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Are you a fan of great storytelling? The Ngaio Marsh Awards, in association with Wellington City Libraries, invites booklovers to a fascinating and fun evening of criminally good conversation at the new Te Matapihi Library featuring five terrific Kiwi writers.Two-time Ngaio Marsh Award winning author Jennifer Lane will chair fellow Ngaios winners Brannavan Gnanalingam (Best Novel for SPRIGS) and Claire Baylis (Best First Novel for DICE) along with Verb Festival founder and kids' author Claire Mabey, and debut novelist Jennifer Trevelyan for a thrilling korero about how they craft memorable characters and page-turning storylines, and infuse their tales with deep insights into people and society.
WHEN: Thursday 30 April 2026
WHERE: Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui | Central Library, 65 Victoria Street, Te Aro, Wellington
WHEN: 5.30pm
This is a free event.
Brannavan is a Wellington novelist, freelance writer, and property lawyer who was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Lower Hutt. He's written eight novels, been listed for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards three times, and won the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel for SPRIGS, which examined the aftermath of a brutal act of sexual violence. His latest novel is political satire THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF KARTIK POPAT, published in late 2024.
Claire M is a children's writer, books editor for The Spinoff, and founder of literary festival Verb Wellington. In 2020 Mabey received a Ghost Light Award at the Wellington Theatre Awards, and has been described as "a force of nature in the Wellington arts community". Her middle-grade novel THE RAVEN'S EYE RUNAWAYS won Best First Book at the 2025 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, among other accolades. The sequel, THE RAVEN'S EYE REBELLION will be published in April 2026.
Jennifer T has a background in photography and children's publishing, and is now a full-time writer living in Wellington, with her husband, son, daughter, dog and cat. When not at her writing desk Jennifer can be found in the garden. Her debut novel A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY became part of a bidding war by global publishers, and was published internationally in 2025.
Claire B is a Rotorua author and legal researcher who won 2024 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel for DICE, a courtroom drama written as part of her PhD in creative writing from the Institute of Modern Letters. Claire studied then lectured in law for 12 years before moving to Rotorua, where she's been a researcher for the Trans-Tasman Jury Study and set up a water safety programme focused on low-decile schools.
Jennifer L is a Wellington short story writer and novelist who was born in rural Australia but has now spent more of her life in Aotearoa. Her debut ALL OUR SECRETS won a Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel, and Jennifer also contributed to crime and thriller anthology DARK DEEDS DOWN UNDER 2. Her novel MIRACLE won the 2024 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Kids/YA.
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Event Venue
Wellington City Libraries, Public Library Building, 65 Victoria St, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, Wellington
Tickets
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