The daughter of prominent New Zealand author, the late Michael King, and publisher mother, Ros Henry, Rachael King was destined to tell tales. She tells Amy Shanks about her upcoming appearances in Hawke's Bay and what inspires her.
1 You are doing a Q&A session with a group of young writers at Taradale Library today. How important is it to nurture talent from a young age?
I think more than anything it's good to nurture a love of books and reading from a young age. If you love books and read widely, you'll pick up many of the skills you need to write. I think talent can be nurtured at any age. Some great writers have come to writing late in life and done very well.
2 Tell us a bit about your role as director of the WORD Christchurch festival and how you became involved?
After the earthquakes I decided that if I was going to stay in Christchurch I wanted to make some contribution to the city's recovery, so I joined the board of the festival. Then last year, the programme directors retired (after many years) and I jumped at the chance to apply. Apart from writing novels full time, it is my absolute dream job. I love literary festivals and because the festival is every two years, the job also gives me time to write. Taking on the role as Literary Director enabled me to reinvent the festival post-earthquakes, with a new name and a new creative direction, and with a new place in the cultural landscape of the city. It's a hugely interesting time in Christchurch. I'm happy to say that the first festival under my watch, in August this year, was a huge success.