Oratia Media wins BOP Bologna Prize as Best Children’s Publisher of the Year 2021

MEDIA RELEASE — 15 June 2021

Independent Kiwi publisher garners international award at the world’s largest children’s book fair

West Auckland publishing house Oratia Media has won the BOP Bologna Prize as Best Children’s Publisher of the Year 2021, Oceania at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy. 

 

Oratia had been shortlisted in the Oceania section alongside four outstanding Australian publishers at this year’s virtual fair.

 

The prestigious BOP prize is awarded each year to publishers from six regions ‘for the creative nature of the editorial choices they have made during the previous year.’

 

      Elena Pasoli announces Oratia Media as winner of the BOP Bologna Prize, Oceania section

The prize was announced this morning 15 June NZ time in an online ceremony hosted in Bologna by the fair’s Exhibition Manager Elena Pasoli, President of the International Publishers Association Bodour Al Qasimi, and Italian Publishers Association President Ricardo Franco Levi. 

Oratia was cited as ‘an eclectic publishing house from New Zealand with a strong focus on high-quality editing, design, and printing.’

 

'We are honoured to receive the BOP Bologna Prize, which is a great tribute to our team, authors, illustrators, editors, designers and other partners, and especially to Editorial Director Carolyn Lagahetau,' commented Oratia Books publisher Peter Dowling. 

 

'New Zealand publishes amazing children’s books and this award can only raise international awareness of the creative talent here.' 

 

Click here to view the awards ceremony on Youtube, and here for the winner profile on the Bologna Children's Book Fair website.

About Oratia Media – www.oratia.co.nz

Oratia Media is an independent publisher of mostly New Zealand authors, with a focus on children’s, Māori, history and illustrated books. In 2021 Oratia Books brings 15 new titles to publication, half of which are children’s (mostly picture books). Our publishing reflects a multicultural, inclusive outlook, with many bilingual books in English and te reo Māori.

                          Oratia’s core team (L–R): Alessandra Zecchini, Belinda Cooke, Carolyn Lagahetau and Peter Dowling

Fun tale for kids and cat lovers hits the shelves on Thursday

Curious cats, a forgetful Dad and a drifting boat get all at sea in a new ‘Kiwi-as’ picture book

Mr Jones is probably not the only bloke who has forgotten to tie up the boat properly of late. But he may be the only one who has then had his boat commandeered by a pair of cats!

 

Captain Cat is the outcome of a real bit of misadventure that Joan Joass’ moggies got up to when husband Paul had to hurry from his dinghy to the wharf behind their house on Herald Island. 

In the book, Fluff and Scout’s love of fish gets the better of them as they leap into the dinghy, and find it floating out into the estuary.

 

The boat’s owner might not be onto it, but the neighbourhood kids are! Spying the cats afloat, one posts on social media: ‘Do you know whose cats are these? Get in touch and HURRY please!’

 

Following on from their successful 2020 outing The Longdrop — which reprinted only a month after its launch — Joan teams up again with Bob Darroch for a tale of typical Kiwi warmth and fun.

Bob’s vibrant, jam-packed illustrations hilariously depict Fluff and Scout’s adventures at sea, in a story that kids and fishing dads will relate to.

The authors

Joan Joass is a retired primary school teacher with science degrees in geology and chemistry.  She lives on Herald Island, West Auckland, close to the water with her husband Paul and a pair of cats.   

Bob Darroch has written and illustrated numerous children’s books over a long career, including his bestselling Little Kiwi series. He lives in Temuka, South Canterbury. 

Publication: 3 June 2021  |  RRP $19.99  |  ISBN:  978-0-947506-86-5

Paperback, 230 x 215 mm, 32 pages, colour