Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki is the largest annual

literary festival A literary festival, also known as a book festival or writers' festival, is a regular gathering of writers and readers, typically on an annual basis in a particular city. A literary festival usually features a variety of presentations and readings ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

since 1999. It has about 200 public events each year featuring local and international writers as guests.

History and staff

The inaugural festival was in May 1999. Founding trustees were writers Stephanie Johnson and the late Peter Wells (1950–2019). Since 2008 the festival has been a registered charitable trust under the name Auckland Writers & Readers Festival Charitable Trust. The trusts purpose is that it celebrates the work of writers, promotes literacy, a positive public profile for New Zealand writers, ideas and intellectual debate, literature which supports and reflects the partnership ideal of the Treaty of Waitangi, and encourages international understanding. By 2018 it was being described as the 'largest literary showcase in New Zealand'. Anne O'Brien joined the festival in 2011 as director. In 2012 there were four core members and the General Manager was Anne Rodda. The current team include Anne O'Brien, Festival Director (Kaiurungi); Lisa Morton, Business Manager (Kaiwhakahaere Pakihi); and Bridget van der Zijpp, Programme Manager (Kaiwhakahaere Hōtaka).

2018 Auckland Writers Festival

Over 75,000 people attended this festival. There were events featuring Jeff Tweedy,

Kate Raworth Kate Raworth (born 13 December 1970) is an English economist known for " doughnut economics", an economic model that balances between essential human needs and planetary boundaries. Raworth is senior associate at Oxford University’s Environment ...

Antony Beevor Sir Antony James Beevor, (born 14 December 1946) is a British military historian. He has published several popular historical works, mainly on the Second World War, the Spanish Civil War, and most recently the Russian Revolution and Civil War. ...

, and

John Boyne John Boyne (born 30 April 1971) is an Irish author, novelist, and writer. He is the author of sixteen novels for adults, six novels for younger readers, two novellas, and one collection of short stories. Boyne's historical novel '' The Boy in ...

. Another part of the programme was ''The New 90,'' talking with writer Renee Hollis who interviewed 120 New Zealanders over 100 years old for ''Keepers of History''. The Festival Gala Night – True Stories Told Live: Under Cover event gets writers in seven minutes to deliver a 'true story without scripts or props' in 2018 this featured people from England, Ireland, India, South Africa, the US, and

including Susie Boyt,

Lisa Dwan Lisa Dwan is an Irish actress. She is best known for her work in theatre, performing in Samuel Beckett adaptations among other works. She began her career in the Fox Kids series '' Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog'' (1998–1999). More recently, she ...

Gigi Fenster Giovanna (Gigi) Fenster (born 1963/64) is a South African-born New Zealand author, creative writing teacher, and law lecturer. Life Fenster was born in South Africa to a Jewish family. Her father was a psychiatrist. One of five children, she ...

(South Africa/NZ),

Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book creator, comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which ...

, Damon Salesa, Tom Scott,

Shashi Tharoor Shashi Tharoor (; born 9 March 1956) is an Indian politician, author, and former diplomat, who has been serving as Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, since 2009. He is currently the Chairman of Committee on External Affairs. ...

, and Jenny Zhang. in 2018 the Festival established the Mātātuhi Foundation, which provides grants to support and promote New Zealand writers and literacy.

2019 Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki

The festival received a

Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...

name in 2019, ''Waituhi o Tāmaki'', the meaning relates to water ''wai'', 'waiata meaning song-poem or reflecting water' and writing ''tuhi''. ''

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

'' is the full Māori name for Auckland. The festival had a first-ever session in Māori language that featured

Tīmoti Kāretu Sir Tīmoti Samuel Kāretu (born 29 April 1937) is a New Zealand academic of Māori language and performing arts. He served as the inaugural head of the Department of Māori at the University of Waikato, and rose to the rank of professor. He wa ...

. The dates for this festival were 13 to 19 May, and featured 230 writers. International writers included English

Kamila Shamsie Kamila Shamsie (; born 13 August 1973) is a Pakistani and British writer and novelist who is best known for her award-winning novel '' Home Fire'' (2017). Named on ''Granta'' magazine's list of 20 best young British writers, Shamsie has been d ...

, American

Andrew Sean Greer Andrew Sean Greer (born November 21, 1970) is an American novelist and short story writer. Greer received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel ''Less (novel), Less''. He is the author of ''The Story of a Marriage'', which ''The New ...

, and South African

Sisonke Msimang Sisonke Msimang is a South African-Australian writer, activist and political analyst based in Perth, Western Australia, whose focus is on race, gender, and politics. She is known for her memoir ''Always Another Country: A memoir of exile and ho ...

. Musicians appearing at the festival included

Jeff Tweedy Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American musician, singer songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, began his music care ...

, from

Wilco Wilco is an American Rock music, rock band based in Chicago. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo after singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its fir ...

Shayne Carter Shayne P. Carter is a New Zealand musician best known for leading Straitjacket Fits from 1986 to 1994, and as the only permanent member of Dimmer (1995–2012). Carter is a member of the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, and has been awarded the ...

from

Straitjacket Fits Straitjacket Fits were a four-piece alternative indie rock band that formed in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1986 and broke up in 1994. They released three studio albums, ''Hail'' (1988), '' Melt'' (1990), and '' Blow'' (1993), and several EPs. Thei ...

, mathematician and concert pianist Eugenia Cheng, English hip-hop artist, writer and poet Akala, the

Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra The Auckland Philharmonia (formerly Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, APO) is a symphony orchestra based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its principal concert venue is the Auckland Town Hall, and it is also the accompanying ensemble for Auckland stage ...

, composer Kenneth Young, and tenor

Simon O'Neill Simon O'Neill (born 1971) is a New Zealand operatic tenor internationally recognised for his performances of the major Heldentenor roles in the operas of Richard Wagner. Biography Simon O'Neill has performed with many of the world’s leading ...

. The Michael King Memorial Lecture at the

Aotea Centre The Aotea Centre () is a performing arts and events centre in Auckland, New Zealand. Located at the western edge of Aotea Square, off Queen Street, the centre provides a cultural, entertainment and conventions venue space in the heart of the ...

was delivered by Vincent O'Malley. The 2019 Honoured New Zealand Writer was

Joy Cowley Cassia Joy Cowley (; born 7 August 1936) is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Writing career Cowley started out writing novels for adults, and her first book, ...

2020 Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki

This event was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Zealand.

2021 Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki

International writers included

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...

and

Behrouz Boochani Behrouz Boochani (; born 23 July 1983) is a Iranian Kurdistan, Kurdish-Iranian journalist, human rights defender, writer and film producer living in New Zealand. He was held in the Australian-run Manus Regional Processing Centre, Manus Island d ...

in person, and

Kazuo Ishiguro is a Japanese-born English novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. He is one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary fiction authors writing in English, having been awarded several major literary prizes, including the 2 ...

and artist

Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei ( ; , IPA: ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been ...

streaming live. There was theatre, ''Blindness'' from London based on José Saramago's novel, and ''Witi’s Wāhine'' by

Nancy Brunning Nancy Brunning (1971 – 16 November 2019) was a New Zealand actress, director, and writer who won awards in film and television and made a major contribution to the growth of Māori in the arts. She won the best actress award at the New Zealand ...

based on the writing of Witi Ihimarea. ''Oro'' was curated by Ruby Solly and included Becky Manawatu, Ross Calman, Anahera Gildea, Arihia Latham, Nic Low, Kiri Piahana-Wong, and essa may ranapiri. Gina Cole curated ''Talanoa'' with

Tusiata Avia Donna Tusiata Avia (born 1966) is a New Zealand poet and children's author. She has been recognised for her work through receiving a 2020 Birthday Honours (New Zealand), 2020 Queen's Birthday Honour and in 2021 her collection ''The Savage Colo ...

David Eggleton David Eggleton (born 1952) is a New Zealand poet, critic and writer. Eggleton has been awarded the Ockham New Zealand Book Award for poetry and in 2019 was appointed New Zealand Poet Laureate, a title he held until 2022. Eggleton's work has ap ...

Oscar Kightley Oscar Vai To'elau Kightley (born 14 September 1969) is a Samoan-New Zealand actor, television presenter, writer, journalist, director, and comedian. He acted in and co-wrote the successful 2006 film '' Sione's Wedding''. Biography Kightley was ...

, Selina Tusitala Marsh,

Karlo Mila Karlo Estelle Mila (born 1974) is a New Zealand writer and poet of Tongan, Pālagi and Samoan descent. Her first collection, ''Dream Fish Floating'', received the NZSA Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry in 2006 at the Montana Ne ...

, and

Victor Rodger Victor John Rodger (born 1969) is a New Zealand journalist, actor and award-winning playwright
La Mama Theatre, N ...

. Other writers included

Isabel Allende Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (; born 2 August 1942) is a Chilean-American writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the magical realism genre, is known for novels such as '' The House of the Spirits'' (''La casa de los espír ...

Marilynne Robinson Marilynne Summers Robinson (born November 26, 1943) is an American novelist and essayist. Across her writing career, Robinson has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and th ...

Yiyun Li Yiyun Li (Chinese: 李翊雲 - ''Li Yiyun'') (born November 4, 1972) is a Chinese-born writer and professor who has lived and worked in the United States since entering graduate school. She writes exclusively in English. Her short stories and no ...

, Mohamed Hassan,

Sue Kedgley Susan Jane Kedgley (born 1948) is a New Zealand politician, food campaigner and author. Before entering politics Kedgley worked for the United Nations in New York for 8 years and for a decade as a television reporter, director and producer in N ...

Ngahuia te Awekotuku Ngahuia is a Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the M� ...

Claudia Orange Dame Claudia Josepha Orange (née Bell, born 17 April 1938) is a New Zealand historian best known for her 1987 book ''The Treaty of Waitangi'', which won 'Book of the Year' at the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Award in 1988. Since 2013 she has ...

, Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, Brian Easton,

Monique Fiso Monique Tumema Fiso (born 23 October 1987) is a New Zealand chef and author known for her contribution to the revival of Māori and Polynesian cuisine. Early life Fiso was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and is of Māori and Samoan descent ...

, and

Charlotte Grimshaw Charlotte Grimshaw (born December 1966) is a New Zealand novelist, short-story writer, columnist and former lawyer. She has written both fiction and non-fiction, often drawing on her legal experience. Her short stories and longer works often ha ...

. ''A Clear Dawn'' was launched, co-edited by

Paula Morris Paula Jane Kiri Morris (born 18 August 1965) is a New Zealand novelist, short-story writer editor and literary academic. She is an associate professor at the University of Auckland and founder of the Academy of New Zealand Literature. Life Mor ...

and

Alison Wong Alison Wong (born 1960) is a New Zealand poet and novelist of Chinese heritage. Her background in mathematics comes across in her poetry, not as a subject, but in the careful formulation of words to white space and precision. She has a son wi ...

this is the first-ever creative writing anthology of Asian New Zealand authors. Alice Te Punga Somerville presented the Michael King Memorial Lecture where she drew upon her book ''Two Hundred and Fifty Ways to Start an Essay about Captain Cook'' (2020). There were workshops presented by

Mary Karr Mary Karr (born January 16, 1955) is an American poet, essayist and memoirist from East Texas. She is widely noted for her 1995 bestselling memoir '' The Liars' Club''. Karr is the Jesse Truesdell Peck Professor of English Literature at Syracu ...

, Carl Nixon,

Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier and medical student who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in a ...

, Eileen Merriman, Andrew O’Hagan,

Michael Robotham Michael Robotham (born 9 November 1960) is an Australian crime fiction writer who has twice won the CWA Gold Dagger award for best novel and twice been shortlisted for the Edgar Award for best novel. His eldest child is Alexandra Hope Robotham, ...

, and

Shaun Tan Shaun Tan (born 15 January 1974) is an Australian artist, writer and film maker. He won an Academy Award for '' The Lost Thing'', a 2011 animated short film adaptation of the 2000 picture book he wrote and illustrated. He also wrote and illustrat ...

. The closing event was called ''A Worship of Honoured Writers'' and featured

Fiona Kidman Dame Fiona Judith Kidman ( Eakin; born 26 March 1940) is a New Zealand novelist, poet, scriptwriter and short story writer. She grew up in Northland, and worked as a librarian and a freelance journalist early in her career. She began writing ...

Patricia Grace Patricia Frances Grace (; born 17 August 1937) is a New Zealand writer of novels, short stories, and children's books. She began writing as a young adult, while working as a teacher. Her early short stories were published in magazines, leadin ...

Witi Ihimaera Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler (; born 7 February 1944) is a New Zealand author. Raised in the small town of Waituhi, he decided to become a writer as a teenager after being convinced that Māori people, Māori people were ignored or mischaracteri ...

, Vincent O'Sullivan, CK Stead, Brian Turner, and

Albert Wendt Albert Tuaopepe Wendt (born 27 October 1939) is a Samoan poet and writer who lives in New Zealand. He is one of the most influential writers in Oceania. His notable works include ''Sons for the Return Home'', published in 1973 (adapted into a ...

''.'' The programme was from May 11 to 16.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Auckland Writers Festival Literary festivals in New Zealand Festivals in Auckland 1999 establishments in New Zealand