NZ POST WRITERS & READERS WEEK

TIMELORDS

Particia Grace, Alexis Wright, David Mitchell

Three briiliant writers and yet somehow for me this panel didn't really fire. Chair Jane Stafford did a fine job introducing them and then each of them was superb at the rostrum reading and talking about their own work .

I found the two women quite inspirational - gentle, sincere, determined, arresting, and then David Mitchell, the third time I have heard him at the Festival, (he is really earning his keep!), was as always thoughtful, sometimes funny and always quietly entertaining.

And yet when it came to the panel discussion something failed, the audience seemed to disconnect, I certainly did. I put it down perhaps to the subject being too general and broad, and also I think in hindsight that Mitchell was an odd choice for the panel. Here are two women who write beautifully and thoughtfully about their people and their ancient cultures and practices coping with post-colonialism and other issues, and they are partnered with a white Englishman?

In fairness to Mitchell he coped pretty well with the situation and even called himself a "whitey" at one stage but one sensed his unease at times. He certainly was the odd man out.