Below are the sessions I'm really looking forward to attending at this month's WORD Christchurch festival.
Unpopular Opinions: Ink and Innovation, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, TSB Space/Tautoru, Tūranga
Fancy an opportunity to break out of your algorithm-based information bubble?
I am a huge fan of public debate and giving people space to hear attitudes that may challenge their opinions, so this event really piqued my interest. What do you get if you put a group of people with varied artistic backgrounds on stage with a time limit and a hugely debatable topic? I can’t wait to find out.
The question up for debate: how is the rapid growth of technology impacting creativity and the written word?
This event features an assortment of artists and media specialists including Kia Sullivan, Lizzie Davidson (writer and content specialist) and Joanna Preston (award winning poet).
One thing is certain; you will be encouraged to make your feelings known. So, bring your shouts and hollers as you prepare to hear some strongly held opinions that you will either wholeheartedly support, or vehemently disagree with. Things are going to get real!
Strong Female Characters: Christine Jeffs and Emily Perkins, 2pm to 3pm Saturday 31 August, The Piano
Two wonderful examples of established successful female artists talking about not only being but also creating strong female characters? Sign me up!
This event was initially meant to feature Robyn Malcolm who unfortunately can no longer make it but I expect Christine Jeffs will very ably step into the breach, as she has written and directed multiple films with strong female leads, often adapted from books. She has adapted novels by Kirsty Gunn and Carl Shuker and her films have been selected for the New Zealand International Film Festival and the Cannes film festival. In short: she knows her way around what it takes to be a strong female both in front and behind the camera.
Emily Perkins is a well-established New Zealand writer and won the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for her novel Lioness. The Lioness is a female led story about questioning your lifestyle, making choices and finding your strength and courage.
These two women create, write about and emulate strong female characters. So, I think it's fair to say they are both strong females themselves. I am so excited to hear them talk about their own experiences and discuss how and where they find their own strength.
Sarah, Reading Advisor
Tūranga
More WORD Christchurch
Make your own picks of the festival - check the programme online online or picking up a printed copy from your library.
- WORD Christchurch website
- Follow WORD Christchurch on Instagram, Facebook and X FKA Twitter
- Our WORD Christchurch 2024 page - Find books by writers coming to this year's festival
Add a comment to: Sarah’s picks of WORD Christchurch 2024: Strong opinions and strong female characters