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Overview

We evaluate the impact of our work in many ways, to ensure that we are always making the biggest difference for the people we are trying to reach:

  • We conduct structured evaluation of our programmes and use the findings to inform future mahi
  • We monitor the reach of our programmes, ensuring we are engaging communities across Aotearoa New Zealand
  • We review and share external research to ensure our work builds on the most up-to-date evidence
  • We undertake our own research to help understand how we are reading and how we can encourage more New Zealanders to read more
  • We work with other organisations to help amplify our work.
Some of the Writers in Communities books published in 2021 with author David Riley
“We did a session with David Riley. Right after this session kids were running out of the classroom and into the library going to the librarian and saying “have you got some good books for us because we want to change our lives” and she had a big display of all of David’s books and they were saying how many can I take. And they knew where to go to get them.”
David Riley at Mangere School for Writers in Schools

Our 2021 achievements

  • 44K+

    School students reached

  • 13

    Regions throughout Aotearoa New Zealand

  • 90

    Writers engaged

We reached 38,497 school students, from primary through secondary, in 14 regions across Aotearoa, engaging 78 writers and illustrators through our Writers in Schools programme.

It was a bumper year for our Writers in Communities projects, particularly a series of projects in Pasifika communities, celebrating community, culture, and language.

Our summer online Reading Challenge kept kids engaged in reading through the school holidays. We paired up with the SPCA to encourage kids aged 5 and up to read to their pets (real or toy!) and log their favourite books.

We held a wonderful Pānui event with playwright Renee whose address if you don’t get your head out of a book my girl you’ll end up on Queer St was shared in the media and published as a print and e-book.

We celebrated the voice of young readers through our Hooked on NZ Books He Ao Ano programme. We delivered 199 local books to young readers and published 132 of their reviews online.

“There is something quite incredible when kids realise they have met the author or illustrator - it turns the books from a thing into something living... It makes them realise there is a person behind them...”

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