The Details
Six Waikato authors are among the numerous bookworms from all over the country who will soon make their way to the annual Auckland Writers Festival.
Running from May 16 to 21, the festival will host Scott Bainbridge, Matthew Bannister, Catherine Chidgey, Amy Harrop, Te Taka Keegan and Tā Pou Temara as part of the line-up.
This year also marks the first time in over three years that international authors will return to the week-long celebration of books, authors and ideas.
Alongside the main ticketed programme, there will also be a number of free public events.
Bainbridge, of Te Awamutu, is one of New Zealand’s top true-crime authors and will be discussing his new book The Fix at the festival (on May 19 at 5.30pm).
He has so far written eight books with his first two called Without Trace (2005) and Still Missing (2008) leading to several cold cases being reopened and inspiring the acclaimed TVNZ series The Missing from 2009.
Bannister, a musician and tutor at Wintec Te Pū kenga in Hamilton, will be in conversation with other Flying Nun Records artists for the event When I Put the Guitar Down (May 20 at 5.30pm).
He was an original member of the Dunedin band Sneaky Feelings and has written several books, mostly on music. His latest book, Eye of The Taika: New Zealand Comedy and the Films of Taika Waititi, appeared in 2021.
Chidgey, a University of Waikato lecturer, will feature in several events throughout the festival. Her latest book, The Axeman’s Carnival , is shortlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards, which will be announced at the festival.
University of Waikato professor Te Taka Keegan will feature in the session Can AI Write a Book? alongside global AI expert Toby Walsh, Chidgey and NZ Herald’s Canvas editor Sarah Daniell (May 19).
Harrop, a children’s author based in Te Awamutu, will be a part of the free event Pukapuka Adventures: Fantastic Fun — Grizzled Grists, Spooked Cats, Desirable Dogs and Jumping Goats (May 21).
Professor of Māori Philosophy Tā Pou Temara will be discussing his latest book Te Rautakitahi o Tū hoe ki Ō rākau, an account of the battle of ● What: Auckland Writers Festival 2023
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When: May 16 to 21
● Where: Aotea Centre, Auckland CBD
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Tickets: Online via Ticketmaster
Ōrākau in the New Zealand wars at the festival on May 20.
In total, there will be over 100 live events at the festival featuring authors and writers from New Zealand and abroad, including doublepulitzer prize winner Colson Whitehead, British author Bernardine Evaristo, Ruby Tui, American novelist Gabrielle Zevin and Shehan Karunatilaka.
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