New grant to help bookstores engage young readers
The grant is a $50,000 initiative designed to support the booksellers of Aotearoa in empowering the next generation of readers.
It’s never been harder for bookstores to engage young readers – but with literacy on the decline across New Zealand, it’s also never been more urgent. Today, booksellers are competing with television, screens and social media on an unprecedented level.
Firm in the belief that it only takes one good book to make a lifelong reader, PRH recognises bookstores as a key component in instilling a love of reading in future generations. As a source of recommendation and a refuge for creativity, bookstores can introduce children to the first books they’ll ever read for pleasure – inspiring an ongoing love of reading.
The $50,000 grant aims to help booksellers compete in our fast-paced attention economy by allowing them to dream big. Any bookstore with a dedicated children’s section can apply for up to $5,000 to put towards a project designed to attract young readers – the more imaginative, the better!
Becky Innes, Director PRHNZ: ‘We’re thrilled to be able to support NZ booksellers in their vital work engaging young readers and helping connect people in their communities with the right books to encourage more reading time, less screentime!’
Catherine O’Loughlin, Children’s Publisher PRHNZ: “How do young people discover the stories that will light them up? So often, it comes down to a human connection – a bookseller who can put just the right story into a young reader’s hands, and spark their imagination. The Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant is about planting seeds for the future: giving booksellers the opportunity to bring their creativity and ideas to life, and helping a love of books take root and grow from one generation of readers to the next. I can’t wait to see the projects they dream up.”
About the grant: The Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant will be open August – October 2026, with funds paid on implementation of the idea. Bookstores with a dedicated children’s section can apply with a project aimed at readers ages 0-12. Further information can be found here.
