WEDNESDAY 6TH / THURSDAY 7TH NOVEMBER
Michael Szabo Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao Book Launch
Te Papa Press celebrates the launch of Michael Szabo’s Wild Wellington, a book to compel you into exploring Pōneke and Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Wednesday 6th November | 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Unity Books
Hokinga Mahara, Titiro Whakamua: Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku and Patricia Grace
Two esteemed kaituhi Māori come together to speak of their long writing careers with Matariki Williams.
Thursday 7th November | 6:00pm – 7:15pm
Hannah Playhouse
This is Paddy F#$%ing Gower
Paddy Gower sits down with Toby Manhire to tell his own story.
Thursday 7th November | 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
Manu Tīoriori: Songwriting the world
Wellington’s musical talents talk about how te ao Māori enriches their lyricism.
Thursday 7th November | 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Meow
FRIDAY 8TH NOVEMBER
Writing for Your Life
Barbara Else and Kathryn Heyman (Australia) on memoir and the power of transformational writing.
Friday 8th November | 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
Taking Indigenous Writers to the World
Huia Publishers and Magabala Books (Australia) on the role of industry recognition and championing Indigenous writers.
Friday 8th November | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
The Secret Art of Editing Poetry with Whitireia Publishing
Whitireia Publishing presents a panel on what goes on behind the scenes when editing poetry.
Friday 8th November | 5:00pm – 5:45pm
Te Auaha
Re/Imagining This Place: Elaine Feeney and Noelle McCarthy
Elaine Feeney (Ireland) is joined by Noelle McCarthy to talk about “constantly imagining and reimagining” Ireland.
Friday 8th November | 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
Carl Shuker The Royal Free Book Launch
Celebrate this exuberant, dark, wildly entertaining novel about death and copy-editing with Carl Shuker and Te Herenga Waka University Press.
Friday 8th November | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Unity Books
Get Ready For Verb with Te Hā and Poetry with Brownies
Nau mau, hoki mai! Join Te Hā for some whakawhanaungatanga and a classic PWB open mic.
Friday 8th November | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
two/fiftyseven
From Inception to Print, Uninterrupted: All about self-publishing
Māori writing practitioners come together to share knowledge on the world of self-publishing.
Friday 8th November | 7:30pm – 8:30pm
two/fiftyseven
Anthologising in Action: A poetry showcase
Hosted by Nathan Joe, eight poets craft a live anthology of work on stage—a collection existing only in this moment.
Friday 8th November | 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
The Sell-Me-On-It Slideshow Showdown
Through the medium of slideshow, can one of these four writers get you on side with their hot take?
Friday 8th November | 9:30pm – 10:30pm
Hannah Playhouse
Schools Day
Children's writers Patrick Ness (US/UK), Rachael King, Lauren Keenan and Jane Arthur are here to stretch your imagination and spark your creativity. Hosted by Claire Mabey.
Friday 8th November | 10:00am – 12:45pm
Hannah Playhouse
SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER
Sight Lines
Sight Lines author Kirsty Baker and local contributors come together to celebrate women artists in this illustrated talk.
Saturday 9th November | 10:00am – 11:00am
Hannah Playhouse
How We Write: Whakapapa Māori
Wāhine Māori writers Emma Hislop, Michelle Rahurahu, Shilo Kino and Talia Marshall discuss expressions of whakapapa on the page.
Saturday 9th November | 10:30am – 11:30am
Te Auaha
Mike Joy: The Fight for Freshwater
With Lynn Freeman, conservationist and environmentalist Mike Joy reveals why he’s spent his life dedicated to the health of our freshwater.
Saturday 9th November | 11:15am – 12:15pm
Meow
Kia Tūpato—The past is still present
This panel of history writers uncover the past, its shifting shape, our collective memory of it and how it persists in the present.
Saturday 9th November | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
I Wouldn't Want to Grow Up in Your Time
Come hang out with the new wave of writers and publishers in the city—you’ll wanna make friends with these rangatahi.
Saturday 9th November | 12:15pm – 1:15pm
Te Auaha
External Memory
An essay collection is a time capsule of its author’s experience. Join Flora Feltham, Cher Tan (Australia) and chair Leah Jing McIntosh (Australia) to take a peek inside these capsules.
Saturday 9th November | 1:15pm – 2:15pm
Meow
The People’s Game: Rugby league today
A lively and wide-ranging conversation about the state of play and dramas on and off the field. With Ryan Bodman, Sean Mallon and Miriama Aoake.
Saturday 9th November | 2:15pm – 3:15pm
Hannah Playhouse
future ANCESTORS: LGBTQ+ lineages
“What kind of ancestor do you want to be?” Sinead Overbye, Rangimarie Sophie Jolley and Herbee Bartley reach to answer this question as Māori and Pasifika.
Saturday 9th November | 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Te Auaha
Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Tea or coffee anyone? It’s time to sit down and get a slice of ‘Alice in Cakeland’. Join Beth Brash and Alice Taylor for this sweet conversation about baking.
Saturday 9th November | 3:15pm – 4:15pm
Meow
Greenlit: Adapting A Mistake
From book to screen—author Carl Shuker, filmmaker Christine Jeffs and chair Ken Duncum discuss the transformation in adaptation.
Saturday 9th November | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
Trailing Ulysses: from Shanghai to Dublin
Shanghai writer Danyan Chen talks about being drawn to Ireland to finish reading Ulysses.
Saturday 9th November | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Te Auaha
The Annual NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Lecture
New Zealand literary legend Barbara Else presents the annual NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Lecture.
Saturday 9th November | 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Hannah Playhouse
SAT 9TH NOV
20+ events. One night. Over 100 artists.
Wellington’s Original Crawl since 2014.
SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER
The Mermaid Chronicles: Megan Dunn with Kim Hill
Megan Dunn’s obsession with mermaids goes a little far and becomes a mer-moir. She speaks with Kim Hill on the siren call to writing this book.
Sunday 10th November | 10:00am – 11:00am
Hannah Playhouse
Write Well – Te Aro Pā Poets
Enjoy a kōrero and poetry from Te Aro Pā Poets—exploring writing as a pathway to wellbeing through connection to whakapapa and to place.
Sunday 10th November | 10:30am – 11:30am
Te Auaha
Disability Literati: Writing for children and young people
Crip the Lit asks “Where do we find the disabled adventurers and learners, heroes and family members in books for young readers?”
Sunday 10th November | 10:30am – 11:30am
Embassy Theatre
Jenni Fagan: Ootlin
Visiting Scottish Island to Island resident, Jenni Fagan, speaks with Pip Adam about her powerful memoir.
Sunday 10th November | 11:15am – 12:15pm
Meow
Writing Labour Histories
Join Toby Manhire as he speaks with authors documenting prison labour, trade unions and the Living Wage movement just getting started—Lyndy McIntyre, Jared Davidson and Cybèle Locke.
Sunday 10th November | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
Story Sovereignty as Living Practice: Trans-Tasman Edition
Story sovereignty goes international in this conversation with Indigenous writers from both sides of the Tasman.
Sunday 10th November | 1:15pm – 2:15pm
Meow
Wrestling with Monsters: Patrick Ness
Find what makes one of the world’s most lauded children’s writers tick in this rare hour of conversation with Kim Hill.
Sunday 10th November | 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
Author Photoshoot: get your new headshot here!
Book a free five-minute photoshoot session with Trinity Thompson-Browne and walk away with your first headshot, or a flash new one!
Sunday 10th November | 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Couch Kumara
Talia Marshall: Whaea Blue
Talia Marshall and Meriana Johnsen come together to track this tempestuous journey of family, legacy and collective memory.
Sunday 10th November | 3:15pm – 4:15pm
Meow
Susie Ferguson: Bloody Minded
Join Susie Ferguson and Melody Thomas for a frank conversation about the struggle to live and work inside a political and medical system ill-equipped to understand or deal with women’s bodies.
Sunday 10th November | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Hannah Playhouse
Becky Manawatu: Kataraina
The long-awaited sequel to Becky Manawatu’s Auē enters the world. Joined by Meriana Johnsen, Becky speaks on giving the voice of the story to Kat.
Sunday 10th November | 5:15pm – 6:15pm
Meow
WORKSHOPS
Writing Your Story with Kathryn Heyman
Kathryn Heyman, Australian writer of the powerful memoir Fury, leads participants to find their voices, control their narratives and write their stories in this workshop. SOLD OUT.
Saturday 9th November | 10:00am – 11:30am
Tāwhiri
Podcasting Masterclass with Melody Thomas
Get the full lowdown from pitching to post-production in this comprehensive workshop with award-winning podcaster Melody Thomas. SOLD OUT.
Saturday 9th November | 12:30pm – 2:00pm
Tāwhiri
Finding Your Form with Louise Wallace
Working on a piece of writing but feeling unsure of its form? Let cross-form writer Louise Wallace help you find the way into your story and its form/s.
Sunday 10th November | 10:30am – 12:00pm
Tāwhiri