For 26 years Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki has showcased some of the world’s most celebrated storytellers and thinkers. This month, 13 – 18 May, you can once again take your pick from a jam-packed programme of over 170 events across a range of venues and sites in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau.
More than 170 New Zealand writers and close to 50 international participants will appear in the programme, which is bursting with well-known literary powerhouses, global thinkers and fresh new voices.
The Festival itself brings the very best local and international writers of contemporary fiction and non-fiction, scientists, economists, poets, journalists and thinkers together with audiences to explore ideas, share stories and experience brilliant conversations. It celebrates curiosity and a sense of intellectual adventure, and the programme is driven by the desire to spark ideas, to get people talking and to give people a time and place to engage with the world.
The programming team is led by Lyndsey Fineran, who came from the world’s longest-running book festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival. The 2024 Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki was her first in Aotearoa New Zealand and ushered in a new era, breaking all prior audience records and seeing book sales increase by 50 per cent on the previous year.
“My co-leader, Catriona Ferguson, and I were blown away by the reception to AWF24 and the incredible excitement for books it generated in those six autumn days in Tāmaki and beyond,” says Lyndsey. “I’m so proud to reveal this year’s ambitious, wide-ranging and creative line-up – the result of a very talented and passionate team’s hard work – that will bring writers from near and far together, and books to life in a whole range of dynamic ways this May.”
The Auckland Writers Festival will feature a stellar lineup of international and local authors. Highlights include Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey, Irish writer Colm Tóibín, and British actress Dame Harriet Walter DBE. Fans of crime fiction can look forward to Sir Ian Rankin and Chris Whitaker, while translated literature will shine with authors like Mariana Enriquez from Latin America and Japan’s Sayaka Murata.
Global thinkers like Edward Wong, Philippe Sands, and Stan Grant will engage in discussions on pressing topics such as politics, law and culture. Local figures including Anna Fifield and Aroha Harris will address issues like Te Tiriti and New Zealand’s response to Covid-19.
The Nordic delegation will bring writers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, while New Zealand’s own Tina Makereti and Monty Soutar will also take the stage. Australian author Trent Dalton and UK writer Alan Hollinghurst return to the festival, alongside dynamic formats like spoken word performances and interactive workshops.
Children will also enjoy free events with readings, playtime and workshops, while the festival also includes a special family gala. Two digital sessions with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Raja Shehadeh will be streamed. The festival kicks off with a pre-event in Britomart on 9 May, with KŌRERO CORNER offering informal free sessions throughout.
The Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki has an outstanding global reputation – it is the biggest festival of its kind (per capita) in the Southern Hemisphere – and brings audiences from all over the country, and the world, to Tāmaki Makaurau in May. It’s one of Aotearoa’s most beloved, and attended, cultural experiences. Last year surpassed all previous Festivals, with record breaking attendances of more than 85,000.
This is just a small snapshot of the full programme available at writersfestival.co.nz. Public tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster or by calling 0800 111 999. The event is designed to be accessible and welcoming, with more than 25 per cent of the festival events free of charge.
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