Focus on women
Women is the theme for Festival of Stories 2018 with our five-day programme starting on Wednesday, September 19, NZ Women’s Suffrage Day. The day starts with a Suffrage 125 Breakfast at the Council Chambers. Tickets are $20 for delicious waffles and some local speakers with proceeds going to Bare Essentials Community Initiative.
In View, Voice and Vantage freelance writer and researcher Bill Lennox will be showing ways to shape your storytelling in this kickstarting, unblocking workshop that will motivate and equip you to get on with your own writing. Participants are asked to come along with a character or two in mind — real people or imagined characters for a story.
In our other Festival of Stories workshop, Susan Hansard will demonstrate how you can make your own little handmade books.
Stories are shared in many different ways and we will be Celebrating Women through Song at Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom on Friday, September 21 and at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-po¯ on Saturday, September 22.
A large group of talented women have been getting together to bring together a concert that promises to be a highlight of this year’s Festival of Stories. If you live in Levin or Shannon, you might like to join us on the All Aboard Ladies (and Gentlemen) bus trip on Friday, September 21. Starting in Levin, you will visit Shannon Library and arrive in Foxton in time to enjoy the concert. This trip is free but we encourage you to book early.
One of our favourite storytellers, Mary Kippenberger with husband Peter Charlton-Jones, will be telling their magical stories to groups of children in Foxton, Shannon and Levin then entertaining an audience of adults at our Positively Pink evening. This event takes place from 7pm-9pm on Thursday and starts with a short talk by the BreastScreen Coast to Coast educator, stories and humour from Mary Kippenberger and a supper.
We are delighted to be hosting an iconic New Zealander for our finale event on Sunday, September 23. Pioneering human rights activist Georgina Beyer was the world’s first transgender mayor and MP. She championed both the Civil Union Act and the Prostitution Reform Act.
Come along to Te Takeretanga o Kurahau-po¯ at 2pm this day to hear Georgina’s perspective on life as a woman in New Zealand. How far have we come in 125 years and what is happening next for women’s rights in Aotearoa.
Before the Festival of Stories, you have the opportunity to attend what promises to be an inspirational talk by Karen Fifield, chief executive of Wellington Zoo. This event, at 2pm on Sunday, September 16, is a collaboration between Friends of Horowhenua Libraries and the Horowhenua Family History Group.