The Press Christchurch Writers’ Festival is returning to the garden city after a four-year wait and is bringing its widest ever programme to thrill and entertain audiences. An incredible mix of international and local writing talent will explore their work and a range of issues. Top international writers include Joanne Harris (UK), author of Peaches for Monsieur Le Curé; John Boyne (Ireland), author of The Absolutist and The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket; and award-winning writers Chris Cleave (UK) and Kate Grenville (Australia). There is also a strong line-up of New Zealand writers, including Emily Perkins, Keri Hulme, Tim Wilson, Laurence Fearnley, Cilla McQueen and Nicky Hager.
Award-winning science journalists and academics will discuss the future of Antarctica. Prize-winning British novelist and journalist John Lanchester will turn a bitingly funny eye on the global financial crisis as he discusses his book Whoops! Why everyone owes everyone and no one can pay and the social ramifications of this in his new novel Capital.
Another big focus for the festival is crime. In that vein, biographer Joanne Drayton will be talking about her highly anticipated new biography, The Search for Anne Perry. Drayton gained unprecedented access to Perry, an internationally renowned crime author who was once better known as former Christchurch schoolgirl and convicted teenage murderer Juliet Hulme.
Fittingly, some of the country’s finest legal minds, two renowned crime writers and Christchurch East MP Lianne Dalziel will debate the proposition ‘The female of the species is more deadly than the male’ in The Great New Zealand Crime Debate. This will be followed by the presentation of the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel 2012.
Take time to look at the programme, relish in the anticipation of a weekend of ideas, debates, inspiration and pure enjoyment. It is our pleasure to be able to bring such a variety of minds to the city and at last to hear some great words being spoken.