Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day - background
The Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day is one of Storylines’ two major annual celebrations of achievement by New Zealand’s authors and illustrators (new and experienced), publishers, and others who have contributed greatly to New Zealand children’s literature. It is held each year on the weekend closest to International Children’s Book Day, 2 April – Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday.
The afternoon includes the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal presentation, and the presentation of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture by the medal winner, presentation of awards for original manuscripts, launches of the books published as the product of Storylines’ award-winning manuscripts, and the announcement of new Storylines initiatives.
2025 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day
Save the Date
The 2025 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day
📅 When: Sunday, 6 April 2025
📍 Where: National Library of New Zealand, Parnell, Auckland
Join us for this special occasion celebrating the winners of our manuscript and illustration awards, alongside the much-anticipated Margaret Mahy Medal Lecture.
Register now to secure your place and be part of this inspiring day!
2024 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day
The 2024 Storylines Margaret Mahy Day National Awards Day was held on Sunday 7 April 2024. The afternoon included the presentation of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal to Elizabeth Jones and the presentation by Elizabeth of the 2024 Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture.
The event also celebrated shortlisted entrants and the announcement of the winners of the 2024 Storylines manuscript and illustration awards – Storylines Joy Cowley Award; Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award (no winner, only shortlist); Storylines Tessa Duder Award; Storylines Gavin Bishop Award; the Storylines Janice Marriott Mentoring Award; and the winner of the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a much-loved book.
2022 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day
The 2022 Storylines Margaret Mahy Day National Awards Day was held on Sunday 3 April 2022. The afternoon included the presentation of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal to writer Diana Noonan and the presentation by Diana of the 2022 Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture.
The event also celebrated shortlisted entrants and the announcement of the winners of the 2022 Storylines manuscript awards – Storylines Joy Cowley Award; Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award; Storylines Tessa Duder Award, Storylines Te Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award; the Storylines Janice Marriott Mentoring Award; and the winner of the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a much-loved book.
Storylines Patron Dame Wendy Pye introduced Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal winner Diana Noonan and presented her with her medal.
Catherine O’Loughlin of award sponsor Penguin Random House celebrates the launch of The Lighthouse Princess with author Sarah Wardell and 2022 Gavin Bishop Award winner illustrator Rose Northey.
Afternoon tea in the Kings School library was an opportunity for networking and connecting with fellow members of the children’s literature community.
Author Tessa Duder with Storylines Tessa Duder Award winner Leonie Agnew (second from left) and shortlisted entrants Sian Thompson and Lynda Tomalin.
Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award winner Feana Tu’akoi (second from left) celebrates with her family, from left to right: Sione, Braden, Valu and ‘Amelia.
Lynette Evans of award sponsor Scholastic New Zealand with Melanie Koster, winner of the Storylines Joy Cowley Award.
Storylines Te Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award winner Brianne Te Paa received her award from Storylines chair Christine Young .
Winner of the first (2020) Storylines Te Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award, Amiria Stirling, celebrates the launch of her book in te reo Māori and in English.
Penny Scown of publisher Scholastic New Zealand receives the certificate for the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award on behalf of author Sherryl Jordan, presented by Storylines’ Tessa Duder.
2021 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day
The 2021 Storylines Margaret Mahy Day National Awards Day was held on Sunday 28 March. The afternoon included the presentation of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal to Gecko Press publisher Julia Marshall and the presentation by Julia of the 2021 Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture. Her lecture outlined the genesis of and influences on her publishing company Gecko Press, but more importantly, perhaps, looked at the importance of others in inspiring, influencing and cementing a love of reading in young people. “For every reader, she says, among many other wise things, “there is this group of people, this village, that nudge the children to find those good books at just the right moment.” Read the full text of Julia’s lecture.
The event also celebrated shortlisted entrants and the announcement of the winners of the 2021 Storylines manuscript awards – Storylines Joy Cowley Award; Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award; Storylines Tessa Duder Award, Storylines Te Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award; the Storylines Janice Marriott Mentoring Award; and the winner of the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a much-loved book
Storylines 2020 award winners online
All our virtual award presentations made online in 2020 are available for you to watch or re-watch on our YouTube or Vimeo channels. Use the links below to see:
- Maria Gill, Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal
- Amiria Stirling, Storylines Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award
- Stacy Gregg, Storylines Kids Pick Award
- Tania Sickling, Storylines Joy Cowley Award
- Cristina Sanders, Storylines Tessa Duder Award
- Belinda O’Keefe, Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award
- Janet Bottin & Christine Dale, Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a much-loved book
- Janine Williams, inaugural winner of the Storylines Janice Marriott Mentoring Award.
2019 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day
More than 150 people attended the 2019 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Awards Day in Auckland on 31 March at the University of Auckland Music Auditorium in Auckland. It was an afternoon of celebrations and sharing the love of books and children’s literature as award winners were honoured. Highlight of the afternoon was the presentation by 2019 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal winner, Mandy Hager, of the 2019 Margaret Mahy lecture which she entitled ‘Channelling our greater good’.
Read more about Mandy and the presentation of the Margaret Mahy Medal.
Read the text of Mandy’s lecture.
View Mandy’s lecture presentation.
Other awards presented were the 2019 Storylines Joy Cowley Award, the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award, and the Storylines Notable Book Awards. The books of two award-winning manuscripts from 2018, Ursa by Tina Collins and Bullseye Bella by James T. Guthrie, were launched during the afternoon.
Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day is also an opportunity to recognise members who have dedicated time to Storylines over many years. This especially applied to Dr Libby Limbrick who was chair of Storylines Trust for 13 years until stepping down at the end of 2018. Christine Young, who took over as chair, thanked Libby for her years of work and presented her with flowers and a gift in token acknowledgment of the time she has dedicated to Storylines. Libby is far from lost to Storylines; she remains on the Trust as Immediate past Chair, and remains on the Storylines management committee.
Christine Dale, chairperson of the Storylines management committee, recently announced that work commitments mean she can no longer give the role the time it deserves. Christine Young, chair of Storylines Trust, presented Christine with a floral thank you for the extraordinary work and commitment she has made to Storylines as MC Chair over the past two and a half years.
Read the Storylines 2019 annual report.
Storylines Foundation 2019 financial report
2018 Storylines Margaret Mahy National Awards Day
In 2018, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern presented the 2018 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal to Janice Marriott at the event.
Photos from 2018:
