The audience swelled as drum players on video from Rabual, Papua New Guinea, welcomed them in. Their traditional message was “Gather around. There’s trouble ahead.”
I was solo with a slide show, four excerpts from my novel read by Daphne Stitt and an interview I had recorded in Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, with Albert Konie. He is an expert guide on World War II sites and an initiate into the secret Tubuan Society. The garamut players were Francis Toia and Francis Totu, the players on my book trailer, who are hired for Rabaul’s major festivals.
The audience questions were great and 20 books flew into audience hands. I am deeply grateful to Chester Village for giving me the chance to share my love of the material in the novel. And for the superb hors d’oevres!
