Hawke's Bay's latest published author, Gareth Ward, celebrated the launch of his new book in style last night, as his launch party culminated in the Bay's first steampunk ball.
Mr Ward's book was published after a win at last year's 2016 Storylines Book Awards, where he picked up the Tessa Duder Award for Best Young Adult Novel with his manuscript for The Traitor and the Thief - a steampunk novel set in Victorian England.
As part of the award, his book went to publishers Walker Books Australia and is now available nationwide.
Steampunk - a Victorian genre featuring advanced technology - was also the theme of last night's Traitor's Ball, where attendees wore their best steampunk finery.