Popular sampler session back showcasing local writers

The Queenstown Writers Festival is proud to be presenting six talented local writers and many creative contributors who will each bring their flavour to the 2024 event.

This year’s festival, held between October 31 and November 3, sees the return of The Sampler Session - a special performance of local writers.

Trustee Jen Smart introduced the session for the first time in 2023 and it was an immediate hit, with some moving and very personal writing shared.

"There's no shortage of writing talent in the Whakatipu but forums for sharing work at the local level are fairly limited.

“We love to see these writers connect with their future readers, but also with each other. Events like this help to strengthen our creative ecosystem."

This year we are pleased to introduce six new writers to our audience. They have each been asked to read from a published piece or a work in progress on a theme of “On Impulse”.

Their diverse works are expected to get hearts jumping and nerves jangling.

The 2024 Sampler Session writers are poet Jane Bloomfield, singer/songwriter Violet Hirst, restaurateur Darren Lovell, children’s author Margaret Amor, debut novelist Elizabeth Noel and new writer Alastair Thompson - more information on them all below.

The Sampler Session will run at the conclusion of the Queenstown Writers Festival, a celebration after more than 30 events over four days featuring 25 of New Zealand’s most accomplished and popular writers, based at Te Atamira.

Many of the writers sessions will be chaired by locals with Mountain Scene editor Tracey Roxburgh talking to Paddy Gower, performer Margaret O’Hanlon interviewing Jacqueline Bublitz about her new novel set in New York, teacher Angela Thompson chairing Gavin Bishop, and councillor Alexa Forbes speaking with kiwi icon Karyn Hay.

Crux managing editor Peter Newport sits on the media panel chaired by local Stuff journalist Debbie Jamieson, and the fabulous Remarkable Theatre will perform two one-act plays on Friday and Saturday night. 

Also returning to her roots is Dr Jacinta Ruru who grew up in Glenorchy and attended Wakatipu High School. She is now Otago University deputy vice-chancellor Māori and will chair a session with Dr Emma Wehipeihana.

The fabulous and very funny Emma Lange is returning to Queenstown Writers Festival as host of the festival’s Gala Opening, which will be officially opened by Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith and feature short readings from six of our visiting writers.

The Queenstown Writers Festival takes place from October 31 to November 3 (Image: File).

For aspiring writers we are thrilled to announce the return of the incredibly popular 48 Hour Writing Competition, again sponsored by Anna-Marie Chin Architects.

This year’s Open Category judge Pip Adam has set some innovative prompts that will be released on Friday, November 1, at 5pm.

The winner will collect $500 in cash and their story will be published in the summer issue of Wānaka’s own 1964.

To receive the prompts as soon as they are released and for full information see the festival website.

Rangatahi and Tamariki competitions for school-aged children are already open on the website, and due on the same weekend. Prizes include cash and book vouchers. The judges are Dominic Hoey and Kyle Mewburn. Entrants must live in Otago and Southland.

In other exciting festival news we are delighted to have received generous sponsorship from Craigs Investment Partners and a grant from the Mactodd Community Charitable Trust, enabling our small group of volunteers to deliver the best festival possible.

More information on supporting the festival is available on our website.

We want everyone to be able to attend this year’s festival and are grateful to well-known authors Gavin Bishop and Rachael King, who are offering free sessions at the Queenstown, Frankton and Wānaka libraries this year.

Entry to the Sampler Session is also free but space is limited for all sessions so please ensure you book your seat at this popular event via the Queenstown Writers Festival website. The writers will also be selling their books, or cassette tapes in Violet’s case.

For the complete Queenstown Writers Festival programme and full information on how to get involved, ticket sales and competitions, see the website qtwritersfestival.nz and follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Sampler Session Writers:

Poet Jane Bloomfield, who is well known as a children’s author but says she has become an accidental poet - for grownups.

Violet Hirst is a singer/songwriter born in Tāhuna and currently touring in the United States.

Well-known restaurateur Darren Lovell is currently writing a gay coming-of-age story set in Brisbane in 1985 against a backdrop of AIDS hysteria and illegal homosexuality.

Margaret Amor has self-published her first pukapuka for children, Poihau Whero - Red Balloon, written in te reo Māori and English and painted free hand.

Elizabeth Noel’s debut novel is an exploration of the home of her ancestors in Austria, during its interwar history and devastating collapse into Nazism.

Alastair Thompson has taken up writing in the twilight of middle age and has published Tales of the Pale Victor, alcohol-fuelled stories of an everyday bloke cruising Central Otago in the 1960s.

Main image (Supplied): Children's author turned poet Jane Bloomfield will join a line up of local talent in the Queenstown Writers Festival's sampler session, back by popular demand.