Warm your soul at the second annual Winter Readers and Writers Festival with two Sundays' worth of story-telling and author commentary on the best of New Zealand literature, in the heart of Auckland's West Coast.

On July 1, feisty Westie Tina Grenville will wow the audience with tales from her life of seventy-odd years, filled with harrowing trauma, breathtaking tribulations, fame, fortune and the odd gentleman caller, as interviewed by Metro magazine's Simon Wilson.

Guests will also get to hear her read excerpts from hernewest book A Life In Three Acts. 

Then Greg McGee, sports writer and playwright, will discuss the path of his life after writing his breakout play Foreskin's Lament and perform readings from his new book Love And Money.

The second session on August 5 will showcase the work of two of the country's most famous artists.

Dick Frizzel will take the stage first, talking about talking about his life spent as a creative voice in both advertising and in popular art, and his new book How to Look at Paintings. 

Frizzel is a witty and entertaining speaker, as well as an iconic Kiwi artist, and should provide some interesting insights and more than a few laughs.

The second half of the program will feature an amazing performance by the extraordinary talented John Yelish.

He has toured his performance piece Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner for 30 years and has said that this Sunday's will be his last. Backed by Maori musicians on traditional instruments including bone flutes, this will be a stunning experience and one not to be missed.

 
Both sessions will feature the Piha String Trio playing before the readers, with Piha's famous Surf Club providing the backdrop and Piha's library staff the tasty afternoon teas.

Festival organiser and Karekare local Bob Harvey described the pair of sessions as "a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon on Auckland's wild west coast".

Tickets are $20 and available at the Piha Cafe or at the Surf Club on the day.  All performances commence at 2.00pm. 

For further information please call Bob Harvey on 021 986 107 or Lynne Thrive, Chair of the Piha Library Trust on 021 332 120.

- © Fairfax NZ News