Two theatre seasons, the first-ever West Auckland Pecha Kucha event, the popular Book Market and Poetry Slam, as well as a line-up of leading contemporary New Zealand writers, all feature as part of Going West Books and Writers Festival 2010.
Now in its 15th year, the Festival celebrates New Zealand writers and wordsmiths in a programme of events in West Auckland.
The festival begins at the end of August with the strictly limited season of Tawata Productions’ tale of music and love He Reo Aroha at the Glen Eden Playhouse Theatre from 25-28 August. Written by Miria George and Jamie McCaskill, directed by Hone Kouka and with original music and waiata, He Reo Aroha follows the bittersweet story of childhood sweethearts Kaia and Pascoe as they fall in love, part and then find each other again through music.
The play was a highlight of the New Zealand International Arts Festival earlier this year and has enjoyed success touring in Australia and the United States of America. The season includes a special schools performance on Thursday 26 August.
September festival highlights include the first ever Pecha Kucha event in West Auckland, the Book Market, the Seventh Annual Going West Poetry Slam and the Books and Writers Weekend, ‘Right Word, Right Place, Right Time’.
Pecha Kucha Out West provides an opportunity for a number of presenters from word-based creative fields to discuss their work and ideas while presenting 20 slides for 20 seconds each. Each speaker has the stage for just 6 minutes and 40 seconds, keeping the event fast-paced and entertaining. Pecha Kucha takes place on Friday 3 September at the Waitakere Council Chambers in Henderson.
Books of all shapes, sizes, ages and conditions can be found at the Going West Book Market on Saturday 4 September at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall, while those who enjoy the drama of performance can enjoy the Seventh Annual Going West Poetry Slam Finals on Saturday 4 September from 7pm at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall. Heats for the Poetry Slam will take place in August.
The main event of Going West Books and Writers Festival 2010 is the books and writers weekend ‘Right Word, Right Place, Right Time’ from 10-12 September at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall. Going West Books and Writers Festival is the only New Zealand literary festival which focuses solely on New Zealand writers and wordsmiths and every year the weekend draws leading contemporary writers to discuss, debate and entertain.
Writers confirmed for the weekend include Dames Anne Salmond and Joan Metge, Roger Horrocks speaking on artist Len Lye; poet, musician and cult figure Bill Direen (ex Flying Nun); Bee Dawson whose newly published book A History of Gardening in New Zealand traces our nation of gardeners; broadcaster, entertainer and writer Max Cryer; biographer Paul Millar and poets Albert Wendt, Helen Sword and Paula Green.
The new book Words Chosen Carefully will be launched during the festival weekend – edited by Siobhan Harvey, this book brings together 15 New Zealand authors in discussion with 15 New Zealand interviewers and two of the featured writers, Fiona Farrell and Jenny Bornholdt and interviewer Iain Sharp will discuss the book.
Three special sessions during the weekend will pay tribute to New Zealand wordsmiths; poet and short story writer JC Sturm, commentator and writer Paul Reynolds, and one of New Zealand’s most distinguished writers, Bill Pearson.
Going West Books and Writers Festival 2010 also features an extensive programme of workshops, seminars and exhibitions in conjunction with Lopdell House and Corban Estate Arts Centre, as well as Storyfest – a free and fun-filled day of storytelling, performances, and workshops for children on Saturday 25 September at Kelston Community Centre.
Each year Going West Books and Writers Festival features a touring programme ‘Wordsmiths’ that sends writers into Waitakere intermediate and secondary schools to engage with and inspire students. Supported by Creative New Zealand, this year Wordsmiths runs from 23 August until 3 September and features playwright Dianna Fuemana, sports writer Gregor Paul and Shortland Street scriptwriter Edwin McRae.
A second Going West theatre season featuring Handstand Production’s Double Portrait: Finding Francis Hodgkins will play at Titirangi Theatre on October 2 and 3. Written by Jan Bolwell, the play weaves a fictional story together with a convincing and moving portrait of the very private Hodgkins, one of New Zealand’s most significant modernist painters of the 20th century.
And for 2010, it’s hoped to revive an old favourite – the train trip. Going West Books and Writers Festival was originally inspired by a steam train journey based on the train trip that Maurice Gee describes in his book Going West and the train journey was one of the festival's defining events over its first decade. The train trip was last part of the Going West Festival in 2005, but the Going West Team and the Railway Enthusiasts Society are planning for the train journey to return for 2010.
The Going West Books and Writers Festival 2010 runs until early October. Tickets for He Reo Aroha, Double Portrait: Finding Francis Hodgkins and the books and writers weekend ‘Right Word, Right Place, Right Time’ are available from www.ticketmaster.co.nz.
For more information on events in Going West Books and Writers Festival 2010 visit www.goingwest.co.nz
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