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Please note: Going West aims to deliver this
programme in full and on time. However minor changes may
occur due to events beyond our control.
This year's theme, 'By Buy Bye the Book' is a tad tongue in
cheek, but nevertheless leads us and our speakers down some
interesting byways. It also provides a lot of latitude and
the diversity of this year's programme reflects that. It is
a huge honour to host the world premier of North:South
especially as it engages Glen Colquhoun whose relationship
with Going West goes back to the very early days when he sat
in the audience and was inspired by literary luminaries such
as JK Sturm.
This is but one of a raft of exciting sessions and speakers
ranging from the wonderful Dame Anne Salmond to a nostalgic
revisiting of From Scratch and the anti-nuclear movement.
Going West, as the only literary festival in New Zealand to
focus exclusively on our own writers and wordsmiths, faces
an uncertain future. Whether it will survive the transition
to a new super city is unknown. We can only hope that its
track record will speak for it.
The invitation to Te Radar to deliver our keynote address
was inspired, not by his undoubted reputation as one of our
top comedians, but by his thought-provoking commentary on
matters cultural. He will, however, amuse on Saturday night
with his own show, Te Radar's EATING THE DOG.
I salute the Going West Trust. This great band of passionate
book lovers is so much more than a funding arm. Their
engagement with the programme and their advice and support
is now key to our planning and may well be the salvation of
Going West in future years.
Our major funders; Waitakere City Council, Creative New
Zealand and the Portage and Waitakere Licensing Trusts have
been the backbone of the festival for many years. Of special
note, however, is the founding sponsorship from Graeme
Douglas of Douglas Pharmaceuticals. The constancy of his
support is deeply appreciated.
Our other sponsors are represented in this programme. They
form a tapestry of support which is key to our success and
we thank them for that. Artisan Wines plays a part in this
with generous sponsorship of fines wines from Oratia.
Murray Gray is now in his fourteenth year of Programme
Director for Going West, the festival he generated out of a
whim to reprise Maurice Gee's train ride from Henderson to
Auckland. He is now joined by Nicola Strawbridge as
Associate Programmer and Anna Fomison as Project
Coordinator. They are backed by the Public Affairs team at
council.
Our community events, notably the family Storyfest and
Wordsmiths, our touring programme to Waitakere schools, are
managed by arts coordinator Julie Nash; while WordUp, for 13
to 18 year olds is delivered by the Corban Estate Arts
Centre in partnership with Zeal.
Our publicity requires someone with a passion for the
festival and that role is well served by Sally Woodfield of
SWPR; matched by the equally dedicated Jared Kahi who
designs and creates the look and feel of our visual
marketing.
The Going West archive of broadcast quality recordings of
'every word spoken' since that first festival in 1996 is now
in the safe hands of our Special Collections staff at the
Waitakere Central Library. This treasure trove is a
permanent record of some of the most magical and inspiring
moments in Going West history and is of national
significance. It has been well-served by Davyd Hodge who saw
the value of high quality recording before we did and has
continued to maintain that level of excellence over the
years.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge Anne Fitisemanu who,
with her extended family has catered for Going West for all
of these years and helped create the sense that we are all
gathering in an expanded living room for a weekend of
literary delights.
This is our formula; to create a weekend which is focussed
on wonderful content served up with warmth, intimacy and a
style which is uniquely 'of the west'!
Those of you who are our regulars will know what I mean. If
you haven't experienced Going West before, we welcome you to
come and share the delight of great Kiwi writers and
thinkers brought to you in the creative heart of the ranges
- Titirangi.
