Literature might be defined as written works but, as the Auckland Writers Festival demonstrates, it isn't restricted to the page. Through plays, music, spoken word performances, words in all their manifest forms come alive. Special events include:
1.True Stories Told Live: Under Cover — Eight writers — Susie Boyt, Lisa Dwan, Gigi Fenster, Alex Ross, Damon Salesa, Tom Scott, Shashi Tharoor and Jenny Zhang — accept the challenge of delivering a seven-minute true story without a script or props all following the theme of "under cover". Festival Gala Night, ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Thursday.
2. On Song — Awarding-winning musician Tama Waipara hosts three one-hour events where conversation and song come together to tell new stories about New Zealand music. Nadia Reid, Lawrence Arabia and Moana Maniapoto feature. On Song, Heartland Festival Room, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
3.Beckett Uncut — Irish actress Lisa Dwan is renowned for her interpretations of Noble Prize- winning writer Samuel Beckett. She describes Beckett's characters as "slices of the universe" and brings them to life in a performance lecture combining play, prose and poetry. Beckett Uncut: Lisa Dwan at the Herald Theatre, Friday and Saturday.
4.Writers on film — The AWF joins forces with Auckland Art Gallery to present a series of films about some of the world's most famous writers. Maurice Sendak, Margaret Atwood, Amos Oz and our very own Margaret Mahy and Hone Tuwhare feature while groundbreaking Virago Press is also celebrated. Writers on Film, Auckland Art Gallery, Saturday and Sunday.
5.Portrait of an artist mongrel — Rowley Habib might not be a household name, but he had a huge influence on NZ theatre, television and film. The first Maori to write an original drama for television, Habib's life is celebrated by a stellar cast including Nancy Brunning and Rawiri Paratene in performances packed with music and readings which reveal how he championed the urban Maori voice. Portrait of an artist mongrel — Rowley Habib, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
