Take a seat at Hawke's Bay Readers and Writers Festival and be inspired and delighted

Margo and Rosa Flanagan, aka Two Raw Sisters are part of the Readers and Writers Festival. Photo / NZME

Hawke's Bay is about to host some of the finest bookish thinkers and do-ers in all of Aotearoa.

Brought to you by Hawke's Bay Readers and Writers Trust, in association with the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival, these carefully curated sessions will fill you with wonder and inspiration.

Douglas Lloyd Jenkins, described by Wallpaper magazine as "one of the most influential design writers in the Southern Hemisphere", turns his hand to fiction with Shelter, a story of heartbreak, friendship, and love for a city and her architecture. Join him at Napier's MTG, at 5.30pm on October 22, for an in-depth korero with artist and academic Richard Cornes.

"Vā: Stories from Women of the Moana" is a ground-breaking work and the first of its kind - an anthology of creative fiction from 38 Oceania women writers, including Wahine Māori.

Editor Sisilia Eteuati and contributor Nafanua Kersel sit down with Shelley Burne-Field to talk us through the intrigue, fantasy, humour and magic of these beautiful, strong stories. Toitoi, 12pm Saturday, October 29.

Imagining Decolonisation is a kōrerorero investigating the legacy of Dr Moana Jackson through the voices of others, including those he worked with or mentored. Mereana Pitman, Hinemoa Elder, Monty Soutar and chair Ali Tamainu take us through why this conversation matters. This is a free event at Toitoi, at 2pm on Saturday, October 29.

There's a lot of talk about supporting locals, and you can't get much more local than Aaron Topp, Keryn Powell and Cristina Sanders. All three of these authors live and work in Hawke's Bay, have written for young adults, and have a fascination with the ocean. In a session entitled To the Sea on Sunday, October 30, 10am at Toitoi, the trio will dive into their inspirations and the themes they explore in their books.

Who's the cook in your house? Bet they got a copy of Margo and Rosa Flanagan's Salad for Christmas 2021. The Two Raw Sisters are back with Simple Fancy, and take a seat at the table with Lizzie Russell to figure out how to plan the perfect menu with as little fuss as possible. Pull up a chair at Toitoi on Sunday, October 30 at 12pm.

And now for something completely different - end your Readers Writers Festival by joining the joyous storytelling adventure that is Tarquin the Honest's Dungeons and Dragons Multiverse Extravaganza. All following the same storyline, the teams will battle, magic and swindle their way through an epic adventure. Gather your team for the D&D game of a lifetime and head for Toitoi at 5pm on Sunday, October 30.

This is just a snapshot of what's happening at the Readers and Writers Festival, an intriguing and varied programme that also includes Nicky Pellegrino, Niki Bezzant, Max Rashbrooke, Charlotte Grimshaw and Charity Norman. Look forward to seeing you there.