Photographic Evidence Sought

Craig Sisterson, judging convenor for New Zealand’s annual Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, tells me that the winner of the 2015 prize might be announced as late as early October. Here are the five books shortlisted for that commendation.

In the meantime, Sisterson has put together a “Reading Kiwi Crime” contest that offers readers “the opportunity to win personally autographed copies of this year’s Ngaio Marsh Award finalists.” He explains the simple rules for participating:

[A]ll you need to do is take a picture of yourself reading any New Zealand crime, mystery, or thriller title--from old classics like Ngaio Marsh, Fergus Hume, Elizabeth Messenger, and Laurie Mantell, to the latest from award winners like Paul Cleave, Paul Thomas, and Neil Cross. Then share it with the Award organisers by:

1. Tweeting the pic and tagging @ngaiomarshaward; OR
2. Posting the pic to the Ngaio Marsh Award Facebook page; OR
3. E-mailing the pic to ngaiomarshaward@gmail.com.

If you follow the Award’s Twitter account or like the Facebook page, you’ll get a bonus entry in the draw.

Just to clarify: the book in your photo doesn’t have to be set in New Zealand, just written by an author connected to New Zealand (citizen, resident, grew up here, etc). If you’re scratching your head for choices, here’s a long list of possibilities.

The cutoff date for entering this contest is October 4.