From 27 September to 11 October booklovers from around the country are invited to join thousands of other readers in New Zealand’s biggest online book club, Together We Read. This year the chosen book is local author Charity Norman’s Remember Me, a heartfelt, page-turning suspense novel. All you need to take part is a library card and the Libby app for digital borrowing.

The Together We Read digital book club connects readers through New Zealand public libraries with a featured title for two weeks each year. During the program, readers can participate in online discussions about the title as well as events with the author. Together We Read is completely free and is facilitated by OverDrive, creator of the award-winning Libby app and a leading digital reading platform in New Zealand for ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers.

HOW IT WORKS

To take part in New Zealand’s biggest annual online book club, you will need:

  • A local library membership – join for free easily online or visit your local branch.
  • The free Libby app on your device – download here.
  • Sep 27-Oct 11: Download Remember Meby Charity Norman as an ebook or audiobook free of charge, with no holds or waiting, and get reading.
  • Join the author and readers across New Zealand for an online discussion throughout the two weeks. Contribute to the discussion here.

Now in its second year exclusive to New Zealand, Together We Read originally began serving Australia and New Zealand. The 2023 Together We Read selection is the novel Remember Me by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin) – a heartfelt, page-turning suspense novel, where a close-knit community is ripped apart by disturbing revelations pertaining to a young woman’s disappearance. This bestseller is described by Kelly Rimmer as an “emotional tale of family, mystery and love… [Charity] is an extraordinarily talented storyteller”.

2023’s Together We Read author Charity Norman said, “As an anxious schoolgirl, the library offered me a safe haven, its shelves brimming with ideas, friendship and adventures. As a mother, libraries were magical places to bring my children – sitting on bean bags, binge reading. I’ve researched and written entire books in libraries. But a novel only comes to life when it is being read – until then, it’s just a lot of words. That’s why I’m so very excited and honoured to be a part of Together We Read, to know that readers around New Zealand will be bringing ‘Remember Me’ to life.”

Malcolm O’Brien, Regional Manager of OverDrive in Australia and New Zealand, added, “Together We Read is a wonderful opportunity for people around the country to get together and start reading or listening to the same book for the same two weeks. Whether it’s with your existing book club, a group of old friends, your family members or favourite colleagues; join Together We Read this September through the Libby app and start reading.”

He continued, “We hope that this brilliant program will encourage library members new and existing to realise the huge range of digital content that is available to them free of charge via the Libby app – unlike other platforms that require paid subscriptions. We are thrilled to introduce readers to Charity Norman this year and her fantastic novel, ‘Remember Me’.”

The Libby app is an award-winning app from OverDrive which provides access to the industry’s largest digital literary catalogue. Available through most local libraries across New Zealand, Libby is a free service offering access to ebooks, audiobooks and other digital content across numerous devices including iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phones and tablets, Chromebook™, and Kobo® tablets and eReaders.

Learn more about Together We Read at https://togetherweread.com/NZ/.

 

About Charity Norman

Charity Norman was born in Uganda and brought up in successive draughty vicarages in Yorkshire and Birmingham. After several years’ travel she became a barrister, specialising in crime and family law in the northeast of England. Also a mediator and telephone crisis line listener, she’s passionate about the power of communication to slice through the knots. In 2002, realising that her three children had barely met her, she took a break from the law and moved with her family to Aotearoa New Zealand. Her first novel, Freeing Grace, was published in 2010.  Remember Me is her seventh book.

About OverDrive Australia/New Zealand

OverDrive is a mission-based company that stands with libraries. Named a Certified B Corp in 2017, OverDrive has a dedicated team serving Australia and New Zealand with offices in Sydney and Melbourne. The company serves more than 91,000 libraries and schools in 113 countries with the industry’s largest digital catalogue of ebooks, audiobooks, video and other content. OverDrive’s commitment to empower every library and school includes expanding access for all, tireless industry advocacy and consistent innovation. Award-winning apps and services include the Libby library reading app, the Sora student reading app, Kanopy, the leading video streaming app for libraries and colleges, and TeachingBooks.net, which offers one of the largest catalogues of supplemental materials that enhance literacy outcomes. Founded in 1986, OverDrive’s world headquarters is in Cleveland, Ohio USA. www.overdrive.com

For further information or to arrange an interview with Charity Norman, Malcolm O’Brien or a participating library, please contact:

DMCPR Media | T: +61 2 9550 9207

Anna Tidswell: anna@dmcpr.com.au | M: +61 417 796 293

Debbie McInnes: debbie@dmcpr.com.au | M: +61 412 818 071