In one of the first Christchurch City Libraries events for New Zealand Book Month, Bruce Ansley will be at South Libary at 2 pm on Sunday the 4th of March.
I always think of Ansley as a Christchurch writer, probably because of his outstanding book about growing up in New Brighton, and because I read him for years in The Star as he managed that most difficult of journalistic gigs, the regular column. He was also part of the Christchurch talent producing those fondly remembered TV shows, A Week of It and McPhail and Gadsby.
Ansley’s latest book is Christchurch Heritage, a beautiful commemorative work on buildings that were lost and damaged in the earthquakes, but Christchurch isn’t his only subject. He also wrote for The Listener for years, and has written other works of non-fiction on undercover police work, and on his year cruising the canals of France.
In a long and distinguised writing career Ansley has ranged widely over subjects and styles, but stories are the basis for all of his work; I’m looking forward to hearing him tell a few on Sunday. Why not join me?