NZ POST WRITERS & READERS WEEK
PART OF NZ INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

THE BIG QUESTIONS

This panel featured three New Zealand scientists, all with books published in recent months. Bernard Beckett, (Falling for Science), Lloyd Spencer Davis, (Looking for Darwin), and Hamish Campbell, (In Search of Ancient New Zealand).

I went along because I had so greatly enjoyed Davis’ book, Looking for Darwin, when it was published in 2007 but frankly I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the session because I do not have a great interest in scientific matters. However I was pleasantly surprised..
Some of it I’m sure was to do with the skill and enthusiasm of the Chair, top broadcaster Kim Hill, with her keen interest in scientific matters and her great ability to ask appropriate and probing questions.
But also each of the panelist authors proved to be entertaining, articulate, relaxed and confident. Not necessarily what one have expected from a trio of science academics!
Much of the discussion was science & evolution versus religion and it was lively, often humorous and always interesting. Well done Bernard, Lloyd, Hamish & Kim.



NEW YORK STORIES-WRITING 9/11

This was my fourth and final session of the day featuring three writers at the top of their game all talking about and reading from their latest books that were affected and influenced by the events of 9/11- James Meek, (We are now beginning our Descent), Patrick McGrath, (Ghost Town:Tales of Manhattan, Then & Now), Moshin Ramid (The Reluctant Fundamentalist).

This session differed from all others in that one of the panelists, Moshin Ramid, whose book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007 was in London and joined the programme by radio link. He was especially interesting when he talked of the constraints he felt on his writing because of the international situation following 9/11.