Deadline Looms For Next Witi Ihimaera!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 25 2004

Deadline looms for next Witi Ihimaera!

Budding young novelists have until August 31 to prove their creativity and get their entries in for the Nestlé Write Around New Zealand: Nestlé Tuhi Amio Whenua creative writing competition for 2004. National coordinator, Kaye Lally from Auckland City Libraries, says the ultimate goal of the programme is to get as many children, from as many backgrounds as possible to write and enter. We want them to share their experiences or dreams and extend their imaginations through writing short stories.

"We hope that over these last few days more children will decide to give it a go and send in an entry. It is so important for parents and teachers to encourage writing as, in our experience, every young New Zealander has an exciting story to tell," she says

Nestlé Write Around New Zealand: Nestlé Tuhi Amio Whenua is a national creative writing programme in which Year 7 and 8 students compete for a share of $60,000 worth of prizes. By entering a story of up to 500 words, children can win collections of great Kiwi books for themselves and their school libraries and backpacks full of Nestlé products. The top two writers from each year also win a computer package.

Competition entry forms and conditions are available from schools, public libraries and online at www.writearound.co.nz

More than 3000 children have been involved in over 100 author workshops. The workshops involved leading writers such as Tessa Duder and Apirana Taylor and were held throughout New Zealand over the last month. Top authors and libraries throughout New Zealand have pulled together to help children understand the joys of writing.

The programme will select 150 finalists from 10 zones nationwide with 30 winners chosen at regional events travelling to Auckland for the national presentation where two winners will be announced, one each from Year 7 and Year 8 entries.

Nestlé Write Around New Zealand: Nestle Tuhi Amio Whenua is a Nestlé funded community programme coordinated by Auckland City Libraries and supported by public libraries around New Zealand. Entries will be accepted in both English and Maori.

ENDS

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