The China International Book Trading Corporation Seminar
Kirsten McKenzie, Stacy Gregg, Nancy Zhang, Auckland, 22 August 2025
Friday 22 August 2025 was one of those days where nerves and excitement battled it out right up until showtime!
I had the honour of MCing the 2025 China International Book Trading Corporation seminar at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland. Honestly, I was terrified right up until I stepped onto the stage - but once I started talking, all those butterflies settled down and I remembered why I love these industry events so much.
Familiar Faces and New Connections
It was incredible reconnecting with so many familiar faces from last year's seminar, and finally meeting Chief Executive Jenny Nagle from the NZ Society of Authors in person! There's something special about moving from email exchanges to face-to-face conversations - you get those little moments of understanding that just don't translate through screens.
Plus catching up with Louise Russell from Bateman Books and Paula Morris is always such a joy. These are the people who make our industry tick, and seeing them year after year reminds me how collaborative and supportive New Zealand's publishing community really is.
Kirsten McKenzie. Auckland, 22 August 2025
Ministerial Support and Future Hope
It was fabulous having Paul Goldsmith in attendance once again. As the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, his presence underlines the importance of international collaboration to help lift New Zealand authors onto the world stage.
I know the author community are all looking forward to the Minister's launch of Amplify next week after a long period of consultation. Last year, the Minister said, "There's an opportunity to increase the impact of our arts and culture here and on the world stage, and significantly increase the sectors' contribution to GDP and export revenue by 2030. Our creative and cultural sectors also face many common challenges, so Amplify uses the levers the Government has to help."
So, fingers crossed this initiative delivers real support for our writers!
Celebrating Cross-Cultural Literary Bridges
I was thrilled to get the chance to mention Lee Murray's beautiful "Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud" and the incredible anthology Paula put together - "A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand" (edited by Paula Morris and Alison Wong). These are exactly the kinds of cross-cultural literary bridges our industry needs more of.
When we can showcase New Zealand voices alongside international perspectives, we create something richer than either could achieve alone. It's this kind of collaboration that makes events like the CIBTC seminar so valuable.
Industry Insights That Matter
Louise Russell from Bateman Books, Theo Gibson from Audiobooks NZ, Sam Irvine from Copyright Licensing New Zealand and Alex Hedley from Harper Collins all delivered fantastic insights during their presentations. But honestly, the Q&A session was probably the most fascinating part of the day - that's where the real conversations happen, where industry professionals can dig into the nitty-gritty details that matter to their daily work.
Once again I was blown away by Dr Rapata Wiri's enthusiasm and passion for international publishing collaboration. His energy is infectious, and you can see why he's been so successful in building bridges between New Zealand and international publishers.
Mr. Feng Yunsheng, Chairman of China Education Publishing. Auckland, 22 August 2025
China's Approach to AI and Copyright
What really impressed me was hearing about how China has made significant strides in protecting their authors' copyright from AI issues. Rather than ignoring the elephant in the room, they're addressing it head-on and exploring innovative applications in educational environments.
Mr. Feng Yunsheng's keynote speech as Chairman of China Education Publishing was absolutely stellar. His practical approach to these challenges gave me hope that the publishing industry can navigate the AI revolution while still protecting creators' rights.
The Star Power of Stacy Gregg
Stacy Gregg
And Stacy Gregg... her continued international success amazes me, but she remains as genuine and inspiring as ever. Meeting successful authors who haven't let fame change their fundamental kindness always reminds me why I love this industry. Success doesn't have to come with attitude, and Stacy proves that every time.
Behind Every Event
Events like this don't just happen. Huge thanks to Dandi Wang for trusting me with the MC role - there's real responsibility in guiding conversations between international delegates and local industry professionals. And as always, endless gratitude to my friend Nancy Zhang for all her behind-the-scenes support.
These collaborations happen because of dedicated professionals like them who see the bigger picture and work tirelessly to make connections that benefit everyone involved.
The publishing world can sometimes feel small and insular, but events like the CIBTC seminar remind me how vast and interconnected our literary ecosystem really is. Here's to more bridges, more collaboration, and more opportunities for New Zealand authors to share their stories with the world.