AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL READ THE WORLD 10 – 15 MAY 2016, AOTEA CENTRE WRITERSFESTIVAL.CO.NZ OUR PARTNERS Smiley; and fine fiction writer CONTENTS Elizabeth McCracken. THE AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL IS ENORMOUSLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF: 12 What’s On WELCOME We welcome the Ockham New 12 Tuesday May 10 Gold Zealand Book Awards featuring the 13 Wednesday May 11 cream of NZ’s writing crop and the 14 Thursday May 12 TO THE 2016 winners’ announcements; and we 15 Friday May 13 close the Festival in the company of 20 Saturday May 14 our 2016 Honoured NZ Writer, the 27 Sunday May 15 AUCKLAND remarkable Vincent O’Sullivan. 34 Family Day Hot off the presses comes cosmologist 36 Workshops WRITERS Janna Levin’s tale of the successful 55 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards hunt for gravitational waves, joining 63 Biographies conservation poster boy Goodie Bill 94 Timetable FESTIVAL Oddie, popular philosopher Julian 97 Booking Information Baggini, and extraordinary novelist 98 Festival Information Silver Michel Faber, in exploring the ‘big questions’. FESTIVAL TEAM Tougher questions occupy us too: Anne O’Brien Thomas Mallon talks American A WORD FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Festival Director politics and history; Jean-Christophe Tessa Yeoman Rufin shares his humanitarian, Marketing & Development Manager diplomatic and writing world; Catherine Braoudakis conservation architect Suad Amiry, Festival Administrator strategic consultant Yossi Alpher, and Roger Christensen activist turned army advisor Emma Bronze Programme Co-ordinator Sky unpick Middle Eastern dilemmas; Susanna Andrew musician, environmentalist and ex Programme Co-ordinator politician Peter Garrett, revolutionary- Nik Janiurek turned-actress Carmen Aguirre, Production Manager correspondent Samanth Subramanian, Penny Hartill From the Big Bang to the future; journalist Xu Zhiyuan, and Geneva- Publicist from New York streets to Spanish based Zimbabwean lawyer Petina hills; along the US election trail and Gappah reveal their countries. taking the pulse of Europe and the CONTACT DETAILS As balm for troubled times we offer Middle East; from China, Sri Lanka, vintage ambulance consults with Suite 3, Level 2, 58 Surrey Crescent, and Australia to the islands of home; Other Partners the Emergency Poet; present jazz Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021 from Shakespeare to today’s leading and spoken word, Coward cabaret, a Phone (09) 376 8074 storytellers and troubadours; we’ve hip-hop verse off with Omar Musa Email: [email protected] got a wealth of experiences lined up and King Kapisi, the lyrics of Tusiata Website: writersfestival.co.nz in the most diverse and expansive Avia and Maxine Beneba Clarke, Social Media: @AklWritersFest Auckland Writers Festival yet. and the tenth Poetry Idol. #AWF16 Powerhouses Gloria Steinem, Liz Pichon and The Topp Twins head Susie Orbach, Vivian Gornick and up events for younger readers, joined Jeanette Winterson grace the halls, by wonderful writers including John Italian Embassy – Wellington as do stars of page and stage Paul Boyne, Edward Carey, Michael Muldoon and Sir David Hare. Grant and Jane Higgins. More literary phenomena abound: Not to mention gold medal-winning 2015 Booker Prize winner Marlon hockey players, Maori artists, crime James; the most commercially novelists, filmmakers, historians, successful novelist of 2015, Paula memoirists, illustrators, travellers Hawkins; the most talked about and much, much more. literary novelist of the year Hanya Yanagihara; the brightest discovery Autumn might be setting in on of the year for many - the Ferrante Auckland but our spirits are high. Neapolitan novels – viewed with The world is a fascinating and complex translator Ann Goldstein; master place - let’s read it large in May. Design & Production of dark fictionHerman Koch; Programme designed by Alt Group. Printed by MHP Group on Sumo Offset from BJ Ball Papers, an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine chronicler of American life Jane Anne O’Brien Free (ECF), FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from Responsible Sources, and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System. 3 WORD FROM THE CHAIR BECOME A PATRON Jo & Terry Gould BRONZE SUPPORT OUR Pip Greenwood & David Gibson CHAMPION THE FESTIVAL AND Penny & Rod Hansen Gretchen Albrecht & James Ross HELP SECURE ITS FUTURE Julyan Lawry Raynor Asher THE SUPPORTERS Charlotte & Ian McLoughlin Lisa Bates & Douglas Hawkins Join as a Patron before you book your Sarah Mitchell & Richard Scoular Danielle Guitard & Andrew Ferrier tickets to make the most of your Pip Muir & Kit Toogood Tana & Charles Fishman FESTIVAL membership and help ensure the Christine & Derek Nolan Helen Gillespie & Jack Rosen future of the Festival. Georgina & Jolyon Ralston Katie Jacobs Maria Renhart Cathy Kane To thank them for their crucial Judith Shea & Keryn Smith Nau mai ki te Hui Taurima Kaituhi Amber Knowsley support, our Patrons: Jenny & Andrew Smith o Ta¯maki Makaurau. Carol-Ann & Max Lamb Fiona & William Stevens FOUNDING TRUSTEES Jean & Paul Lochore enjoy free access to many Festival Lady Tait We are delighted to bring you the Malcolm Middleton events * Tiare Tolks & Michael Robinson 2016 Auckland Writers Festival. We WORD FROM THE MAYOR Stephanie Johnson & Peter Wells Margaret Morris & John Batty Susan & Gavin Walker aim to be accessible to a wide range Nadine Rubin Nathan & Paul Nathan sit in the front rows Shan Wilson & Gavin Scott of audiences and this objective sees Geraldine O’Sullivan Beere Fran Wyborn us present many free events during TRUSTEES Amanda Parker & Richard Williams relax in the exclusive Patrons’ the Festival. One of our key strategic Jane Parlane Lounge * initiatives going forward is to invest Carole Beu SILVER Ute Partridge in youth education and school Erika Congreve Karen Pedersen buy tickets at special prices * Nicky Ryan & John Dixon literacy programmes – particularly Josephine Green David Appleby for low decile schools. To this end, our Nicola Legat Miranda Spary receive invitations to one-off events Libby & Andrew Barrett Schools Programme at the start of the Phillipa Muir (Chair) Peter Vial and private parties * Clare Bradley & Brian Carter Festival has been expanded from two Delina Shields Anonymous (3) Welcome to the 16th Auckland Rose Dunn to three days and up to 6,000 students Mark Russell Writers Festival. The Festival benefit from a priority booking Antonia Fisher & Stuart Grieve will have the opportunity to attend. Peter Wells continues to be a resounding success, period Annie Gascoigne This will be followed by a diverse and firing up our collective imaginations. Christine Fernyhough DONATIONS exciting three-day programme that It was particularly wonderful in 2015 use a dedicated booking line (no fees) Bridget Hanley & Mike Allen we hope will inform, entertain and FOUNDING DONORS to see younger festival-goers lining Catherine Hapgood & BEQUESTS challenge you. up to meet their literary heroes. are acknowledged at the Festival and Anne Hargreaves Erika & Robin Congreve in the programme. Anne & Peter Hinton We are a small organisation with a big I’m privileged to work with a I am thrilled to see the schools Linda Holloway task. We need your help to keep doing talented group of trustees on the programme being extended to three * access varies dependent ANNUAL PATRONS Kate & Ant Howard what we do and to present the Festival Festival Board. We are a not-for-profit days, more students from low decile on membership level PLATINUM Lauraine & Murray Jacobs you love. If literacy, books and ideas charitable trust and as such the schools getting the opportunity to Judy Jordan & Trevor Bayly are important to you, please consider trustees bring skill and dedication to Please note: A substantial portion of your take part, and free events for literary Jenny & Robert Loosley making a bequest or donation to The the governance of the Festival on a Patronage donation is tax deductible. Frances & Bill Bell fans of all ages. Jillian Macdonald Auckland Readers & Writers Festival voluntary basis. My deep appreciation Betsy & Michael Benjamin Dayle & Chris Mace Charitable Trust. also goes to our small, but wonderful Mary Biggs & Peter Biggs CNZM I congratulate the team behind our Peter Macky & Yuri Opeshko staff, led so capably by Festival Adrian Burr & Peter Tatham annual literary festival for another Shelly McMeeken Director, Anne O’Brien. The core team Carol & Gerard Curry stunning line-up of world-class JOIN AS A FRIEND Sue & Julian Miles expands to over 70 volunteers for the Josephine & Ross Green CONTACT US local and international writers, Stella Milsom Festival week – we are very grateful MAKE THE MOST OF THE FESTIVAL Dame Rosie & Michael Horton from novelists, poets and spoken Stephanie Post To find out more about becoming to them all. The Wallace Foundation word artists, filmmakers, historians, Membership is $70 (inc. GST). John Priestley a Patron, Friend or Sponsor, or to scientists, a former revolutionary and You’ll receive: Fran & Geoff Ricketts discuss a bequest, visit our website Finally, on behalf of the Board, I one of the giants of feminism, to a GOLD Robyn & John Spooner or please contact: would like to express gratitude to former Goodie. reserved seating at all ticketed events Anthea & Peter Springford Tessa Yeoman, the writers appearing at the Festival, John Barnett Stephanie & Allan Tattersfield Marketing & Development Manager and to our loyal sponsors, funders, Len Brown priority booking and a dedicated Julienne Brown Graham Wall Phone: (09) 376 8074, ext. 3 supporters and audience. Mayor of Auckland booking line (no fees) Alastair Carruthers & Peter Gordon Prue Wallis Email: tyeoman@writersfestival. Margaret Casey & Ivan Connell Sue Wood co.nz Thank you and enjoy! invitations to Festival Programme Stephanie & John Clark Anonymous (5) Launch Barbie & Paul Cook Pip Muir Dale D’Rose news of visiting authors, events and Di & Graeme Edwards special offers year-round. Theresa Gattung Dame Jenny Gibbs 4 5 FREEMASONS SUPPORTING YOUNG LITERARY TALENT SCHOOLS PROGRAMME Our eighth Schools Programme, supported by the Freemasons Foundation, takes place on 10-12 May and we are excited to announce expansion of the programme in 2016.