All books have a story to tell – but it’s not just the story between the pages. It’s an origin story, as well: the story of their creation. In this talk, local author David Briggs digs into his own experience to explore the questions of where stories come from, how they evolve, and the intimate yet paradoxical relationship that develops between the writer and the characters that inhabit his fictional worlds.

David Briggs grew up and spent most of his working life in England, though with stints of work overseas. As an academic, he lectured and researched in geography, environmental science and epidemiology and published widely, with over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and a dozen or more books. In 1991 he wrote his first novel, which was short-listed for the national Constable Trophy, but never taken to publication. In 2009, he took early retirement and moved to New Zealand, and ultimately to Mapua, where he and his wife and their two dogs now live. Since then he’s continued to do research as part of a project on the impacts of global warming, but has also turned to creative writing and has now published five novels and a collection of poetry. The Claim (published by RedDoor Press in 2019), was shortlisted for the NZ Booklovers Award and long-listed fo