The Gaelyn Gordon Award is awarded annually by the Children's Literature Foundation (now called the Storylines Children's Literature Foundation) to a well-loved work of New Zealand children's fiction.
History This award is named after Gaelyn Gordon (1939-1997) who was born in Hāwera and taught English and Drama at Hamilton Girls' High School. She published her first children's book in 1989 and wrote many more books for both children and adults until her death from cancer in 1997. Her books were popular but won no major awards during her lifetime.
The Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-Loved Book was established by the Children's Literature Foundation in 1998 to honour her memory and mark her contribution to New Zealand children's literature. It was set up with the help of her three publishers HarperCollins, Scholastic and David Ling Publishing. In 2005, the Children's Literature Foundation was renamed the Storylines Children's Literature Foundation, and the award is now known as the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award.
Eligibility The Gaelyn Gordon Award is for a work of fiction which has stood the test of time. It is awarded to a children's book which may not have received initial recognition but has remained in print (or been reprinted) and has proven to be popular and successful over a period of years. The award is made annually and the winning title is chosen by a panel appointed by Storylines. The author must still be alive. The book must still be in print and have been in print for at least five years (or else reissued and in print for at least two years). The book may have been shortlisted for a New Zealand award, but it must not have previously won a major New Zealand award (although it may have won an award overseas).
List of recipients +1999The Runaway Settlers by Elsie Locke2000Grandpa's Slippers by Joy Watson, illustrated by Wendy Hodder 2001Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen2002See Ya, Simon by David Hill2003The Little Yellow Digger by Betty Gilderdale and Alan Gilderdale 2004Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee2005Night Race to Kawau by Tessa Duder2006The Nickle Nackle Tree by Lynley Dodd2007Slide the Corner by Fleur Beale2008My Brown Bear Barney by Dorothy Butler, illustrated by Elizabeth Fuller2009I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale2010The Wednesday Wizard by Sherryl Jordan2011Tangaroa's Gift by Mere Whaanga-Schollum2012Uncle Trev by Jack Lasenby2013How Maui Slowed the Sun by Peter Gossage2014Grandma McGarvey by Jenny Hessell, illustrated by Trevor Pye2015Little Kiwi is Scared of the Dark by Bob Darroch2016Cry of the Taniwha by Des Hunt2017Mr McGee by Pamela Allen2018Nicketty Nacketty Noo-Noo-Noo, by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Trace Moroney2019The Christmas caravan by Jennifer Beck, illustrated by Robyn Belton2020The Big Block of Chocolate by Janet Slater, illustrated by Christine Dale2021The Girls in the Kapa Haka by Angie Belcher, illustrated by Debbie Tipuna2022Winter of Fire, by Sherryl Jordan2023A Kiwi Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morgan, illustrated by Deborah Hinde
See also List of New Zealand literary awards
External links Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award - with a list of prize winners Biography of Gaelyn Gordon at New Zealand Book Council: Te Kaunihera Pukapuka o Aotearoa Children's and young adult literature at Te Ara
References