The Sapling is a website all about children’s books … because books grow humans. The aim of The Sapling is to find conversations nobody has been able to have in the main media about children’s books and give them a good airing.
Winner of the 2018 Special Industry Award at the NZ Book Industry Awards, awarded to 'a company or individual for innovation, or for an important contribution to the book trade in Aotearoa in the last year'.
Please note the site will be on hiatus from 30 September 2021, though our archive will remain live.
ABOUT THE EDITORS
The Sapling is run by founding editor, Sarah Forster, and editors Briar Lawry, Simie Simpson, and Nida Fiazi. They run The Sapling out of love, not for personal profit, which means they pay contributors ahead of themselves. This also means they fit editorial work around their families and day jobs, so might take a day or two to get back to you.
KAUPAPA / MISSION
1. WHAKANUI / CELEBRATE
To celebrate the excellence and diversity of children’s books in Aotearoa and abroad.
2. KŌRERORERO / DISCUSS
To present wide-ranging and meaningful discussions about children’s books and their contexts, content and creation.
3. WHANAUNGATANGA / CONNECT
To connect people and organisations through their shared interest in children’s books, and foster an online sense of community and kinship.
4. WHAKAWHANUI / EXPAND
To entice new and unlikely readers of all ages, and challenge them to view children’s books as worthy of attention.
SARAH FORSTER has worked in the New Zealand book industry for 15 years, in roles promoting Aotearoa’s best authors and books. She has a Diploma in Publishing from Whitireia Polytechnic, and a BA (Hons) in History and Philosophy from the University of Otago. She was born in Winton, grew up in Westport, and lives in Wellington. She was a judge of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2017. Her day job is as a Senior Communications Advisor—Content for Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
BRIAR LAWRY has worked in the New Zealand book industry for a decade, as a bookseller, reviewer and editor. She has studied publishing at Whitireia, English at the University of Auckland and te ao Māori at AUT. She was born and lives in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, with some formative years spent in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington. By day she is a bookseller at little Unity in Auckland. She was a judge of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2020.
SIMIE SIMPSON (Te Ati Awa) has worked in the New Zealand book industry for almost two decades, as a librarian, a sales manager Walker Books New Zealand and a bookseller. She has a Diploma in Publishing from Whitireia. She was a judge for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2019 and the NZ Booksellers Industry Awards 2019. She is on the board of Queer literary festival, Samesame but Different. Her day job includes a monster mash of acquisitions, editing, design, comms, and promotions.
NIDA FIAZI has worked in the New Zealand book industry for the past 3 years as a poet and advocate for better representation in literature. She is a Writing Studies and Anthropology student at the University of Waikato. She was born in Afghanistan, came to New Zealand as a refugee, and now lives in Hamilton.
IN THE MEDIA
Growing The Sapling: an interview on The Pantograph Punch
Wellington booklovers raise 10k...: an article on Stuff.co.nz
#5 in the Top Ten Moments in Aotearoa Literature 2017: an article on The Pantograph Punch