In a first for Taranaki, the Ngaio Marsh Awards and Stratford Library invite book lovers to a thrilling evening of criminally good conversation with three talented kiwi storytellers on Wednesday 25 June, 6pm to 7.30pm.

Ngaio Marsh Awards winner and New Plymouth novelist Jacqueline Bublitz is joined by fellow award-winning Taranaki author Steph Matuku (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Te Atiawa), and Melbourne-based sports columnist turned debut author Geoff Parkes (originally from King Country), to discuss creating memorable characters and page-turning stories, the impact of people and place, and what inspires them as writers.

This mid-winter mystery meeting is a free event, but registrations are required as numbers are limited.

To RSVP visit Stratford.govt.nz/Mystery for the online registration form, email library@stratford.govt.nz or phone 06 765 5403.

Stratford Library and Visitor Information Centre Team Leader, Bridget Roper is excited to have the opportunity to bring these talented voices together at Stratford Library.

“We have such a vibrant community of keen readers here, and we jumped at the chance to bring some authors in to inspire both readers and aspiring writers in our district,” says Bridget.

“These events don’t come around too often, and we’re extremely grateful to Ngaio Marsh Awards for helping us to deliver the event free of charge.”

“A cosy night in at the Library listening to some literary legends – what more could you want!” says Bridget.

About Ngaio Marsh Awards:

This year is the 15th anniversary season of the Ngaio Marsh Awards. The Ngaio Marsh Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand to recognise excellence in crime fiction, mystery, and thriller writing. The Awards were established by journalist and legal editor Craig Sisterson in 2010, and are named after Dame Ngaio Marsh, one of the four Queens of Crime of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

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