Going West Books and Writers Festival

Going West Books and Writers Weekend: IN Conversation ON Conversation 

Going West brings to the stage a weekend of conversations between equals; writers and commentators who love to plumb the psyche of our land through fiction and non-fiction; to tell stories that delight and challenge; to reveal hidden facets of our history. You, the audience, are invited to share those stories in an atmosphere of conviviality, leavened by food and wine and the opportunity to engage with the people who shape our ever deepening sense of identity. You will hear tales of back country huts, the tender love story of two opera singers, an imagined life of James Cook and worlds expressed through poetry and image. Authors confirmed include: Charlotte Grimshaw, Ian Wedde, Philip Mann, Peter Bland, Sarah Laing, Judith White, Ian Grant, Sir Bob Harvey, Peter Bromhead and more. Cathy Downes will bring Katherine Mansfield to the stage and Matt and Debbie Cowens will provoke with 'Mansfield with Monsters', iconic Mansfield stories with a horror genre twist.

Many festival afficionados come for a day or the weekend; but dipping in and out is equally sustaining. Going West celebrates New Zealand culture through its writers; always real, sometimes wildly amusing, often challenging, profound and searching.