Tickets to the June 3-6 Escape! festival in Tauranga have gone on sale today. Highlights include : Former New Zealander of the Year Dame Anne Salmond, an historian and anthropologist (June 5); Dr Siouxsie Wiles, head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland and an award-winning science communicator (June 3 and June 5); Steve Braunias discussing his latest book, Scene of the Crime, with Paul Mabey, QC, veteran defence lawyer. Award-winning writer Greg McGee discussing his latest novel, The Antipodeans; and a panel discussion on the state of New Zealand society featuring business commentator Rod Oram, Tauranga Moana iwi leader Awanui Black, former Cabinet minister Margaret Wilson and Generation Z co-creator Charlie McDermott. The festival also offers a children’s art workshop with award-winning author and illustrator Donovan Bixley ( June 4) A cooking demonstration by Peter Gordon (June 4) A travel writing workshop with Steve Brau...

  The full programme for this year’s Escape! festival in Tauranga, New Zealand, is being launched on April 27, although tickets to three shows – two of them with a food theme – go on general sale tomorrow ( April 19 )   “We are breaking with tradition by putting tickets on general sale before the programme launch,” Escape! director Claire Mabey says, “but we know these performances will create a buzz and decided to help people plan their long weekend by opening sales on Tuesday, April 19.”   The books-focused festival, under the umbrella of the biennial Tauranga Arts Festival, takes place from June 3-6 (Queen’s Birthday weekend). Peter Gordon, whose new book Savour is published on May 2, will be in conversation with Jesse Mulligan, restaurant reviewer for Viva ( NZ Herald ) and Afternoons host on Radio NZ, on Saturday, June 4. The Whanganui-born chef – who created his first cookbook aged 4 –   owns two restaurants each in London and A...