Join award-winning authors Charlotte Grimshaw and Paula Morris (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Manuhiri) as they pull back the veil and shine the light on Grimshaw's enigmatic new novel, The Black Monk.
This intriguing work of metafiction is a companion piece to Grimshaw's best-selling 2021 memoir, The Mirror Book, which traces writer Alice Lidell as she faces her brother's advancing addiction while trying to make sense of her own role within her family and within a world at war with itself.
Described as part psychological thriller, part family saga, The Black Monk explores the shifting sands of domestic and global power dynamics, shame and denial, and the truths and tales we tell ourselves. Do not miss this opportunity to hear two of Aotearoa's finest writers in conversation.
About the book:
The Black Monk by Charlotte Grimshaw - Alice Lidell is haunted by her brother’s decline and a shadowy figure called the Black Monk. As past and present blur, she confronts family secrets, shame and the stories that keep her alive.
About the author and chair:
Charlotte Grimshaw is the author of 11 critically acclaimed books to date, encompassing novels, short stories and memoir.
She is a winner of the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award. Her story collection Opportunity was shortlisted for the prestigious Frank O’Connor International Prize, and Opportunity won New Zealand’s premier Montana Award for Fiction, along with the Montana Medal for Book of the Year. She was also the Montana Book Reviewer of the Year. Her story collection Singularity was shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Prize and the Asia Pacific Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Her novel, The Night Book, was a finalist for the New Zealand Post Award. Grimshaw’s fifth novel, Soon, a bestseller in New Zealand, was published by Jonathan Cape in the UK and by Anansi in Canada and the United States. These two novels were made into a TV series, The Bad Seed, which screened on TV One in 2019. Her novel Mazarine was longlisted for the 2019 Ockham Book Awards. In 2021 she published her bestselling memoir The Mirror Book, which was shortlisted for the Ockhams New Zealand Book Awards.
Paula Morris MNZM (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Manuhiri) is an award-winning fiction writer and essayist, and editor of the anthology Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories (2023). She teaches creative writing at the University of Auckland and edits the Aotearoa NZ Review of Books.
Book signing and sales at the event:
Borrow a Bestie or buy your own copy on the day with sales provided by The Women's Bookshop. EFTPOS, credit card and cash payments accepted. No surcharge on Paywave.
Charlotte and Paula look forward to meeting everyone after the event - come up to get a book signed or just to say kia ora.
Parking:
Limited library car parking. Please check with staff as to the closest streets suitable for parking, as Grey Lynn has a residents-only parking zone on many streets.
Public transport:
Closest bus stops are Stop 8110 and 8111. Bus routes 11T, 11W and 18. See AT's Journey Planner for route details.
Accessibility:
Front row will be reserved for people with hard of hearing and/or wheelchair users. Please let our team know at the ticket check and we will take you to the seats.
Accessible toilet, entrance ramp and wheelchair access. No wheelchair access to the stage area.
This event is presented by Auckland Council Libraries as part of We Read Auckland / Ka Pānui Tātou i Tāmaki Makaurau.