LeafSalon is very happy indeed to be able to congratulate Elizabeth Knox on scooping the main prize (the Esther Glen Award) for Dreamhunter at the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards on Monday night in Wellington. It’s no secret that many were a bit flummoxed at the book’s lack of a gong for the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. However, no doubts for the LIANZA judges – they were unanimous in their decision and commented that Dreamhunter’s plot is “brilliantly original and convincing, and the writing is superb.” But of course. Dreamhunter had been listed some time ago as one of the Top Ten Fantasy Books for Youth for 2006 in the American Library Association’s magazine Booklist, which is pretty big, to say the least. Thank the lord we are no longer in the embarrassing situation of not recognizing it adequately here.

Kevin Boon is the winner of The Elsie Locke Award (previously LIANZA Young People's Non-fiction Award) for his series Developments in New Zealand History. “Without the work of Kevin Boon, New Zealand’s non-fiction resources for children would be infinitely poorer,” says the judging panel.

Gavin Bishop is the winner of The Russell Clark Award (rewarding the most distinguished pictures or illustrations for a children's book) for Kiwi Moon, which he both wrote and illustrated. “Kiwi Moon has all the appeal and promise of a future folktale classic,” said the judging panel.

Hearty congratulations to all the above winners – they’ll all receive a medal and cheque for $1,000. And because we know you like to know these things, the judging panel was: Bob Docherty, (Panel Convenor) National Library, Christchurch; Katherine Chisholm, National Library, Palmerston North; and Annette Williams, Christchurch City Libraries. Between them, the judging panel has over fifty years of library experience.

But just before I rush off, more congratulations are due to Glen Colquhoun, whose glorious poetry collection, Playing God (Steele Roberts) has gone Platinum in the Booksellers NZ lists! (Metal ratings rock, as we know). This means it’s sold over 5,000 copies which, in a country this size, is pretty spesh. The book was voted winner of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards Readers’ Choice Award in 2003.

Glen has a new collection coming out in time for Xmas (late Nov/early Dec, according to Roger Whelan of Steele Roberts) called How We Fell. He read from it at the recent Going West Festival here in Titirangi. When he read his achingly lovely, and sometimes, it must be said, very funny poems about the break-up and fall-out of his marriage, I don’t think there would have been a red-blooded female there who didn’t want to take the poor boy home and make it all better. Perhaps it was just the spectacle that day of four grown men on stage putting their hearts on the line in public: Glen was there with his publisher, the stylish Roger Steele (also a funny and charismatic performer) as a double act, and there was also the romantic pairing of Gregory O’Brien and Ian Wedde (originally billed as the Greg and Jenny show but due to Jenny’s ill health, Ian stepped in).

There’s just something about blokes who are willing bare their souls in the name of lurve, especially with such words, don’t you agree, girls? I remember my own wordsmith Chris, in earlier days – no, lets not go there. But… maybe they just do it to score! Maybe they all go home, crack a few tinnies, burp and fart, and laugh in a mean way at our girly gullibility!

Well, maybe some do, but these guys meant every word... that's my story and I'm sticking to it.