory for those of us that grew up with them. They are a priceless treasure house that shape our kids learning through school."

 If you are concerned about what is happening please write to your MP and the Minister for Education and let them know 

Would like the chance to try for a little cultural cringe...

Are we an endangered species? The Kiwi writer? The other day chatting with some folk, one of them asked me what I did for a job and I said I wrote Children's fiction. As we talked on she called what I did a pastime. I don't think she meant anything by it. Certainly it wasn't meant as an insult. But when I consider what I earn from my career and the regard in which I am held by the general populace in New Zealand, most of whom wouldn't know me or know of me, I feel a growing concern. We sometimes talk, as a community (of writers), about wanting to rise above the cultural cringe, as music did when the local industry first started NZ Music Month. But I'm beginning to think we haven't even reached the level of public interest where cultural cringe can be applied. I know there are an intensely passionate group of people who do care; who love, support and encourage local writers and illustrators; who share our work with their children, their pupils, their customers and their friends. Who buy our books. But unfortunately a large sector of New Zealand are indifferent. I don't think they see the value in having a NZ literature, for children or adults. Literature from other countries is more widely available and sells better. We revere visiting authors and illustrators.

And yet if you have ever had the opportunity to travel outside New Zealand you quickly discover how different we are culturally from other predominantly English speaking nations. And socially, emotionally and geographically too. Growing up here makes you different. It makes our literature different too. Even if we don't include local landmarks in our books; the way we use language, our idioms, our preoccupations, the things we are parochial about, are recognizably unique. You don't have to be a Kiwi to appreciate them, just like you don't have to be American to get American literature or Irish or Australian, or Swedish, or Indian, or  Afghani etc... But our way of looking at the world is just as important as any other country's. I am interested in other cultures but I don't want to be absorbed by another culture - that we tried to emulate Keeping Up with the Kardashians with our very own Ridges is evidence enough that we should believe in our own strengths, not adopt the weaknesses of somewhere else. Our Kiwi perspective is something we should be proud of, that we should utilise and take advantage of. We do so when it comes to sporting endeavours, wine, music, medical research and a whole bunch of other stuff we applaud as uniquely Kiwi. Our literature is good enough. In fact it's great.

Government funding and support for the PLR and Creative NZ seem fragile. Government funding and support for iconic institutions like Learning Media and the NZ Book Council seem fragile. These are sources of income that help New Zealand authors and illustrators survive. If these sources are compromised, many authors and illustrators will be compromised too. Market forces are being viewed by many as the arbiter of what succeeds and what doesn't, but our marketplace can never be big enough to make this alone the answer. Succeeding overseas would help, but one of the barriers to overseas success is the overseas country's support for its own indigenous literature (perhaps this is the part of an overseas culture I would like us to absorb). Creative pursuits are viewed by many as pastimes, or hobbies or indulgences. I worry that some view us as expendable. I worry that this is the government's position. Our books are good enough people. New Zealand, don't abandon our literary point of view.

Your chances are as good as ever...

In response to my last post, Kath lamented that getting published in NZ today as a newcomer seems impossible. What are the chances?

From where I sit Kath I have to say the chances seem as good as ever. Chances were never good, but newcomers still do get published every year. In the wake of the recession, publishing lists were cut and several boutique publishers (Mallinson Rendel, Longacre) were absorbed by a couple of the big international publishing names (Penguin and Random respectively). Publishers across the board were tightening purse strings and Scholastic NZ, the biggest children's-only publisher here closed to unsolicited submissions, an uncommon position in this country. And it certainly may appear that the same names are turning up on the covers of the books in the bookshops.

However if you know your local authors well you can spot the new ones too. Anna Gowan and Leonie Agnew are new faces in the junior novel area. Juliette MacIver is new in picture books as is Chris Gurney and Belynda Smith. I'm sure there are others that have slipped my mind.

Several avenues exist for new writers such as the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon and Tessa Duder Awards for junior and YA fiction. You cannot enter for these awards if you are previously published. While the Joy Cowley Award for a picture book is open to the previously published, this is how many new writers are noticed by Scholastic who participate in judging the entries and publish the winners of the Joy Cowley and Tom Fitzgibbon (Harper Collins publish the winner of the Tessa Duder Award). Scholastic have published the books of other finalists as well. I was twice a finalist in the Joy Cowley Award and while this didn't result directly in publication of my entries at the time, it was a huge boost for me as a writer and resulted in some fantastic feedback which has seen both stories being published more recently. Entries close on October 31st for these Awards every year.

And we now have new boutique publishers springing up. David Ling's Duck Creek Press  has taken on a new picture book writer and new illustrators in the last few years and Pear Jam Books, just launched by author Jill Marshall, is publishing 14 titles this year of which 5 are by previously unpublished authors and another couple are by newish authors.

I got my break with Learning Media and Australia's School Journal who first published several short stories I had written during a Writing for Children paper I did at Massey University as part of my English Degree. One of the most important things I did to help myself along was join several writer's organisations (Storylines, NZSA, Kiwiwrite4kidz) which introduced me to other people experiencing the same difficulties and challenges that I was on my quest for publication. We share triumphs, disappointments and tales of survival. We also share tips and information that make our journey easier.

So don't despair. A blog I follow in the UK by the much published author Nicola Morgan recently featured a post in which she spoke about her twenty year journey to publication. She was first published well before the global recession but it still took her twenty years to reach that first contract. It is very tough to get published. Sometimes it takes a while to find your niche, your voice, your style. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right story for the right time - the one that starts you off. If you are serious about being published as a children's author then you have to hang in there. Keep writing. Take heart. Join with the rest of us and we can hang in there together.