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Celebrity authors booked for Norfolk Is. Festival

Published: Wed 19 Jul 2006 11:10 AM
Celebrity authors booked for Norfolk Is. Festival
Famous former songstress Helen Reddy and renowned Australian publisher and charity diva Ita Buttrose are just two of a stellar line-up of authors for this year’s Norfolk Island Spring Book Festival.
The seven-day festival in October has also attracted Australia’s best-known humorist Wendy Harmer and Vietnam veteran and author Gary McKay. There is also a ‘mystery presenter’.
Author and science commentator Karl Kruszelnicki alias ‘Dr Karl’ is also presenting an hilarious ‘comedy science’ show as a prologue to the book festival.
There is a conference format to the main book festival which begins on October 2 and runs until October 8.
Ita Buttrose opens the conference on the Monday talking about her latest book Motherguilt while Helen Reddy’s presentation follows the next day.
Reddy is well known for her self-penned hit song I am Woman, something of a women’s rights anthem nowadays. She has also written a best-selling memoir The Woman I Am in which she reveals details of her sometimes tragic life.
On the Wednesday Wendy Harmer, a veteran of the Endinburgh, Montreal and Glasgo-Mayfest festivals, talks about her hilarious book Farewell My Ovaries.
Gary McKay talks about his Vietnam Experiences books – he was horribly wounded only months into his posting ¬– on the Thursday. A Mystery Author session is scheduled for the Friday.
Interspersed with festival activities is a number of optional tours and visits that are in addition to the event fee.
While the festival is full of juicy festival-related activities, there’s also plenty of time set aside for browsing Norfolk Island’s many shops that offer lower than duty free prices on a range of quality goods, touring the beautiful sub-tropical island or simply taking some time out with a good book.
The Travel Centre on Norfolk Island is offering airfare and seven nights twin share accommodation and rental car packages from NZ$943 ex Auckland. Included are airfare taxes, return airport transfers on Norfolk and a half day island orientation tour.
Norfolk Island Spring Book Festival kit costs NZ$365 and includes entry to six presenter sessions, welcome and farewell dinners and a concert as well as the popular progressive dinner to Norfolk Island homes.
Bookings for the Book Festival package are to be made through the Travel Centre, email: rebecca@travelcentre.nf, freephone: 0800 0088 10, or for information visit www.travelcentre.nf/book_festival.htm.
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