Marlborough Book Festival 2015 programme announced

Marlborough Book Festival 2015 programme announced

Monday, 23 March
Press Release: Marlborough Book Festival

One of New Zealand’s most beloved authors, Marlborough Living Treasure Joy Cowley, is coming to the Marlborough Book Festival this July.

Tickets are now on sale for the second annual Marlborough readers and writers festival, which will be held from Friday 24 July to Sunday 26 July.

Festival trustee Karen Walshe said the festival had built on its hugely successful first year, increasing the number of guest speakers from six last year to 10 this year, and the number of venues from two to four.

As well as Cowley, the author list includes Patricia Grace, Fiona Farrell, Joe Bennett, Liam McIlvanney, Nicky Pellegrino, and investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Mike White.

The festival also features sessions about Our Big Blue Backyard, a popular documentary series which screened on TV1. The producer, Judith Curran of Natural History New Zealand, is coming, along with Janet Hunt, who has written a coffee table book of the same name, which explores New Zealands’s 38 marine reserves.

“We are thrilled with this year’s author list, which features a mix of fiction and non-fiction authors who should appeal to wide range of Marlborough readers,” Walshe said.

She was particularly pleased that Cowley, who was named a Marlborough Living Treasure in 2013, was able to attend. Cowley, who now lives in Featherston, Wairarapa, lived in the Marlborough Sounds for many years.

Marlborough journalist Tessa Nicholson will interview Cowley at the atmospheric Blenheim Club and is very excited about the session. She vividly recalls interviewing Cowley for an article in the Marlborough Express many years ago. “It was one of those interviews that stays with you. She is such a warm, interesting person. I’m looking forward to meeting her again.”

‘Crime at Spy’ sessions will see crime writer McIlvanney and investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Mike White speak at Spy Valley Wine’s beautiful cellar door in the Waihopai Valley just down the road from the country’s satellite communications spy base.

Pellegrino, whose stories reflect her love for the people and food of Italy, will speak at the Blenheim Club at 6pm on the Saturday.

“Last year we had local romance writer Barbara De Leo in the Saturday evening slot, and it was such a blast. Lots of people took the opportunity to start an evening out with friends by going to the session and then going out for a meal afterwards. We think Nicky, with her beautiful stories of life, love and food in Italy, will be the perfect fit for this session,” Walshe said.

Pellegrino and Grace will also speak at The Treehouse at Cloudy Bay, a beautiful intimate venue with a stunning view of vines and the Richmond Range.

Expanding the festival was only possible due to the fantastic support of sponsoring wineries and businesses, Walshe said. Spy Valley and Hunter’s Wines have joined Cloudy Bay, Astrolabe and Dog Point Vineyards as winery sponsors. And Marlborough Tour Company have also come on board to enable the festival to hold one of the Big Blue Backyard sessions on board its MV Odyssea luxury launch, which will travel out to Long Island on Friday 24 July. Guests will be served lunch, featuring New Zealand King Salmon and wine from Dog Point Vineyards.

Sponsorship from McKendry Motors means visiting authors will have the use of a car for the weekend. Further sponsorship from The Marlborough District Council, Gascoigne Wicks law firm and Jim Tannock Photography was vital to ensuring the festival could take place once again.

For more information and to purchase tickets access www.marlboroughbookfest.co.nz.

ENDS

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