Cristina Sanders In Conversation – Queenstown Writers Fest

Hawke’s Bay writer Cristina Sanders’s latest novel, Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant, takes readers on a wild ride of sailing, shipwreck and desert island intrigue.

The Ockham NZ Book Awards finalist is a vivid retelling of the mysterious true story of the last voyage of the General Grant. It’s 1866 and the three-masted sailing ship is taking the southern route from Melbourne to London, with miners and gold from the Australian diggings on board. The ship strikes the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands and is wrecked. What will it take for those who manage to make it to shore to survive? Can they make their escape? And just how much gold really went down with the ship?

Cristina’s writing is impeccably researched and peopled by complex characters. Dramatic and well paced, Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant is alive with rich descriptions of sea, land and weather, and offers insight into the physical and psychological effects of being stranded in a bleakly inhospitable environment.

We’re delighted to pair Cristina in conversation with Wānaka adventurer Bill Day, who over the last 35 years has made five voyages to the Auckland Islands to try to recover the General Grant and its treasure. Journalist Debbie Jamieson will facilitate.

Queenstown Writers Festival (11 & 12 November 2023) brings together writers from across Aotearoa to discuss bold ideas and their latest literary work. This year's programme circles around the mysterious and morbid, and turns over the deeply personal act of memoir writing. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of these conversations.