Author Tessa Duder began her adult life as a representative swimmer, winning a silver medal at the 1958 Cardiff Empire Games in the 110 yards butterfly. This incredible achievement would inspire the Alex Quartet, for which she is probably best known. Loved by generations of teenagers, and garnering Duder three New Zealand Children’s Book of the Year awards and three Esther Glen medals, it was adapted in a 1993 movie and has just been re-published in one volume. The acclaimed author of more than 45 books for adults and children, Tessa Duder’s non-fiction has covered such diverse subjects as James Cook’s cartography, early Auckland settler Sarah Mathew and the first Olympics. Her many accolades include the 2020 Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement, the 2021-2022 NZ Society of Author’s Presidency of Honour, the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship, an Artists to Antarctica Fellowship and the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, as well as OBE and CNZM honours and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waikato. She has been a tireless champion of other writers through her work with Storylines Children’s Literature Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa, The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), and the New Zealand Society of Authors. To close the Festival, Duder joins Carole Beu on stage in a free session to celebrate her writing and the immense contribution she has made to the literary landscape.

Supported by The Stout Trust, proudly managed by Perpetual Guardian.