Writers in Schools - our frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a school visit?

We have a form on our website here. If you don’t know the answers to some of the questions, leave them blank for now. We can fill them in later.

Is our school a member?

If you’re not sure if your school is a member already you can email rachael@read-nz.org and she will let you know. She can also send you an invoice if you would like to be a member.

How much does a membership to Read NZ Te Pou Muramura cost?

The school membership costs $100 +GST.

What does being a Read NZ Te Pou Muramura member mean?

There are loads of benefits! You can find out more here.

Your membership will also subsidise one author visit per year.

Will the visit be free?

That depends. If your author is local and you only do a half day intro and talk, then it most likely will be. If you would like a workshop, a full day, or extra time or professional development for teachers these are 'extras' and do cost more.

If you would like an author from outside of your district, then we do charge the cost of travel to the school. We can work with you on this; if other schools are interested in the same area, we can spread the cost and make it more affordable.

Please note however, that requests for out-of-town authors take longer to organise. Do let us know how much your school can contribute towards travel and if you know of other schools in your region who are interested in a particular author let us know, and talk to them as well - this all increases the likelihood of these visits happening.

The price of a second or subsequent author visit in a year starts at $330.

Our school can’t afford to pay. Does that mean we can’t have a visit?

We can work with you to find an author who can meet your needs and not cost over the subsidy. If you have someone specific in mind but they are not local, Zoom calls can be a great option.

Please email simie@read-nz.org and we can discuss some options. We want your school to have a great author's visit because we believe it is something every child should experience!

What if I want extra time or workshops after I have booked the author?

That’s ok – sometimes when you book you aren’t sure what will work best. You will have an opportunity to discuss what you would like with the author prior to the visit.

However, please let us know about any changes as this will change your estimate. We want to make sure authors and illustrators are paid for their time so they can keep doing the great work they do!

What is the deadline for booking a visit?

To allow us time to contact authors and arrange travel where applicable we have deadlines for bookings. Please see the deadlines for 2023-2024 here. We are flexible where possible, but please be aware that if you are booking after the deadline we cannot always accommodate your request.