Escalator Press & Unity Books warmly invite you to a lunchtime author event with
Adrienne Jansen, in conversation with Brannavan Gnanalingam, to celebrate the launch of Adrienne’s new book 

A Change of Key

Thursday 11th October, 12-12:45pm
57 Willis St, Wellington

Join Adrienne and Brannavan as they discuss their recent publications and the representation of the migrant and refugee experience in New Zealand literature.

About A Change of Key:

Marko has come to the ends of the earth to escape a once illustrious past in Bulgaria. So why does a Polish bookstore owner call him a traitor? And who covertly photographed him for the newspaper? Someone knows who he is. They are trying to expose him in his new country, and there is nothing he can do to prevent it.

In A Change of Key, Adrienne explores themes of social change and a life spent in isolation from one’s culture. We follow the stories of Marko, a violinist in exile, and Stefan, a piano technician trying to rebuild his life.

‘This novel does that wonderful thing – it makes me care. I cared about what happened to these people. I loved their inventive and imaginative actions, and the music that binds them together … There’s a rich and embracing tenderness for the characters and their story.’ – Renée

About Adrienne:

Adrienne Jansen’s writing draws on years of experience of living and working among immigrants in New Zealand. She is the founder of the Porirua Language Project (now English Language Partners, one of the first and largest home tutoring programmes in New Zealand). Adrienne has written five novels and the widely read I Have in My Arms Both Ways. She wrote the text for The Crescent Moon: The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand (in collaboration with photographer Ans Westra) and co-authored Migrant Journeys: New Zealand Taxi Drivers Tell Their Stories and a collection of poetry, All of Us.

About Sodden Downstream:

Thousands flee central Wellington as a far too common ‘once in a century’ storm descends. Roads are closed and all rail is halted. For their own safety, city workers are told that they must go home early.
Sita is a Tamil Sri Lankan refugee living in the Hutt Valley. She’s just had a call from her boss. If she doesn’t get to her cleaning job in the city she’ll lose her contract.

About Brannavan:

Brannavan Gnanalingam is the author of five novels, including the 2017 awards longlisted A Briefcase, Two Pies and a Penthouse and his latest Sodden Downstream which was shortlisted for the 2018 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

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