Three Massey University Press titles have been shortlisted in the Booklovers Awards for 2023.
HomeGround: The story of a building that changes lives by Simon Wilson and Rooms: Portraits of Remarkable New Zealand Interiors by Jane Ussher and John Walsh were both shortlisted in the Best Lifestyle Book category, while Sylvia and the Birds: How The Bird Lady saved thousands of birds and how you can, too by Johanna Emeney and Sarah Laing was shortlisted in the Junior Fiction category.
The judges said:
‘HomeGround is the story of a 20-year collaboration by a group of focused and persistent visionaries to complete Auckland City Mission’s extraordinary new building. It is fitting that the book is also a collaborative effort, steered to its excellent conclusion by eminent Auckland journalist Simon Wilson. It may have initially been conceived as a book about architecture, but HomeGround tells such a story of vision, passion, aroha and courage that it is also one of hope and change. This wonderful book is sure to have broad appeal, and hopefully, it will enrol others to join the chorus and carry the vision of Auckland City Mission forward.’
‘Words like opulent, lavish and luxurious come easily when describing the superb interior architecture photographer Jane Ussher has brought to us through the pages of some of our best-loved magazines. In this extraordinary book, surely a magnum opus celebrating her extraordinary career, the accolades normally reserved for her interiors belong to the book. Rarely is a book so well executed, so exquisitely detailed, that it becomes an instant favourite. From the exotic endplates to the velvet bookmarks, this is a benchmark book which sets new standards for publishers to aspire to.’
‘Based on the life of Sylvia Durrant, Sylvia and the Birds is a wonderfully diverse blend of biography, description and explanation of the birdlife of Aotearoa and practical ways in which our native birds can be helped and protected. The variety of the text using graphics, photographs, quizzes and activities encourages interaction and self-learning. Sylvia Durrant’s life, with the many challenges she has faced as both a child and an adult, is honestly portrayed, giving young readers the opportunity to learn and reflect on our social history. This beautifully illustrated and the presented book is a must for family bookshelves.’
See the full list here. Congratulations to all those shortlisted!
