The Marlborough Book Festival

Nici Wickes in conversation with Belinda Jackson

Nici's career reads like a dream come true and she admits to sometimes having to pinch herself. Restaurant reviewer, food writer, presenter for a TV food and travel show, and now cookbook author. Sharing her enthusiasm for cooking, eating, and travel, Nici lets us in on how she creates new recipes, how she got to star in her own TV cooking show, World Kitchen, and what it was like to get her dream job as food editor for the esteemed New Zealand Woman’s Weekly, only to see it fall away during Covid.

If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of making a food and travel show or how food writers and cookbook authors come up with new recipes all the time, then come along to hear Nici's tales of all. Her various roles have paved the way to her latest cookbooks, which feature delicious recipes, most serving one to two people households, alongside personal stories for living well alone. Nici talks about a career of food writing, the fun times she has experienced and the happy place she finds herself in today with Belinda Jackson during the 2024 Marlborough Book Festival.

Emily Perkins and Sue McCauley in conversation with Jane Forrest Waghorn

What would Briar Howland and Therese Thorne talk about if they shared a table in a Wellington cafe? The protagonists of Sue McCauley and Emily Perkins’ latest books have little in common on the surface, but both are tired of being manipulated and shoehorned into roles. Both are seeking freedom and belonging around genuine people. They are making decisions about how to go forward in their lives and relationships, choosing what to keep and what to let go. Sue and Emily talk with Jane about challenges, choices and consequences facing the two characters and, by extension, many other women of a certain age in contemporary New Zealand. This session was recorded during the 2024 Marlborough Book Festival.

Emily Perkins in conversation with Nikki Macdonald

Emily talks about her novel Lioness which won the big fiction prize of 2024, The Acorn Fiction Prize at the Ockham NZ Book Awards. Judges described the novel as “an incisive exploration of wealth, power, class, female rage, and the search for authenticity”. The main character, Therese, is in her early 50s and her life is unravelling; her wealthy husband is being investigated for fraud and she is fascinated by a new friend Claire who has cast aside family and societal expectations. Warmth and humour - including a chaotic party scene at a flash Marlborough Sounds holiday home - are used to explore questions we might have hoped feminism would have solved years ago and to examine tensions of class and wealth. Emily talks to Nikki about Therese's coming of (middle) age.

Fletcher McKenzie in conversation with Des Ashton

Fletcher McKenzie is an accomplished author and aviator, known for his engaging books on aviation, including From the Pilot’s Seat. He is a passionate entrepreneur and holds two national flying titles. Fletcher created the global television show FlightpathTV and operates an international aircraft sales and parts supply business. He has served on various aviation trusts and executive committees and has published seven books aimed at pilots, earning him recognition in aviation circles worldwide.

Join Fletcher as he delves into his latest book, From the Pilot’s Seat, featuring enthralling stories from New Zealand pilots. These tales span a range of flying situations, from every day flights to heart-stopping adventures. The book covers various flying eras and aircraft, from World War II to the present day, including accounts from one of the original Dambusters and a pilot who flew Sir Richard Branson's private jet. Stories involve gliders, fighter jets, private aircraft, top-dressing planes, helicopters, and military aircraft, including the iconic F-18 from Top Gun.

Rachael King in conversation with Jane Forrest Waghorn

What magic lies behind the crafting of spellbinding adventure stories with enduring appeal? Rachael’s new book is infused with her love of horses and long-lost words, with ancient Scottish myths, and Te Waipounamu landscapes. Join Rachael as she discusses The Grimmelings and reflects on other children's stories that are still great reads in adulthood. This session has been planned with an adult audience in mind, but young readers are welcome, accompanied by an adult.