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Fans of crime and thriller writing are in for a literary treat next month when Warkworth Library hosts a panel discussion with five leading writers in the field.
Badness in Brokenwood is one of a series of events organised by the Ngaio Marsh Awards, in association with Auckland Libraries, to examine why the genre continues as such a favourite for readers.
Past Ngaio Marsh Award winner Fiona Sussman, TV producer and true crime writer Angus Gillies, Hibiscus Coast author and first-time crime writer Robyn Cotton and Matakana mystery writer Madeleine Eskedahl will be joined in conversation by award-winning Gulf Harbour short story writer Stephen Ross, who will “keep the peace and cross-examine the offenders”.
The panel will discuss what draws them to crime writing, how they craft and convey memorable characters, fictional or real, and the impact of local settings, real-life issues and universal themes on their writing.
They will also muse on why and how crime and thriller writing has evolved from puzzle-like mysteries in the past to the modern genre that delves deeply into people, place and labyrinthine connections.
Badness in Brokenwood will take place at the Old Masonic Hall, next to the library in Baxter Street, on Thursday, April 3. Doors open at 5pm for light refreshments and the panel will be on stage from 6pm to 10.15pm.
Free entry, but please RSVP for catering to: warklib@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or
(09) 427 3920
The writers:
Fiona Sussman is a former family doctor who has won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, the Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award, the 2021 NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction and been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her latest novel is The Doctor’s Wife.
Angus Gillies is the author of the Ruatoria Killings series of non-fiction investigations. He has worked as a journalist and producer at TV3 for 20 years, is a sports biographer and co-writer of Far North, which was recently made into a TV series..
Madeleine Eskedahl is the author of the Matakana Series of mysteries starring Sergeant Bill Granger and Constable Niko Sopoaga. Her debut novel, Blood on Vines, was voted onto the Whitcoulls Top 100.
Robyn Cotton is a Hibiscus Coast author who worked as a business consultant before discovering creative writing. After writing two novels based on personal experiences, The Jibe is her first crime novel, inspired by her love of sailing.
Stephen Ross is a Whangaparaoa writer whose short stories have been published in several international mystery magazines and nominated for crime writing awards. His first novel, The Bride Must be Stopped, will be published this year.
