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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Prestigious award to NZ children's writer

Margaret Mahy Medal


On March 31, Storylines’ Margaret Mahy Day, bestselling children’s and YA writer Fleur Beale (pictured) will be presented with the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, which is given annually by the Storylines Children’s Literature Trust and is New Zealand’s top award for achievement in children’s literature. It’s another much-deserved accolade for one of this country’s most popular and distinguished writers for younger readers.

As the Storylines press release notes: “‘Fleur Beale’s books have won her a large following among young readers,’ says Storylines Trust chair, Dr Libby Limbrick. ‘Since her first book Slide the Corner in 1993 she has published a significant body of more than thirty works of fiction. Many have been shortlisted for awards, with her more recent books, such as the Esther Glenn winner Juno of Taris and 2011 New Zealand Post Senior Fiction winner Fierce September, taking top prizes.’”

Fleur's 30 books, many of which have been published in America and England, include the classic I Am Not Esther, winner of the Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-Loved Book, and published under Random House’s Longacre imprint. It was reissued in March with a new jacket and has been continuously in print now for 14 years. Fleur’s new YA novel for Random House is to be published
in September.

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