I’m delighted to be part of The Wheeler Centre’s 2015 programme. The Next Big Thing — a session featuring readings from Geraldine Wooller, A.S. Patrić, Sam Prendergast and me — is on at The Moat (basement, 176 Little Lonsdale St, under the State Library) on Monday 27 July from 6.15pm. The event is free, but…unfortunately it’s already booked out. … Read more…
Event
Mildura Writers Festival and Residency
Next month’s going to be all about Mildura, so I’m going to keep this post short and sweet, as a taste of what’s to come. I’ve been lucky enough to be awarded the inaugural Mildura Writers Festival Residency. The residency is an initiative of Arts Mildura and the Mildura Writers Festival. During the month (July 2015) … Read more…
‘Loss and Love’ at 2015 Auckland Writers Festival
I’m looking forward to heading up to Auckland next month for Auckland Writers Festival. This’ll be my third time heading up to Auckland for the writers festival (I wrote about the 2014 festival here and here), but my first time on the programme. The festival has got bigger and better each year that I’ve been, … Read more…
Lena on the wireless – The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt broadcast on RNZ
Radio New Zealand’s drama department has, over the last six months, adapted and produced The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt for radio broadcast, and Lena’s now got a start date: she hits the airwaves on 29 October 2014. Adapted by the wonderful Anna Rogers, and produced in twelve episodes,The Life and Loves of Lena … Read more…
Life, Love, Fact and Fiction – author talk with Fiona Kidman
Later this month I’ll get to share a little limelight with Dame Fiona Kidman in a library author talk we’re doing together at Kilbirnie Library in Wellington: Life, Love, Fact and Fiction. I first met Fiona when I took a series of writing workshops she taught in 2000. Fiona’s been a mentor, and a champion of my … Read more…
WORD Christchurch Writers & Readers Festival 2014
I’m really excited to be heading to Christchurch this week for the WORD Christchurch Writers & Readers Festival, 27–31 August 2014. I’ve spent very little time in Christchurch over the years, and nothing other than the odd day of meetings here and there since the earthquakes. I’m looking forward to getting to know the place a … Read more…
‘Waves’ PechaKucha 20×20 talk
I was thrilled to be part of the PechaKucha Night programme in Christchurch as part of WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival last month. The event featured “some of the festival’s top local and international writers presenting an eclectic range of PechaKuchas…that encompass their passions and expertise”, so the programme promised. PechaKucha 20×20 is a format where each speaker has … Read more…
‘First Published’ session at New Zealand Writers Week 2014, Wellington
Writers festivals are, it seems, like buses. You wait for ages — nothing — then two come along at once. I’m so pleased to be part of my second writers festival: New Zealand Writers Week, part of New Zealand Festival 2014. New Zealand Writers Week runs from 7 to 12 March 2014. You can browse the full programme in all its … Read more…
Perth Writers Festival 2014
Finally, the news I’ve been itching to share: I’m thrilled to be part of the Perth Writers Festival program for 2014, launched this week. The festival runs from 20–23 February, with most of the events held at the very beautiful campus of University of Western Australia, where I studied and worked, many years ago. The lineup … Read more…
A might, mighty night – New Zealand launch of The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt
On Saturday 21 September, at Mighty Mighty bar in Wellington, Dame Fiona Kidman declared “The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt, and your mysterious gorgeous character, well and truly launched”. Here’s a taste of how the evening progressed. The velvet curtain backdrop of the Mighty matched the novel’s cover, displayed gloriously by Alex and Todd on … Read more…