The Taranaki Arts Festival Trust’s Winter events in Nga Motu/ New Plymouth have a way of leavening the spirit in the coldest and windiest of weather, especially in a ‘15-minute city ’where venues are never far away, ticket prices are reasonable and parking is no problem.

In another event, Taranaki Taonga David Hill, Lauren Keenan and Elizabeth Smither, came together in a panel discussion with Steph Julian, herself literary alumna and recent recipient of the first Puke Ariki Writer in Residency for New Zealand Children’s Book Week in August.

David spoke about his latest book, Stepping Up and delighted his audience with his enduring wisdom, working style and humour.

Lauren, a self-proclaimed ‘history nerd’, described the origins of her new book The Two Catherines, a ‘must read’ story of early Aotearoa, while Elizabeth entertained with a series of vividly evocative poems from a selection including The Interview Rose.