British Council New Zealand and the Pacific is proud to support acclaimed UK author Josh Silver’s return to New Zealand for an evening with VERB Wellington on Thursday 22 October.
Josh will discuss his new novel, Fruit Fly, in conversation with curator and writer Tendai Mutambu. The book explores ambition, identity and the ethics of telling other people’s stories. Since its release earlier this year, Fruit Fly has climbed bestseller lists internationally and been optioned for a TV series.
Josh grew up on a farm in the Lake District before his family moved to Manchester, the city he still calls home. He trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and performed in the West End and on Broadway before changing careers. Before becoming a full time author he worked with young people as a mental health nurse.
His debut, HappyHead, was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. His YA thriller Traumaland follows a teenager who joins an underground club offering virtual-reality simulations of nightmarish scenarios.
In May, British Council New Zealand and the Pacific also supported Josh at Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki 2026, where he appeared at five events, including two sold-out Schools Programme sessions. Out of more than 220 writers from around the world, he was the Festival’s highest selling author. Josh won many new fans in Auckland, and this Wellington event brings his work to an even wider audience.
British Council works to connect people in the UK and New Zealand through literature and the arts, introducing New Zealand readers to exciting UK voices and building relationships between creative communities in both countries.
Event details:
Date: Thursday 22 October 2026
Time: 6pm to 7pm
Venue: The Hannah, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington
Presented by VERB Wellington, with support from British Council New Zealand and the Pacific