From Random House NZ:
Christchurch Writers Festival Cancelled


Our sympathies are with the organisers of the Christchurch Writers Festival, whose board met last night and decided that given all the trauma Christchurch is suffering, the festival could not go ahead this coming weekend. We do feel for them and also for our authors Stevan Eldred Grigg and Carl Nixon, whose new books were to have been launched at the Random House Festival party, and for the other Random house writers who were to appear in festival sessions.

We are sorry the party also cannot now go ahead as it would have been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all the writers and freelancers from Canterbury who are so valued by Random House. We will, however, be looking for other opportunities to come together in the near future.

Our thoughts are with all Canterbury associates of Random House and their families, friends and workmates who have been affected by the earthquake.