Note that episode starts at 4:55

The Auckland Writers Festival 13-week WINTER SERIES streamed live and free every Sunday morning from 3 May - 26 July 2020.

Episode 10 showcases guests from our 2020 Onāianei series:

RENÉE: Playwright, novelist, poet, memoirist, and blogger Renée (Ngāti Kahungunu), has documented NZ’s social history in work that includes Wednesday To Come, Setting The Table, and memoir These Two Hands. She has recently written her first crime novel, The Wild Card.

JOSHUA WHITEHEAD: Two-spirit Canadian First Nations poet and novelist Joshua Whitehead, is the author of the poetry collection Full-Metal Indigiqueer and the novel Jonny Appleseed, which won a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction. He is currently working towards a doctorate in Indigenous literatures and cultures.

RUBY MAE HINEPUNUI SOLLY:Writer and musician, Ruby Mae Hinepunui Solly (Kāi Tahu) has been published in journals such as Landfall, Minarets, and Starling. She recently released her debut album Pōneke, featuring cello, nga taonga puoro and accompanying poems. Her debut poetry collection Tōku Pāpā, will be published in 2021.

HOSTED BY TINA MAKERETI: Tina Makereti is the Onāianei Series programmer for our 2020 Festival. Her work includes the novel The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke, and 2016 Commonwealth Pacific Prizewinning short story Black Milk. She co-edited Black Marks on the White Page with Witi Ihimaera and was a contributor to Pūrākau – Māori Myths Retold

This series provides an opportunity to champion New Zealand and international books that were to feature at our now-cancelled May Festival, we encourage you to support writers and NZ publishers and booksellers and the featured books can be purchased here.

The Festival thanks its presentation partner Auckland Live, as well as Copyright Licensing New Zealand and all our generous sponsors, funders, patrons and friends whose support has enabled us to continue our work during these extraordinary times.