Only five days to go now! WORD Christchurch Writers & Readers Festival

Only five days to go now!  Sessions are starting to sell out, so make sure you get in and buy your tickets before the festival begins to secure your seat. Pecha Kucha has sold out, and we have released a few last tickets to The Stars are Out Tonight, but they won’t last long. Today is also the last day to buy a six session pass. We need time to process these, so don't miss out! CRIME DOESN'T PAY There’s plenty to keep the most ardent crime aficionados happy at the WORD Christchurch Writers & Readers festival, including novelists from Iceland, Scotland, and New Zealand, and some of the festival’s sharpest minds in a night of crime-based entertainment and celebration.   THE GREAT NEW ZEALAND CRIME DEBATE Join MC Joe Bennett as he chairs a raucous night of argument and repartee with a stellar line-up of debaters arguing the moot, ‘Crime doesn’t pay’. Featuring Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, writer Steve Braunias, The Press reporter Martin van Beynen, lawyer Marcus Elliott, American novelist Meg Wolitzer and Christchurch’s king of crime, Paul Cleave. Presented by The Press THE NGAIO MARSH AWARD FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL   The debate will be followed by the presentation of the 2014 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. Which of the country’s best crime novelists will triumph?   The shortlisted novels are: Where the Dead Men Go, Liam McIlvanney Joe Victim, Paul Cleave My Brother’s Keeper, Donna Malane Frederick’s Coat, Alan Duff Saturday 30 August, 8pm Rydges Latimer  Book here                          DARK & CHILLING              Two top crime writers, Iceland’s Yrsa Sigurdardottir and Scottish New Zealander (and Ngaio Marsh finalist) Liam McIlvanney, write dark and chilling fiction. Hear how and why they do it, and what makes them tick.   Sunday 31 August, 1pm       Rydges Latimer         Book here BEYOND THE VEIL               For crime with a ghostly, historical twist, don’t miss this session featuring Rosetta Allan discussing her novel Purgatory, which has been described by Paula Morris as ‘vivid and engrossing’. The novel is narrated by the victims of the Otahuhu murders of 1865. She’s joined by Diane Setterfield (UK), Coral Atkinson (NZ) and the scintillating conversation is chaired by Liam McIlvanney. Presented by Academy Funeral Services Sunday 31 August, 4pm        Rydges Latimer        Book here   BOOK TICKETS HERE SPREAD THE WORD