Jenny is a word wizard with a magic spell for writers: ”No hocus pocus. Simply focus”. Focus on the idea. Focus on the observation. Focus on the emotion. Focus on the words. Though Jenny doesn’t shirk the serious, it’s the sheer fun of [...]

Don’t miss our first panel discussion in our Creative Conversations series. To navigate our future, we must first understand our past. This is an invitation to hear how four Bay of Plenty writers and storytellers make history come alive. And whose books and [...]

A presentation of hard-won, inside secrets by bestselling writer and lecturer John Wareham. He will share how to apply his nifty, five-step formula to create an engaging memoir that readers will delight in remembering you by. John ‘s memoir ‘Exposed, a Schooldays Memoir’ [...]

CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 2nd of 3 PANEL SERIES ‘Sharing Stories – Spreading the Word’ Come along and hear how books find their readers. We’ve lined up a bookseller, a publisher, a self-published author, and a book buyer for libraries to share their insights. Bring [...]

Sharon will be exploring point-of-view, and all the techniques to make our readers see from inside our characters’ heads. This includes show not tell, filtering, action beats and dialogue, head-hopping, internal thought/dialogue, and more. A multi-award nominated author of YA fantasy fiction books, [...]

This session explores the role monsters play in modern urban fantasy as a reflection of modern thinking of inclusion, diversity, and equity. Monsters are a metaphor for the human condition: vampires are our quest for immortality, zombies are our rejection of a meaningless [...]

Creative Conversations 3rd of 3 Panel Series Four writers from diverse sections of our society share experiences of writing about themselves and their communities. What obstacles have they encountered and has their narrative been a tool in breaking down divisions in society? Sunday [...]

This year marks the centenary of Katherine Mansfield’s death (14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923) Come along to Greerton Library this Sunday to hear award-winning author Carol Garden talk about the life and work of Katherine Mansfield. Carol will explore the woman [...]

Planning a Writing Project  Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right. (Henry Ford) Understand your writing journey. Get inspired. Get focused. Get it done! From ground zero through to successfully publishing five books in four years, Rachel has got it [...]

A Thematic Framework helps a writer develop the kinds of questions that allow for the creation of a larger picture or a more focused and interesting story. Learn about using a Thematic Framework to consider how our Natural, Cultural and Built heritage links [...]