Come to Mapua on Saturday 2 December for lunch with crime writer Ray Berard as he reveals the stories behind his novel Inside the Black Horse, which won the 2016 Ngaio Marsh Debut Novel award. It was also long-listed for the 2017 Dublin Literary Award as well as making the finals of the 2016 Ngaio Marsh Crime Thriller of the Year.

Ray Berard is a Canadian-born Kiwi writer based in Christchurch. A McGill University graduate and five-year member of the NZ Authors Society, writing has always been his passion, and in recent years a full-time one.

Inside the Black Horse is his debut novel, based on a diary he kept during his years supervising betting outlets for the New Zealand Racing Board. ‘It’s about New Zealand right now, and what happens when a group of strangers get drawn into each other’s lives after a young man’s desperate act.’ Ray is currently working on his second novel, The Diary of a Dead Man.

The venue for Ray’s talk is the Mapua Sprig & Fern’s little room at the side. Meet other writers for lunch or a drink there from 12 noon, for the author talk at 1 pm.

A special guest of the Top of the South branch of NZ Society of Authors, Ray is the TOS and Canterbury delegate to NZ Authors’ National Council.