Read all about it: Readers and writers festival returns to CHB

Alan Duff, author of Once Were Warriors, will be the guest speaker at the opening night of Between the Lines - CHB’s Readers and Writers Festival, on May 25. Photo / Michael Craig NZH 16May22 -

Between the Lines - CHB’s Readers and Writers Festival is returning for its fourth year, and is set to light up the literary skies with an array of entertaining and interesting authors and lively discussions.

We always start our festival with our Young Writers programme where we give primary school students the chance to work with well-known authors, and this year Adele Broadbent, who has published six novels for tweens and teens, will be running the programme.

We are delighted to have Alan Duff as our guest speaker for the opening night on Thursday, May 25 at the Municipal Theatre in Waipawa.

Alan is well known for his book and film Once Were Warriors and lived for many years in Waipukurau. His last book, A Conversation with My Country, looks at what is happening to this country and should provoke a lively debate in this election year. And we should never forget that Alan was the driving force behind the Books in Homes schemes.

Megan Nicol Reed will be at the festival, with her first novel, One of Those Mothers. Photo / Doug Sherring.

Friday evening, May 26 we are delighted to have Megan Nicol Reed at our festival. Megan’s book, One of Those Mothers, is hot off the press with glowing reviews on Steve Braunias’ Reading Room.

The book tells the tale of three families who on the surface are easily recognisable in their small, tight-knit middle-class communities, yet all is not as it seems and when the mention of a child pornographer in the area, with name suppression, is whispered about the friendships start to break down.

This is Megan’s first book, having been a columnist for the Sunday Star Times and Canvas Magazine, being known for her pithy wit regarding the middle classes and their everyday dramas. This session is being held at Woodlands Homestead.

On Saturday, May 27, it seemed so apt to have a Long Italian Lunch with well-known author Nicky Pellegrino. Nicky has written many novels about Italy highlighting her love of everything Italia, the food, the passion and the friendships. We are incredibly lucky to have her at the festival. The event is being held at the Takapau Hall and promises to be bellissimo!

Our final session, the Local Showcase, always brings many surprises and this year is no different.

We have original live music from the talented Maria Williams and the authors are Shelley Burne-Field, Catherine Roberston and Hugh McBain. Tickets for this session are free but must be booked through Eventfinda.

Between the Lines - CHB’s Readers and Writers Festival runs from Thursday, May 25 to Sunday, September 28.

Tickets are on sale now from Eventfinda. For more details on authors, interviewers, venues

times and dates please visit the website https://www.betweenthelines.nz/