Auckland Writers' Festival

The second Auckland Writers' Festival gets underway next week. After the success of the inaugural event, the festival has become a valued part of the city's cultural calendar, providing a chance for those who love the written word to see and hear local and overseas writers as they discuss their work and the latest literary trends and debates.

The headline guest is Geoffrey Robertson, QC and author, whose work in human and civil rights has provided him with an insight into international justice in an increasingly complex world.

Other overseas guests focus on the place of science in our society. Mary Doria Russell, author of The Sparrow, and Margaret Wertheim, author of The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace, have each examined the place of spirituality in a world based on science. British biologist and writer Colin Tudge is an expert on genetic engineering and the ethical debates that arise from its use.

New Zealand guest writers include the always upfront Alan Duff, Elizabeth Knox, author of bestseller The Vintner's Luck, and master storyteller Owen Marshall.

The written word encompasses more than books. Panels of local writers will focus on the rise of Pacific theatre, the raw wounds biography can leave; and the state of television news and drama. Lyricists Fiona McDonald and Dave Dobbyn are two of the songwriters who discuss the place of their words in the melodies they create.

Director Duncan Sarkies will talk about Scarfies and other experiences in film.

But at heart this is an Auckland festival, so writers who call the city home are to the fore. C.K. Stead, Kevin Ireland, Catherine Chidgey, Stephanie Johnstone, Shonagh Koea and other writers will be hosts, panelists and participants.

* A full programme for the festival can be found at:

www.akcity.govt.nz