A wave of essay publishing over the last few years has spread thought-provoking ideas at a time when mainstream media outlets have cut back on long form and investigative journalism. There's also a growing appetite for creative nonfiction. To explore the popularity of these genres and the role they play Paula Morris, who has experimented successfully with creative nonfiction in False River, is joined by essay collection editors Susanna Andrew and Simon Wilson, and essayist and economist Shamubeel Eaqub.
Paula Morris (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whātua) is the author of the story collection Forbidden Cities (2008); the essay On Coming Home (2015); and seven novels, including Rangatira (2011), fiction winner at both the 2012 New Zealand Post Book Awards and Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards. She teaches creative writing at the University of Auckland and is the founder of the Academy of New Zealand Literature (www.anzliterature.com). Her most recent book is essay and story collection False River.
Simon Wilson, editor of The Journal of Urgent Writing 2018, is an award-winning journalist who writes about politics, the arts, urban affairs, books, food and the environment, often with an Auckland focus. He is a former editor of Metro magazine and Auckland editor at The Spinoff, and is now a senior writer at the NZ Herald.
Susanna Andrew is a reader and reviewer. She has been Books Editor for Metro Magazine, programme advisor to the Auckland Writers Festival and a book-seller at Unity Books. She instigated the True Stories Told Live events for the NZ Book Council and is founding co-editor, with Jolisa Gracewood, of the nonfiction series Tell You What: Best New Zealand nonfiction. Susanna was convenor of judges for the Non-Fiction prize for the NZ Book Awards in 2017.
Shamubeel Eaqub makes economics easy. He is an economist, author and columnist, who believes economics should help solve societal problems. Inequality in housing and regions are passions. He works as a consultant to business and public service. He lives in Auckland with his westie wife and two sons.
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
8.30am - 5pm
Titirangi War Memorial Hall
Tickets:
Full Day Pass Includes 8 sessions, morning and afternoon tea and lunch
$150.00 (value $ 174.00) $135 concession (value $150.00)
Early Bird $139.00 ($120 concession) Only available until 3 August
Individual Sessions $18.00 ($15 concession)
Morning/Afternoon Tea $ 5.00 Lunch $20.00
https://www.iticket.co.nz/go-to/going-west-writers-festival-2018