WIT, RIPOSTE & THE OCCASIONAL GOSSIP

Auckland Writers & Readers Festival

This proved, surprisingly really, to be the most enjoyable Festival session for me so far. The name proved to be something of a misnomer and for my money might more appropriately have been called "Two New Zealand patriots talk to another New Zealand patriot". It was a wonderfuly enjoyable hour.

The reason why event number 24 proved so enjoyable for me and the other hundred or so punters present can be put down to two things. 1.The outstanding chairmanship of Peter Wells who was so totally au fait with his two subjects and their books and really managed to make it feel like a fireside chat between three old friends. Superbly done Peter, one of the best Chairs at any Festival I have ever attended. And 2. The very entertaining, thoughtful, sometimes witty, sometimes serious comments from both speakers, Christine Fernyhough, and Hamish Keith.

Christine Fernyhough led off with an account of her new life as a high country farmer responding beautifully to Peter Wells' thoughtful and probing questions about the demands, doubts, challenges and rewards of that life. It was often but not always humourous, it was a rivetting performance.

She read us a section from her best-selling book,"The Road to Castle Hill", about her introduction to dog trialling.

Then Wells introduced Hamish Keith who was also in very fine form telling tales from his forthcoming biography "Native Wit" to be published by Random House in September. This is going to be a must-read book. He ranged across a wide range of subjects including Mother Theresa, David Frost, his Christchurch boyhood, talk-back radio, television, migration outflow, and pride in New Zealand,

This was an inspiring hour, we left with smiles on our faces.My thanks to the three participants.