Every new writer dreams of their first time, seeing their first book in print and in their hands. But there are no rules for when and where and how, and every writer follows a different path to publication. Freshly-minted novelists Annaleese Jochems and Dominic Hoey, and recently published poet Michael Steven, join interviewer Sonya Wilson to tell tales of their first time and the highs and lows of putting their words out into the world.
Michael Steven was born in 1977. He is the author of four chapbooks, and the full-length collection, Walking to Jutland Street. His poems, essays, short fiction, and translations have appeared in places such as brief, broadsheet, Landfall, Otago Daily Times, Percutio, Poetry NZ Yearbook. He lives in West Auckland with his partner and baby son.
Annaleese Jochems grew up in Northland. She won the 2016 Adam Prize, and her debut novel, Baby, won this year's Hubert Church Best First Book Award for fiction at the NZ Book Awards.
Dominic Hoey is a poet, author, and musician based in Auckland. He has released five critically acclaimed studio albums, two books of poetry, four short films, a sell-out one-man show and a best-selling novel. In a former life, he was an MC battle and slam-poetry champion. Dominic has performed his spoken-word poetry in Australia, Europe, England, Japan, and America. He also works as an arts mentor, teaching rangatahi excluded from mainstream education.
Sonya Wilson has been a broadcast journalist for nearly 20 years. She was the host of TVNZ’s 20/20 and has reported for several television news and current affairs programmes, most recently for Sunday. She has recently decided she wants to be an author when she grows up and has just completed a Masters in Creative Writing at Auckland University. She is currently working on her first novel.
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
8.30am - 5pm
Titirangi War Memorial Hall
Tickets:
Full Day Pass Includes 8 sessions, morning and afternoon tea and lunch
$150.00 (value $ 174.00) $135 concession (value $150.00)
Early Bird $139.00 ($120 concession) Only available until 3 August
Individual Sessions $18.00 ($15 concession)
Morning/Afternoon Tea $ 5.00 Lunch $20.00
https://www.iticket.co.nz/go-to/going-west-writers-festival-2018