Spirits are high at Te Papa Press as our publication Brian Brake: Lens on the World, was nominated in the illustrated non-fiction category of the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Wellington’s Town Hall on Wednesday 27 July 2011.

View the full list of 2011 finalist

Te Papa Press sends hearty congratulations to Athol McCredie, Curator Photography, who edited the book, and to the specialist writers whose contributions offer such depth.

This long-overdue critical examination and evaluation of the work of Brian Brake,New Zealand’s best-known photographer, was published in conjunction with a major retrospective exhibition celebrating Brake’s work. It brings together over 300 stunning photographic reproductions and six all-new essays.

The New Zealand Post judges are not the only ones looking twice at Brian Brake: Lens on the World:

This is a remarkable book, beautifully produced and meticulously researched to give a careful and fair portrait of the one landmark international photographer this country produced in the 20^th century, Brian Brake. Te Papa’s photography curator Athol McCredie is to be congratulated on his careful editorial work and a very good choice of contributors.

…worthy of a craftsman photographer who cared and followed through the nuts-and-bolts side of getting his work to fully express his meaning. —  Max Oettli, New Zealand Books Autumn 2011

This lavishly illustrated book, accompanying a major retrospective of Brake’s work at Te Papa, is hard to put down —  Artnews New Zealand December 2010

a clear-eyed and magisterial tome — HOME New Zealand January 2011

Editor’s choice. This beautiful book takes the reader around the world and home again, taking in landscapes, people and objects through the discerning of Brake and critical essays by artists, photographers and curators. —  Air New Zealand Kia Ora magazine December 2010

This is a luscious-looking tome–great design and fantastic reproductions. — Andy Palmer, The Lumière Reader 30 November 2010

With its knowledgeable essays by specialist writers, Brian Brake: Lens on the World is a fine record of a fine photographer’s achievements. —  Architecture New Zealandeditor John Walsh, Prodesign No. 109 November 2010

Very grunty critical analysis written in a very accessible way. It does give a wonderful pathway into the work. Terrific. — Paul Diamond, Interviewed on Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon, 9 November 2010

The New Zealand Post book awards were formerly called the Montana New Zealand book awards and Te Papa Press books have won three of the last four Montana Medal for Non-Fiction awards – the most prestigious award for non-fiction in NZ. Those lucky winners were:

2006:Pohutukawa and Rata: New Zealand’s Ironhearted Trees by Philip Simpson
2007:Eagle’s Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Audrey Eagle
2009:Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life by Jill Trevelyan

Other Montana-shortlisted Te Papa Press titles have included the following:
2003:Pacific Art Niu Sila by Sean Mallon and Fuli Pereira
2005:Icons Nga Taonga: From the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
2005:Toss Woollaston: A Life in Letters by Jill Trevelyan
2006:Extinct Birds of New Zealand by Alan Tennyson and Paul Martinson
2006:An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes by Alison Kellow and Michael Bayly
2010: Art at Te Papa by William McAloon

Best of luck Athol!