*****EMBARGOED UNTIL 31 October 2012*****
Thousands of free books hit the road for the ultimate tiki-tour
Thousands of books by New Zealand and international authors are about to begin an epic journey toward
unknown final destinations which might be anywhere around the globe.
The books will be freely distributed around dozens of towns and cities throughout New Zealand – each book
with a label inviting the public to take it, read it, then pass it on.
The books, more than 4,000 in all, are part of the “Travelling Books” project, an initiative by Literacy Aotearoa
and New Zealand Post designed to foster a love of reading, and of sharing books which bring people
enjoyment.
Now in its second year, the Travelling Books project is being launched tonight (Wednesday 31 October) at
Government House in Auckland by the Governor-General, Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady
Janine Mateparae.
Once launched, the books will begin their journeys by being left in public locations in the following centres:
Invercargill
Gore
Dunedin
Queenstown
Oamaru
Timaru
Ashburton
Christchurch
Palmerston North
Greymouth
Westport
Blenheim
Nelson
Wellington
Lower Hutt
Porirua
Upper Hutt
Auckland Central
Featherston
Masterton
Paraparaumu
Levin
Fielding
Dannevirke
Whanganui
Napier
New Plymouth
Wairoa
Gisborne
Turangi
Taupo
Te Kuiti
Tokoroa
Rotorua
Hamilton
Waiheke Island
Tauranga
Thames
Manukau
Waitakere
North Shore
Dargaville
Whangarei
Kaitaia
The free books – nearly 100 different titles – include works by household names such as John Grisham and
Margaret Mahy; alongside works by beloved authors like Albert Wendt and Joy Cowley; and less well-known
treasures by a range of local and international authors.
“The Travelling Books project is born of the understanding that sharing the pleasure of reading books with
others is hugely rewarding,” says Literacy Aotearoa CEO, Bronwyn Yates.
“The initiative aims to spread the joy of reading, by sharing fiction and non-fiction titles, making the exciting
worlds of children’s, young adult and adult books readily available to New Zealanders everywhere.
“If it also helps to raise people’s awareness that adult literacy need is a major national issue, which prevents a
great many New Zealanders from enjoying this pleasure, then that’s even better,” Bronwyn Yates added.
New Zealand Post has a strong tradition of promoting reading and, as sponsor of both the New Zealand Post
Book Awards and the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards, was a natural partner for Literacy Aotearoa
on this project.
continued...
*****EMBARGOED UNTIL 31 October 2012*****
New Zealand Post’s head of sponsorship Nicola Airey says the Travelling Books project is a fun and innovative
way to promote reading amongst New Zealanders, by making books available to those who otherwise may not
be able to access them.
“The simple act of passing on a book you’ve enjoyed to someone else, reinforces the joys of sharing and
recommending books to others,” Nicola Airey said.
Travelling Book spotters can recognise the new releases by a distinctive sticker on the cover. Inside they will
find instructions on how to pass the books on once they’ve finished. They can hand them on to a friend or
colleague or, even better, leave them in a safe dry, public space, where they can be found anew by passers-by,
who can take them home and discover for themselves the pleasure of reading freely shared books.
The books will be sent on their journey around the country by the 45 member providers of Literacy Aotearoa,
who will work with local PostShops to liberate them into their communities. Literacy Aotearoa has developed
a system to monitor these migratory volumes: each book has a unique code inside the front cover; anyone
who picks it up and reads it, is invited to log on to the Literacy Aotearoa website and record its location.
Everyone who reports a book sighting goes into a monthly draw to win a $50 gift voucher.
The books were purchased from Huia Publishers, Random House, Gecko Press and Scholastic – who offered
generous discounts to help support the Travelling Books project.
For more information see: www.literacy.org.nz
(ends)
Media contacts: Nicola Airey – New Zealand Post – 027 499 3996
Bronwyn Yates – Literacy Aotearoa – 021 826 622
A selection of the titles included in this year’s Travelling Books project
Children’s Books:

Stories of the Wild West Gang – Joy Cowley

After Dark: Creatures of the NZ Forest – Julia Crouth

The Legend of the Seven Whales – Mere WhaangaSchollum

Cuzzies Meet the Motuhoa Shark - Tommy Kapai

Down in the Forest – Yvonne Morrison

Dinosaur Rescue – Stego Snottysaurus - Kyle
Mewburn & Donovan Bixley
Young Adult Fiction:

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ken Catran

Thieves - Ella West

Malcolm and Juliet - Bernard Beckett

Rocco – Sheryl Jordan






Chinatown Girl – Eva Wong-Ng
Te Tarau o Papa Koroua – Joy Watson
Organ Music – Margaret Mahy
Fruitloops and Dipsticks – Ulf Stark
I Am So Strong – Mario Ramos
Hinemoa Te Toa - Tim Tipene, John Bennett, Kāterina
Te Heikōkō Mataira



Deep Fried – Bernard Beckett
The End of the Alphabet – Fleur Beale
Boyznbikes – Vince Ford
Adult Fiction:

The Songmaker’s Chair - Albert Wendt

Festival of Miracles by Alice Tawhai

The Smell of the Moon – Mark Kneubuhl

The Skeleton Woman – Renee

Niu Voices – Huia Publishers
Adult Non-Fiction:

Against the Odds: Matt Te Pou and Māori Rugby Matt McIlwraith

Victoria Cross at Takrouna – The Haani Manahi Story
– Paul Moon

On the Wings of Mercury – Lorraine Moller

A Lion Called Christian – Anthony Bourke and John
Rendall
*****EMBARGOED UNTIL 31 October 2012*****







At the Heart of Hiruharama – Isabel WatiMulholland
The Confession – John Grisham
Rebel Heiress – Fiona Mountain
Bowling through India – Justin Brown
Trust – Pip Desmond
100 NZ Pop Culture Stories – Mitchell Hawkes
Hikoi – Aroha Harris