Words on the Wind - NZ Book Month Event

We're half way through NZ Book Month and the Auckland version of "Words on the Wind" has been and gone.

I really enjoyed taking part in this fun event out at Mangere Bridge Library, celebrating locally written speculative fiction.

Surrounded by welcoming books and plied with crackers, cheese and drinky nibbly things of various varieties, the audience listened to snippets of fiction read aloud by the authors, then asked whatever questions came to mind.

I read sections from two of my short stories: "The Interview", about the decline of a modern day super hero, and "Wearing the Star Cloak", winner of last year's SpecFicNZ/Wily Writers competition.

Grant Stone, Elaine King, Grace Bridges, and Lila Richards also read some of their work.  

It was great to hear the stories and also to have the unusual experience of a live audience for my work.  It's rare that I get to see the reaction of strangers live in real time!  I had a few full copies available of "Wearing the Star Cloak" and was thrilled to see they were all gone by the end of the night.  I can see I'll be one of these authors who hangs around in book stores waiting to see someone purchase my novel once it's published!

I'd like to say a big thank you to Mary Jones, not only an excellent writer herself, but organiser extraordinaire in putting this event together.  And also thank you to the staff at Mangere Bridge Library for their hospitality.

For more NZ Book Month Events, check out their website.