Latest news with #WritersFestival
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Ghost stories and executions in Iceland — when Hannah Kent and Agnes Magnusdottir became entwined
Hannah Kent's arrival in Iceland as a high school exchange student in 2003 was a difficult one. On her first night in the country, she found herself stranded late at night at Keflavik Airport and desperately homesick. But within weeks, Iceland had begun to change young Hannah — its dramatic landscapes, extraordinary light and chilling ghost stories embedded themselves in Hannah's psyche. She became particularly entranced with the haunting story of accused murderer and domestic servant, Agnes Magnusdottir, who became the last person executed in Iceland. Hannah's later novel, Burial Rites, was inspired by Agnes' story and became a best-seller. But there were many unsolvable mysteries that lingered in her mind years after that book was released. Hannah returned to Iceland to find answers, and discovered her life was still entwined with Agnes in strange and eerie ways. Further information This episode of Conversations was recorded live at the 2025 Melbourne Writers Festival. Always Home, Always Homesick is published by Pan Macmillan
RNZ News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
From TV to the smartphone
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Artist and illustrator Alex Scott's debut graphic novel Episodes has a dedication: "For anyone who's ever fallen for the commercial." Yes, whether it's a catchy theme tune, witty meme, friendly protagonist or memorable refrain, you may find yourself falling in love with an advertisement, against your better judgement. It's a love that you can equally fall out of, and an overriding theme in Episodes where, over a series of short stories akin to short animations, a host of characters wrestle with the pervasion of advertising in their lives. It's everywhere in the novel: from character's screens to giant billboards on street corners. It even, surreally but true-to-life comes out of the mouths of people they meet. For regular readers of magazine the New Zealand Listener Scott's work will be familiar. For 10 years she has contributed smart witty, single panel cartoons to the early columnist pages of the likes of Steve Braunias and Charlotte Grimshaw. She is part of panel Writing Auckland at Auckland Writers Festival Sunday May 18.
