Cristina Sanders
Cristina Sanders is a historical novelist whose latest novel Mrs Jewell and the wreck of the General Grant was shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Her novels, Jerningham and Displaced, were shortlisted for the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Heritage Literary Awards. Displaced won the 2020 Storylines Tessa Duder Award. Cristina is a book reviewer, trail runner and sailor, who grew up in a Wellington bookshop and now lives in Hawke’s Bay.
2023 festival sessions
Mrs Jewell and the wreck of the General Grant
Cristina Sanders in conversation with Mike White
Mrs Jewell and the wreck of the General Grant is a vivid imagining of the story behind the southern hemisphere's most famous shipwreck. The gold-laden General Grant struck the Auckland Islands in 1866, with just 14 men and a single woman making it to shore. The mystery of what happened to the ship has attracted treasure hunters and adventurers ever since, and fascinated author Cristina Sanders and interviewer, journalist Mike White.
Coming of Age
Cristina Sanders and Eileen Merriman in conversation with Tania Miller
Some of the world’s most exciting stories are those that catapult young people out of their everyday lives and make them grow up, often suddenly and fast. Award-winning authors Cristina Sanders and Eileen Merriman discuss their YA books and reflect on the nature of the coming-of-age experience, how their characters transform, and how the authors craft authentic stories that ring true for today’s audiences. A session for teen and adult readers alike.