Lawrence & Gibson Turns 21

## Event description Twenty-one years of independent publishing calls for a proper party! Wellington’s wonderfully unconventional publishing collective Lawrence & Gibson is celebrating its 21st birthday, and you’re invited. Expect entertaining tales, behind-the-scenes secrets and a few celebratory drinks as writers share stories from the world of L&G. Bring along any Lawrence & Gibson book for free entry, and join host Heleyni Pratley for a birthday bash celebrating two decades of independent publishing, bold ideas and distinctive Aotearoa writing. Featured speakers: Brannavan Gnanalingam (U.X.O.), Murdoch Stephens (Pākehā Metaphysics), Tīhema Baker (One Day a Taniwha, Turncoat) and Rhydian Thomas (Milk Island). Accessibility: Please note that the venue is not wheelchair accessible. About the authors and host Brannavan Gnanalingam - A Sri Lankan-Tamil New Zealand novelist and practising lawyer based in Wellington. His acclaimed novels include Sprigs, which won the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, and Sodden Downstream. His ninth novel, U.X.O., explores accountability for wartime atrocities and the legacy of Sri Lanka's civil war. Murdoch Stephens - Writer, researcher and founding editor of Lawrence & Gibson. Alongside his fiction, including Down from Upland and Rat King Landlord, he is known for his refugee advocacy and campaign to double New Zealand's refugee quota. His book Pākehā Metaphysics turns a thoughtful and often witty eye towards Pākehā identity and belonging in Aotearoa. Tīhema Baker - Māori writer and Tiriti-based policy adviser from Ōtaki, of Raukawa te Au ki te Tonga, Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai and Ngāti Toa Rangatira descent. His satirical science-fiction novel Turncoat examines colonisation and the experiences of Māori public servants. His novel One Day a Taniwha explores fatherhood, mental health and the unsettling boundary between dreams and reality. Rhydian Thomas - Welsh-born writer and musician now living in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. His writing has appeared in literary publications including The Pantograph Punch, Sport, Hue and Cry and Turbine. His novel Milk Island offers a darkly satirical vision of a dystopian New Zealand, mixing politics, media, tourism and social commentary. Heleyni Pratley (Host) - A Wellington-based Aotearoa/Greek conceptual artist whose practice spans video, drawing, painting, sculpture and performance. Her work explores the systems that shape society and influence what we value.