Writers on Mondays – Hopeful Animals, Wellington

I’m really excited about being part of the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) Writers on Mondays programme this year, which includes – as well as a whole mob of great New Zealand writers – Australian writer Charlotte Wood (24 July – see programme).

Writers on Mondays has been running for nearly a decade now, and is well established as a core part of Wellington’s literary scene. Here’s how IIML describes the series:

From mid-July to October each year, the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML), home of Victoria University of Wellington’s renowned creative writing programme, runs a series of events highlighting writers active in and around Wellington, as well as guests from overseas.

The series is launching this year with a special event, Tell Me My Name, on Tuesday 11 July at 5.30pm at Meow in Wellington, the first free Wellington performance of Bill Manhire’s sequence of thirteen riddle poems set to music by composer Norman Meehan and performed by vocalist Hannah Griffin and Victoria New Zealand School of Music violinist and lecturer Martin Riseley.

I’m in the HOPEFUL ANIMALS session on 14 August with Pip Adam and Damien Wilkins, chaired by William Brandt.

Writers on Mondays 2017: Hopeful Animals

In Tracy Farr‘s new novel The Hope Fault, a weekend that unfolds in real time bookends 100 years which include events from the ‘real’ world. Damien Wilkins‘ Lifting takes place in the weeks leading up to the close of a Wellington department store and has been described as ‘an intense exploration of the moment when the solid ground of a life is taken away’. Pip Adam‘s The New Animals walks the streets of Auckland city now, examining the fashion scene. All three novels weave real and imagined events together, offering new ways to understand the present moment. Join novelist and short story writer William Brandt in a discussion with these writers about their work and why the novel continues to provide a vital lens on contemporary life.

When: Monday 14 August, 12.15 — 1.15pm

Where: The Marae, Level 4, Te Papa

Details: Admission is free, all welcome. Full details on Te Papa events calendar.

More information