Elisabeth Easther shares advice for aspiring writers

Author Elisabeth Easther talked about her debut novel, Seed, and her participation in the upcoming Auckland Writers’ Festival.

Last night, she spoke with a small crowd at Tamaki Pataka Korero.

Her novel follows four women navigating pregnancy, the commodification of fertility, and what it means to get “seed”.

Many of the attendees are aspiring writers who made the journey to hear what advice Elisabeth Easther might have for them, and she had plenty.

“The best way for me to deal [with life] is to write about it,” she said, adding that giving up isn’t enough; people have to get up, exercise, and then they can write a bestseller.

Librarian Ineka Vogels said events like these offer a place to foster relationships between readers and writers within their own community.

Easther supports the community aspect, especially as this May will be here first-time attending   Auckland Writers’ Festival as an author.

The Auckland Writers’ Festival is one of many opportunities for aspiring writers and devoted readers to connect. The 2026 program includes discussions, workshops, and challenges for students and young writers to engage with literature.

The festival will be accepting submissions to their Young Authors’ Challenge from May 12 through to August 7, with first-place prizes for primary, intermediate and secondary students. In 2025, they received over 1,000 submissions, the highest volume to date.

According to a report on author discussions and literacy education by LitPlus, author discussions positively impact young adults.

The report found that connections between students, educators, and authors created a meaningful experience for everyone. Students were more likely to discuss future writing careers, brainstorm ideas for their own stories, and look forward to visiting their school libraries.

Easther was inspired to be a writer in childhood, as she grew up watching her mother work on a typewriter.

“I wanted to make stuff up,” said Easther. “There’s nothing to stop you from making up stories.”

This May, young students and writers attending the festival may have to keep an eye out for the Seed author, who’s happy to advise any listening ears.

*Our journalists sometimes use AI tools which are checked by humans for accuracy.

AI was used to transcribe audio from the interview.