Crimewriting Conversation Coming To Bay Of Islands

23 April, 2025

Kerikeri is hosting an evening of conversations with crime writers on Wednesday May 7 -- the first event of its kind in Northland’s top half.

Celebrating the annual Ngaio Marsh Awards for the best in Kiwi crime writing, this year’s ‘Villainy by the Vines’ author panel features true crime writer Angus Gillies, who wrote the books of the TV series ‘Far North.’ Alongside Gillies is bestselling detective fiction author Catherine Lea, novelist and poet KV (Kim) Martins, and the event is chaired by Michael Botur, award-winning author of new Northland crime novel Glass Barbie.

As part of 30 ‘Mystery in the Library’ events taking place nationwide, the Northland writers will spend 90 minutes discussing the art and craft of storytelling, creating criminal characters, what drew each of them to crime and mystery writing, with plenty of riveting tales about crooks, cops, lawyers and literature.

The free event takes place Wednesday May 7 at the Procter Library in Kerikeri at 6pm. RSVPs on the Far North Libraries website are essential.

The authors will all have their books for sale and are available to give creative writing advice to aspiring authors.

Angus Gillies is author of the ‘Ruatoria Killings’ series of non-fiction investigations. He has worked as a journalist and producer at TV3 for 20 years, and has written biographies of sports stars Matthew Ridge, Adam Parore, Justin Marshall, and entertainer John Rowles. Most recently, Angus co-wrote FAR NORTH, an extraordinary true crime tale also made into a six-part TV series starring Robyn Malcolm and Temuera Morrison.

Catherine Lea is a Kerikeri author of the DI Nyree Bradshaw series, among other

series and standalone thrillers. Her latest Nyree Bradshaw mystery is BETTER LEFT DEAD.

KV (Kim) Martins is a prolific storyteller of Gothic, historical, and crime fiction. Originally from Sydney, she now lives in the Far North. KV Martins offers readers a unique and thrilling perspective on stories that simmer with suspense and the allure of an Agatha Christie or a detective noir tale. Her latest crime novel is EVERYTHING TO HIDE, set in 1930s Sydney

Michael Botur is a poet and author whose short stories have won awards in New Zealand, Australia and the US. Takahe magazine described him as "a writer considered one of the most original story writers of his generation in New Zealand". His story "The Flemish Bond" was part of the acclaimed DARK DEEDS DOWN UNDER 2 anthology of trans-Tasman crime writers. Michael's new crime novel is GLASS BARBIE, a drug-fuelled black comedy buddy cop road trip from Whangarei to Kaitaia to the Bay to try solve a complicated kidnapping.

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