Finlay Wows Them
03/04/08
Finlay Macdonald chose to give a lecture based on an amalgam of his columns for the Sunday Star Times. He’s been described as “New Zealand’s premier journalist” and he was certainly being provocative in his talk, which drew parallels between the political hype around Barack Obama in the USA and that surrounding John Key in New Zealand.
He evidenced in his talk all the elements of what makes a good creative nonfiction writer. He used wit, sarcasm, irony, hyperbole and humour to good effect to keep the audience entertained and with him. These were the very characteristics that earlier, when speaking to a class of students in the creative nonfiction writing stream of the Master of Science Communication, he had urged them to apply to their writing.
The views expressed by Finlay are obviously his own – The Centre for Science Communication does not have any political views or leanings – but we welcome the opportunity to host exponents of creative ways to communicate nonfiction and factual subjects. And it was clear that the audience did too: feedback after Finlay’s talk has been marvellous. In short, he wowed them.
