I'm really looking forward to hearing what these two authors have to say. WORD Christchurch's blurb for this event describes these authors' latest books as "thoughtful novels that aren’t shouty but pack a powerful punch."
I have to agree. My impressions from reading Delirious and At the Grand Glacier Hotel were that these novels gently ebb and flow - like life - like water - with hilarious moments, raw vulnerability and poignance.
Delirious takes stock of the characters' lives as they approach their twilight years in a retirement home, while At the Grand Glacier Hotel ponders the main character's recovery from cancer surgery, delightfully marooned at her hotel by a landslide. Both are shining examples of the incredible quality of writers from Aotearoa.
Damien Wilkins' Delirious won the 2025 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. In Delirious Wilkins observes how Mary and Peter, facing the dreaded downsizing of their lives into a tiny unit in a retirement village, take stock of their lives, loves and losses. Delirious is both surprisingly funny and moving. Readers will find many moments that resonate. It's a book you can't put down, drawn into the past, present and possible future that comes to us all, if we're lucky. Will we be able to navigate this stage of life, can we put the past to rest, will we inherit the same health as our parents?
Laurence Fearnley's At The Grand Glacier Hotel was shortlisted for the Jann Medlicott prize this year. I found myself lost in this gentle, charming story of a woman's recovery from cancer surgery, holidaying at a hotel deep in the bush and mountains of the South Island.
Reminiscent of Katherine Mansfield's The Man Without a Temperament, Libby is marooned at the hotel after a storm closes the roads. She makes the most of the idyllic surroundings and inclement weather, finding peace in the setting with its native birds and friendship in the locals as she emerges back into a 'normal' life. It's funny in parts, with beautiful descriptive passages.
Don't miss out on hearing how these authors convey the gentle, satisfying and humourous feelings in their stories. Damien Wilkins and Laurence Fearnley will be appearing at Tautoru / TSB Space, TSB Space, Tūranga on Saturday 30 August 2.3opm to 3.30pm. Book your tickets now.
The Tūranga Table
Looking for a good read? Come and talk to the experts at the Tūranga Table during WORD Christchurch Festival.
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WORD Christchurch
Make your own picks of the festival - check the programme online or pick up a printed copy from your library.
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- Our WORD Christchurch 2025 page - Find books by writers coming to this year's festival
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