The following statement was issued today by Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Honourable members, I rise today to talk about our dynamic literary industry. I had the great pleasure of attending the 10th anniversary of the 2006 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards hosted by the Writers� Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador last Thursday.

I am pleased to report that Joan Clark won the fiction award for An Audience of Chairs and Janet McNaughton received the children�s literature award for Brave Jack and the Unicorn. I would also like to acknowledge the other finalists, Michael Crummey, Lisa Moore, Ed Kavanagh and Kevin Major. The fine work of all these writers has placed us firmly on the literary map.

Of course, the many accomplishments of our writers are a direct reflection of the Writers� Alliance which has nurtured and encouraged literary talent for the past 20 years. It is through their efforts that many of our writers are faring so well on the literary scene. We, as a government, are proud to help support the Writers� Alliance and their various programs and activities

No area of opportunity for business growth is more exciting than our province�s cultural sector. That is why we are investing over $3 million to further develop our cultural industries under the new strategic cultural plan. This includes a new Publishers Assistance Program, which will put $200,000 a year into the publishing sector.

Under this program, Newfoundland and Labrador publishers will be eligible to apply for support towards resources for editing and design work, marketing, and professional development.

This means our publishers will be able to reach more national and international markets and to participate in more book fairs and trade missions. It means publishers can hire professional editors and designers. It also means publishing companies can participate in more educational workshops and training programs, therefore boosting the level of local expertise in the field.

The literary sector is one of our fastest growing cultural industries. We need to build on that momentum. We want to give our writers the opportunity to be published at home and to give our publishers the opportunity to compete nationally and internationally. We hope that this new program will strengthen the literary industry overall by encouraging more synergy and collaboration between the writing and publishing sectors.

I invite all members to join me in congratulating Janet McNaughton and Joan Clark, the recipients of the 2006 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards.

2006 05 23                               1:55 p.m.