The Ngaio Marsh Awards, in association with Auckland Libraries, invites booklovers to another thrilling event featuring five talented local storytellers.
As crime and thriller writing has evolved from the puzzle-like mysteries of Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh to a diverse range of stories delving deeply into psychology, people and places alongside captivating events, it has continued to be one of the world’s most popular forms of storytelling.
What draws us to darker tales?
On page or screen, fact or fiction?
Award-winning investigative journalist Kirsty Johnstone chairs memoirist and author Caroline Barron, police detective turned double-Ngaios finalist Chris Blake, screenwriter Kathryn Burnett, and thriller writer Yvonne Eve Walus, for a criminally good conversation about crafting page-turning storylines, memorable characters, and the impact of place and themes.
WHEN: Wednesday 21 May 2025
WHERE: Takapuna Library, 9 The Strand
WHEN: 6pm for light refreshments, 6.30pm panel discussion
Entry: by koha.
RSVP:
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Caroline (Te Uri o Hau, Pakeha) is an award-winning author, manuscript assessor and book coach, book reviewer and writing teacher. Her memoir Ripiro Beach won the New Zealand Heritage Literary Award for Best Non-fiction Book in 2020. She holds a Master's in Creative Writing from the University of Auckland plus a journalism degree and, in a previous life, owned and ran Nova - a leading model and talent agency. GOLDEN DAYS, set against the burgeoning 1990s Auckland party scene, is her first novel.
Chris is
Kathryn is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and writing tutor who has worked in the New Zealand and Australian screen industry for over 25 years. With co-writer Riwia Brown, Kathryn won Best Drama Script at the 2021 TV NZ Awards for "The Tender Trap". Her writing has also been shortlisted for the 2023 Adams NZ Play Award, and appeared in the REMAINS TO BE TOLD anthology. Her recent TV credits include episodes of crime dramas "The Brokenwood Mysteries" and "My Life is Murder".
Yvonne is a North Shore writer of intercontinental heritage. She was born in Communist Poland and spent her teenage years in Apartheid South Africa, before travelling extensively and settling in New Zealand two decades ago. Crime fiction is her passion, though she also writes poetry and romance novels. Her debut MURDER @ WORK, was shortlisted for the South African Writers’ Circle Novel Award. Her latest thriller is THE WRONG GIRL.
Kirsty is an award-winning investigative journalist at Radio NZ with an interest in inequality, gender and social justice. She has worked for several of NZ's biggest newspapers, and was awarded Best Investigation at the national media awards in 2014, Best Crime and Social Issues reporter in 2019, and Reporter of the Year in 2022. With James Hollings, she co-wrote THE CREWE MURDERS, reexamining Aotearoa's most infamous cold case.
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