Cristina Sanders – Representing Real Characters in History

5:30pm to 7:30pm, Tues, 14 April

In this workshop we’ll discuss some of the ethical issues around the representation of real characters in fiction, covering ideas like: personal perspective, care of descendants, and how history gets made in the first place. We’ll look at historical lacuna and ways to fill in the gaps, stray into the realms of historical truth, accuracy and personal fudge levels. Finally, we’ll examine various ways writers use fly-on-the-wall, or invented supporting characters to bring a specific lens to an historic character.

Aimed at lovers of historical fiction – both writers and readers.

Cristina Sanders is an historical fiction writer from Wellington, now living in Hawke’s Bay. Her book trade career has included bookselling, publishing and marketing. She has a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing and writes a popular book review blog, mainly promoting NZ writers. Her novels have all been bestsellers and: Jerningham (2020) was shortlisted for the NZ Heritage Literary Awards; Displaced (2021) won the Storylines Tessa Duder Award, was shortlisted for the NZ Heritage Literary Awards and was a finalist in NZCYA; Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant (2022) was shortlisted for the Booklovers Award and was a finalist in the Ockhams for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction. Ōkiwi Brown (2024) was longlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Awards. She is currently working on an historical fiction about Governor George Grey, and in 2025 was awarded the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award.