Change to escape! programme

Organisers of Escape! in Tauranga advise that, due to unforeseen circumstances, Paula Morris is not able to appear at the June 1-4 festival.

Her place on the Stroppy Women panel on Saturday, June 2 will be taken by Tracey Slaughter, a creative writing teacher at Waikato University and author of the 2016 short story collection ‘deleted scenes for lovers’.

The book, longlisted for last year’s Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize, includes ‘Consent’, a story written as a response to the outcome of the Louise Nicholas rape trial and the notion of consent being discussed at the time.

“I don’t know that I’m all that stroppy in real life,” Slaughter says, “but in my writing I’m confrontational and unafraid of tough subjects.”

Living in Cambridge with her family, she plays drums in a covers band in smalltown pub venues.

Other Stroppy Women panellists are longtime activist and former Green MP Sue Bradford and former longtime Tauranga City Councillor turned community activist Mary Dillon. The session, which takes place at the X Space in Baycourt Theatre, will be chaired by Michele A’Court.

For full details of this and the rest of the Escape! programme go to www.taurangafestival.co.nz