Leaving, on a jet plane...

Just about to head to the airport to board the big metal budgie to Christchurch (well, not so big metal budgie, given it's only a domestic flight) for The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2012.

It's terrific to see the Festival back up and running after a four-year, earthquake-caused absence. From what I've heard, the first two days have gone really well. I'm looking forward to the sessions I'm involved with today (eg "Fatal Attraction?" crime panel this afternoon, etc), as well as attending a couple of other intriguing sessions, and catching up with a whole lot of passionate, creative, inspiring book-loving people. Hopefully I will be swept up in the atmosphere too - it's been a very tiring week, with a whole lot of stuff on. I'm just hoping I don't forget anything or make a blunder during my chairing this afternoon, ha ha. Fingers crossed it all goes well. It should be fun, having a chat onstage to Michael Robotham, Julian Novitz, Ben Sanders and Paul Cleave about crime writing and our fascination with the darker side of fiction, and life.

Read more about the 2012 The Press Christchurch Writers Festival, and particularly the crime fiction-related events, here. Hope to see some of you New Zealand-based Crime Watch readers there over the next couple of days. Feel free to come up, say hi, and have a chat!