A Conversation with Simon Wilson & Paula Penfold
Journalists Simon Wilson and Paula Penfold join Within These Walls for the second in our series of intimate late-afternoon conversations, in discussion about truth, power, and journalism today
Date: Sunday 29 March 2026
Time: 4.30pm – 6.30pm (approx.)
Ticket price: $35 / $30 (students, seniors, unwaged)
Tickets include light canapés and a welcome beverage (wine, beer, or non-alcoholic).
This is a small, in-person event. Numbers are strictly limited.
Bookings: Please email tracey@goingwestfest.co.nz
Left: Simon Wilson. Right: Paula Penfold
We are delighted to welcome Simon Wilson and Paula Penfold to Shadbolt House for an intimate late-afternoon conversation on ‘truthiness’ – the uneasy space where stories that feel true begin to eclipse those that are carefully, rigorously true. Drawing on their experience at the sharp end of contemporary journalism, Simon and Paula will reflect on how this shift is reshaping media practice, public debate, and democratic life today.
At its heart, the conversation asks a simple but urgent question: who gets to define reality – and how hard is it to challenge that definition once it takes hold? From international culture wars and election cycles to local debates about housing, inequality, and public trust, belief increasingly travels faster than evidence. Simon and Paula will explore how these dynamics play out both globally and here in Aotearoa, and what they mean for journalists trying to hold power to account in a noisy, accelerated media landscape.
Simon Wilson is a journalist covering politics, climate change, urban issues and the arts. He is a former senior writer at NZ Herald and before that was editor of Metro, Cuisine and Consumer magazines. His many awards include feature writer of the year (twice), magazine of the year (for Metro and Cuisine), and awards for essay writing, opinion writing and reviewing. He is the author of HomeGround: The story of a building that changes lives (Massey University Press, 2022) and editor of The Journal of Urgent Writing vol 2 (MUP, 2017). Simon appears frequently as a commentator on Radio New Zealand and is a columnist for NZ Listener.
Paula Penfold is an investigative journalist with Stuff Digital. She began her career at Radio New Zealand in Masterton and has since worked across most of New Zealand’s major news organisations. Her work often focuses on justice and accountability reporting and on the way power, evidence, and public trust collide.
Penfold says she agreed to this conversation as soon as she saw Simon Wilson’s name and the topic of 'truthiness', which holds both personal and professional interest for her.
She is based in Auckland and has two adult children.
This series forms part of the Going West Festival’s 30th anniversary celebrations, and marks a moment of arrival for Shadbolt House as it comes into its own as a writers’ residency and literary hub.
Other conversations include Catherine Chidgey with Rosetta Allan (sold out), and Dominic Hoey with Mark Easterbrook, alongside a series of creative masterclasses led by author Dominic Hoey, scriptwriter Gary Henderson, and poet Anne Kennedy. Subscribe to our newsletter to be among the first to hear about upcoming events.