The Auckland Writers’ Festival…

…last weekend, offered an abundance of wonderful literature read by authors and others, and some excellent interviews and presentations.  We indulged ourselves this year, going to nine  sessions together and a couple separately. We’re filled with admiration at the efficiency of organisation, fine sound systems, diversity of literature..

The most wonderful session for us was  Spirit House: Foreign Soil, a wonderful conversation between Maxine Beneba Clarke and Tusiata Avia.

Each had read and enjoyed the other’s work, and their conversation was a dance of mind and spirit as they selected their favourite examples from each others work, and asked each other to read. And both are such strong and beautiful writers… both offer profound challenges to all of us who are monocultural to examine the limitations of our relationships with others.  We have come away with three more books to read…

The other highlight, especially for Charmaine, was Jeanette Winterson’s one-woman reading of  and commentary on her version of The Winter’s Tale – a virtuoso performance, so rich in language and idea.

other special moments…

Damien Wilkins, in a panel on Identity, read an extremely funny story  about a dad’s visit with two small boys to the Peter- Jackson-Weta-Workshop version of Gallipoli on display in Wellington’s Dominion Museum- and succeeded in challenging this celebration of war at a deep level…

Helene Wong had a standing ovation for her beautifully crafted and delivered Michael King lecture on her experience as  a Chinese woman in New Zealand..

One sharp criticism…

Why on earth would the organisers pick an Englishman from the Edinburgh Book Festival to introduce Gloria Steinem, the matriarch of the American Feminist Movement?  And why would any sensitive man with an understanding of feminism agree?  His Maori greeting was execrable, and his interview questions patriarchal and borin .  Gloria has a wealth of knowledge to offer at 82, and Marilyn Waring, who has known Gloria for four decades, and who had spent several hours with her at Takaparawhau the previous day, was there in the audience- she would have been so much better than any man.  Fortunately, when young women from the audience were able to ask questions towards the end of the session, Gloria ‘s answers showed her true lucidity, wit and wisdom.