‘I’d like a word with you’
Between the Lines festival to host ex-poet laureate
Renowned poet, writer, professor, and former New Zealand Poet Laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh will be in Central Hawke’s Bay in April for an evening at Hawke’s Bay’s oldest church.
Selina will speak with journalist and author Peter Malcouronne at the historic Pukehou Church on Saturday, April 13, as part of the Between The Lines readers and writers festival.
“Hawke’s Bay, birthplace of the Poets Laureate tokotoko and home to carver Jacob Scott, is a second home to me, as is Te Mata Winery,” says Selina. all.“I’m excited to share from my latest work, Wot Knot You Got? and how this light, funny, and touching book based on the real-life knots of kids, is encased in my own, most heart-wrenching knot of
“I’m so excited to be back and to kōrero with Peter Malcouronne, who not only knows my work intimately, but me. After all, we were boyfriend and girlfriend at Avondale College in the seventh form,” says Selina.
Selina and Peter will be joined at the festival by a lineup of guests speaking at some unique venues across Central Hawke’s Bay.
The festival, organised by a small team of bookloving volunteers, will run from April 11 to 14 and tickets are selling fast with some events almost sold out.
Spanning four days, the festival starts with a programme for young writers, providing primary school
students with the chance to collaborate with Alan Dingley, the current Te Awhi Rito New Zealand reading ambassador, encouraging their enthusiasm for language and literature.
Bestselling author Catherine Chidgey, who has two books on the New Zealand top 10 fiction list, will be speaking at the CHB Municipal Theatre on April 11 in conversation with Louise Ward of Wardini Books.
On April 12, a panel of the three 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award winners, Charity Norman, Michael Bennett and
Steve Braunias, will entertain listeners with tales of crime and mystery, led by bestselling local author Catherine Robertson, in the historic country store in Ongaonga.
There will be high tea at the Ongaonga Hall on April 13 with Petra Galler, where ticket-holders can sample cakes from her book Butter, Butter while interviewer Doug Hales speaks to Petra about her decadent recipes inspired by her Jewish heritage.
The festival will conclude on April 14 with a festival finale celebrating
Central Hawke’s Bay’s local authors.
Tickets for this event are free, but registration is still required so numbers can be monitored.
Sponsorship for this year’s event comes from the Creative Communities Scheme, the Community Pride and Vibrancy Fund and Paper Plus Waipukurau.
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The full programme and ticket information is available on the Between The Lines website at www. betweenthelines.nz