17 – 18 September
Owen G Glenn Building, Auckland.
The National Writers Forum is just two weeks away and we’re looking forward to welcoming our international guests
Chris Cleave, internationally acclaimed author of Everyone Brave is Forgiven, Incendiary and The Other Hand (a.k.a. Little Bee, number one on The New York Times Best Seller list) travels from the United Kingdom to deliver the keynote address The Clocks are Striking Thirteen and a masterclass delving into the craft of conveying the psychology of society through your characters.
Stephen Daisley is an award winning kiwi author living in Western Australia and Mandy Brett is senior editor at Text Publishing in Australia. Mandy is Stephen’s editor and in the session Making an Award Winner the pair talk about the relationship between writer and publisher, author and editor and share the journey of Coming Rain the book that won the most prestigious prize at the Okham New Zealand Book Awards 2016, the Acorn Foundation Literary Award. Be inspired – Stephen did not write his first book Traitor until he was in his 50’s. Traitor won the Australian Prime Ministers Literary Award for Fiction.
Malcolm Neil is the Director of Content for Rakuten Kobo Inc. He is a former CEO of the Australian Booksellers Association, sits on the board of the Overland Journal and Monash University Publishing and is a founding board member of Australia’s Small Press Network and the Australian Children’s Literature Alliance. He will talk about opportunities for New Zealand writers in Australia in Support Sustain Survive and how to use the Kobo platform in Publishing 101.
Scott Pack, UK-based publisher, writer and entrepreneur shares his ideas on the future of publishing and how New Zealand writers can expand their market. Earlier this year Scott delivered a masterclass for The Guardian How to pitch your book to publishers so he is also primed to chair the Pitch Perfect session with Melanie Laville-Moore (Allen & Unwin), Duncan Greive (The Spinoff), Kevin Chapman (Upstart Press) and Harriet Allen (Penguin Random House).
Kate Pullinger is Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media at Bath Spa University. Should you think about how your writing reads on a smart phone, or the notion of ‘unprintable books’? Kate will answer these questions when she talks about her digital writing practice and how it contrasts with the process of writing a ‘traditional’ novel. The session will also talk about how writers need to innovate in order to ensure literature carves out a space in a world saturated with vibrant visual media.
Michael Wolfe travels from San Francisco where he is the Executive Director of Authors Alliance, a U.S.-based authors organisation that provides advocacy and support for authors interested in ensuring their works reach the broadest possible audiences and are preserved for long-term accessibility and impact. Michael will explain Creative Commons and share in the conversation about publishing agreements and authors’ rights in the Copyright and Contracts session.
Top New Zealand authors including Patricia Grace, Nalini Singh, Ben Sanders, Paula Morris and Greg McGee are among the 44 talented and outstanding writers and industry experts who are joining in the first NWF. Be there!
Full programme details can be found at nationalwritersforum.org.nz
Tickets can be purchased at iTicket
The National Writers Forum
Dates: September Saturday 17 & Sunday 18
Location: Owen G Glenn Building, University of Auckland, 12 Grafton Road, Auckland
Tickets for the weekend are $325/$220 students
(NZ Society of Authors members $275/$200 students)
Tickets include morning and afternoon tea, lunches and CLNZ drinks party.
The National Writers Forum thanks the generous supporters who have made the Forum possible: Creative New Zealand, Copyright Licensing New Zealand Cultural Fund, University of Auckland, South Pacific Pictures, Lowndes Jordan, Kobo Writing Life and New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc). Time Out Books is the NWF official bookseller.
For more information, or to request an interview with one of our speakers contact Claire Mabey programmenwf@gmail.com
Our programme manager has jsut returned from the Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall and Edinburgh Book Festival, you can read her blog here.
All other queries contact Jackie Dennis director@nzauthors.org.nz
www.nationalwritersforum.org.nz
#NZWritersForum
