GOING WEST FESTIVAL

I made it back to the two last sessions of the day on Saturday, and what contrasting sessions they were.

First up - An Hour with Bill Direen

This was a wildy eccentric always entertaining hour of poetry, prose and music.
From the NZ Book Council's excellent website we learn:

William (Bill) Direen is best known as a poet and musician who has combined his talents in numerous publications and performances in New Zealand and overseas. Direen's collections of poetry include, Inklings (1988), Crappings (1993), and New Sea Land (2005). He has also written scripts and lyrics for theatrical productions, and a wide range of his fiction has appeared in literary journals and magazines. Bill Direen continues to publish across genres, including poetry, short and long fiction, theatre, and music.

He is is currently living in Devenport on a six month residency at the Michael King Writers' Centre althopigh in recent years has divided his time bewteen New Zealand and Paris. He has had a long association with Flying Nun records and he describes himself as obsessed with both words and music and trying to break down the distinction between them. He was on stage with post-modernist and translator of Ancient Greek poetry Ted Jenner who asked him a bunch of complex and demanding questions all of which he took in his stride.
Also on stage were two others whose names I didn't catch, one who sang,
unaccompanied, with Direen while the second paid tribute to his musicianship, his dexterity with language and his use of allusion.

THE INNER MUSIC THE WORDS MAKE

On stage under the thoughtful chairmanship of editor/poet Siobhan Harvey were authors/poets Fiona Farrell, Iain Sharp and Jenny Bornholdt - a whole bunch of talent!

Harvey is the editor of the just published WORDS CHOSEN CAREFULLY
- 15 NZ writers in discussion, with photography by Liz March, a Cape Catley title.
Harvey kicked off with an introduction of her guests, outlined the rationale behind Words Chosen Carefully and then led her panellists through a most delightful and happy hour where they talked about the pleasure gained from reviewing one's literary life, of  the value of libraries in their childhoods, of their current writing projects and they even threw in some advice for budding writers.
A terrific session to end the day.
Not quite the end actually because it was followed by the  launch of Words Chosen Carefully which Noel Murphy of the New Zealand Book Council has described as " a rich and vivid picture of our storytellers and their inspirations, capturing their creativity and allowing readers to enter their worlds. Ambitious, worthwhile yet highly readable, this book is an essentiual guide to our literary treasures."

More on Sunday sessions will follow on Monday.