Michael Bennett In Conversation – Queenstown Writers Fest

Last year award-winning filmmaker Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) took the publishing world by storm with his début novel Better the Blood.

This stunning crime thriller has been released internationally and translated into nine languages, was an Amazon (USA) top ten book of the month and Oprah Daily (USA) pick of new-release crime novels, and has been long- and short-listed for fiction prizes around the globe.

The novel, which follows a Māori police detective as she hunts a serial killer, is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Described by Val McDermid as a "compelling, atmospheric page turner", it’s also an unflinching examination of the unhealed scars of colonisation.

Michael has borne witness to this bitter legacy himself in the institutional racism that helped put Teina Pora behind bars for 21 years for a crime he did not commit. He has recounted Teina’s story in his book and film In Dark Places; indeed his documentary film The Confessions of Prisoner T uncovered new evidence that led to the conviction being overturned.

We expect Michael’s conversation with Queenstown lawyer Bryony Shackell to be wide ranging: how the fight for justice for Teina Pora intersected with writing Better the Blood; understanding our fascination with true crime; and even, maybe, contemplating the existence of evil.

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.