Co-Chairs’ Welcome Mayor’s Welcome
What a thrill to present our 2025 festival programme to you all. We have a wonderful mix of authors, books, events, and topics in the line-up for this year. Truly something for everyone!
Our 2025 theme is Ahi Kā, keeping the home fires burning. This theme acknowledges the rich literary and creative vein that runs through our city — Ōtepoti Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature — and the incredible writers and poets who keep our literary community thriving. We aim to ignite hearts and minds through imagination, ideas and creativity with a big dose of manaakitaka — southern hospitality straight from our hearth.
Once again, the festival is made immeasurably richer by our partnership with the Hone Tuwhare Trust, who have put together an incredible poetry series featuring local and national talent. We extend our sincere thanks to our funders, partners, and sponsors who make the festival possible and are such amazing champions of the literary world. And to the talented and dedicated writers and readers of Ōtepoti, Aotearoa and beyond — this one’s for you.
We’re also immensely grateful for the hard work and creative vision of our team: Kitty Brown and Jen Stokes as Co-Directors and Kitty as Curator Māori, Vanessa Beck as Festival Producer, Rayna Dickson as Board Administrator and Bookkeeper, and Philippa Murrell as Festival Grants Manager. Have a fantastic time! Hei ākuanei!
Jeanette Wikaira and Mary McLaughlin Co-Chairs, Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival Board
Kia ora, haere mai and welcome to the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival!
This year’s festival brings together an exciting and evocative mix of established and emerging voices from around the city and the country.
Ōtepoti Dunedin has a proud literary pedigree, as our status as a UNESCO City of Literature attests. The city has nurtured, inspired and influenced many of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed and accomplished authors.
Take a stroll around our Writers’ Walk in the Octagon, where plaques commemorate prominent writers with connections to our city. They are stoically supervised by our much-loved statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, namesake of the University of Otago’s prestigious writing fellowship.
The city also offers a treasure trove of bookshops and libraries to discover. So, be sure to confer with your friends and whānau and make plans to explore the festival programme and our literary city. I hope you enjoy many entertaining, educational and energising excursions!
Jules Radich Mayor of Dunedin
The 2025 Tuwhare Poetry Series: It Won’t Be a Lonely Walk Presented by the Hone TuwhareTrust
The 2025 Tuwhare Poetry Series takes its name from one of Tuwhare’s quiet, resonant lines… it won’t be a lonely walk. A phrase that carries the promise of walking together in solidarity, evoking a spirit of collective courage, enduring strength and hope. This year we gather poets whose work confronts, consoles and connects. Their words join a long line of voices reminding us that poetry has never been just about words on the page — it’s also about people joining voices and walking together. Come walk with us. Listen. Speak. Remember. Because it won’t be a lonely walk — not now, not ever.
Ahi Kā: The Long Burning Fire
—
Kaupapa Māori Series
Kitty Brown — Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu
Kai te pokapū oti o tā mātau nei hui ahurei te ahi kā. He mura pūmau ia, ehara i te mea teretere, māna te pō hai tūrama.
Koinei tā Nadia Wesley-Smith wero ki a tātau: Ko te aha te kai hai whākai i te ahi? Mā wai oti taua mahi? Ko te aha kā whakariteka tika hai whakapakari i te iwi? Koinei kā pātai hirahira o te hui ahurei nei.
Taku ahi tūtata, taku mata kikoha. Ponitakatia tōhona mahana.
Ahi Kā — the burning fire of occupation — has provided us a steady glow in which to organise a festival. It offered both breadth and focus: a concept expansive enough to hold multitudes, yet grounded enough to remind us of where we stand.
As Nadia Wesley-Smith provocatively asks us: What nourishes the fire? Who tends it? What braces and builds a people? These are the questions at the heart of this festival. May they kindle something in you.
Kā Mihi Nui
Many thanks to our incredible board, kaimahi, volunteers, and supporters, who make this festival possible!
Board Co-Chairs: Jeanette Wikaira and Mary McLaughlin
Festival Trustees: Nadia Wesley-Smith, Meg Hamilton, Anna Hoek-Sims, Aaron Hawkins
Festival Co-Directors: Kitty Brown and Jen Stokes
Festival Producer: Vanessa Beck
Art Director: Shelley Darren
Festival Grants Manager: Philippa Murrell
Board Administrator and Bookkeeper: Rayna Dickson
Kaituna Kids Illustrator: Larissa Jones
Patron: Lynley Hood
Meg
Aaron Kitty
Vanessa Philippa Rayna
Anna
Haumi e, Hui e, Tāiki e!
Partners and Sponsors
A massive thank you to our dedicated partners and sponsors for their steadfast support. Mauri ora!
Our Partners
Our Sponsors
A Different Light: First Photographs of Aotearoa
Tues–Sat, 10am–5pm | Hocken Gallery, 90 Anzac Ave, Dunedin
20 September 2025 – 7 February 2026
An exhibition and accompanying book tracing the first 50 years of photography in Aotearoa New Zealand — from 1848 to 1900 — through precious original photographs from Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, Alexander Turnbull Library, and Hocken Collections Uare Taoka o Hākena.
Lines of Flight
16–18 October | Multiple venues
Tickets available from Under the Radar
Since 2000, Lines of Flight has been ground zero for Aotearoa’s experimental music underground, nurturing a nationwide community of adventurous sound-makers from its Ōtepoti Dunedin base.
Listen to Daniel Beban perform as part of Microsoft Voices, a punk laptop trio creating machine vocalisations through Apple Mac’s.
Then, see him speak as part of the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival on Sunday 19 October, Free Jazz and the Sound of DIY Revolution (page 10).
Jane Austen @ 250, Public Display and Floor Talks
17–19 October | Tūhura Otago Museum, Beautiful Science Gallery | Free — all welcome*
Celebrate 250 years of Jane Austen’s legacy with a pop-up display and floor talks at Tūhura.
Public display: 17–19 October, 10am–5pm
Floor talks: 11am, 18 and 19 October, *bookings required.
Please see the full programme for additional Jane Austen Regency High Tea on Sunday 19 October (page 11).
Landfall Tauraka 250 Exhibition, University of Otago Special Collections
Mon–Fri, 9.30am–5pm | de Beer Gallery, 65 Albany St 10 October 2025 – 27 February 2026
Landfall Tauraka, Aotearoa New Zealand’s long-running and influential literary journal, launches its 250th issue in time for this year’s festival. University of Otago Library’s Special Collections is celebrating this cultural milestone with an exhibition in the de Beer Gallery opening on 10 October.
Visit the exhibition to discover how the publication and its contributors have nourished and sustained the arts, letters, and ideas since 1947.
Email special.collections@otago.ac.nz for more details.
Ōtepoti Dunedin Heritage Festival
1 October – 31 October | Various times and locations
The Ōtepoti Dunedin Heritage Festival 2025 runs throughout October with a lively programme of talks, tours, exhibitions, performances, kids’ activities and more. Book-lovers can attend events in the historic Athenaeum Library, enjoy a celebration of the city’s extraordinary collections of medieval manuscripts, and visit a pop-up museum of New Zealand popular literature (including school journals, cookbooks and anti-nuclear ephemera).
More information is available on the event Facebook page, or search for Ōtepoti Dunedin Heritage Festival 2025.
Monday to Friday 9am - 5:30pm | Saturday & Sunday 10am - 4pm
Festival Programme 2025
Satellite Event Landfall Tauraka 250 Symposium
9.30am–3pm | Barclay Theatre, Tūhura Otago Museum | Free — all welcome
Aotearoa’s longest running arts and literary journal, Landfall Tauraka will celebrate its milestone 250th issue in October 2025. To mark the occasion, they are holding a symposium of scholarly and creative contributions from around the motu to reflect on the journal’s heritage and present impact, and with an eye to its future.
Supported by funding gratefully received by Te Kete Aronui, the Division of Humanities, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
For further information, contact Dr Lynley Edmeades: lynley.edmeades@otago.ac.nz
Ahi Kā — The Long Burning Fire
5pm | Ōtākou Marae | $55/50
(Dinner provided, limited numbers)
Chaired by Kiringāua Cassidy and Nadia Wesley-Smith
The Firestarter. We gather at Ōtākou Marae to share stories about and around the home fire. Fill your puku with a homestyle boil up supper, then nourish your wairua listening to acclaimed writers as they, in turn, stoke the long-burning fire of ahi kā.
Satelitte event Masterclass event
Satellite Event
An Evening with Eden Hore
5.45pm | Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Foyer Free — all welcome
Jane Malthus (co-author), Michael Upchurch (Te Papa Press) and Paula Penno (Eden Hore Central Otago)
Followers of fashion and Central Otago lovers will enjoy this intimate evening celebrating a beautiful book. We will explore the life, story and fashion of the Eden Hore collection featured in the significant exhibition, Eden in Dunedin, and the creation of the sumptuous photographic book, Central Otago Couture: The Eden Hore Collection.
Non-alcoholic drinks and nibbles will be served before the talk. The book can be purchased and the exhibition will be open to view afterwards.
Apirana Taylor, Tāme Iti, Ati Teepa, Nadine Hura, Robert Sullivan, Jeanette Wikaira, Waiariki ParataTaiapa, Tina Makereti, Talia Marshall, Victor Rodger, Megan Pōtiki
Satellite Event Joy, Full and Fearless: Film Screening
Three Screenings: Fri 17th 1:10pm - Sat 18th 7:00pm - 19th Sun 7pm | Metro Cinema
$14/$12/$10 — tickets available from Metro Cinema Joy, Full and Fearless is a one-hour documentary that follows the trauma and triumph of Joy Cowley’s astonishing life as a prolific, widely published and celebrated author of adult and children’s fiction.
Brought to you by Krafty Productions and directed by Clare Burgess, this documentary is a testament to the power of storytelling, the human spirit, and the enduring impact of one individual’s journey.
Kaituna Kids
10am–2pm | Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library Free — all welcome
Join us at Te Whata o Kaituna, the stunning new South Dunedin Community Library, for an unforgettable day celebrating young voices and creativity with special guest and MC for the day, Jenny Powell, the Poet Lorekeet!
10am–2pm: Rainbow Rosalind’s Facepainting Fairies
Facepainting Fairies and Crafts in the Maker Space. All ages.
10.30am–1.30pm: The Rock Doctors
Bring in your best rocks, minerals, fossils, and pebbles for the Rock Doctors to identify and chat about. All ages.
11am: Dazzlehands
The award-winning story of the persuasive pig who won’t take no for an answer, with Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan. All ages.
11am: Poetry and the Moanaverse
Workshop with Nafanua Purcell Kersel, uplifting young voices through guided poetry and performance exercises. For rakatahi aged 13–18. YA. Free, limited numbers please book online at: https://tinyurl.com/DWRFKaituna
Dress as a storybookcharacter towinspotprizes!
11.45am: Harp and the Lyre
Explore the exciting world of writing and world-building using QR codes, music, and maps, with H.C. Roberts. YA.
12–2pm: Recording studio sessions
Explore the state-of-the-art recording studio set up with experienced recording artists and teachers, Music Healz. For the young and young at heart.
1pm: A Guide to Rocks
The first rule is you don’t talk about feelings, a-hem, we mean rocks. The problem is, the rocks keep getting bigger. Time to make some new rules fast, with Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan.
1.45pm: The Raven’s Eye Runaways
Join Claire Mabey, author of The Raven’s Eye Runaways, for a spellbinding adventure that weaves together mystery, magic, and delightful surprises. YA.
The Book of Guilt: In Converstion with Catherine Chidgey
Sat 9.30AM | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Catherine Chidgey and host Jeff Harford
Join acclaimed novelist Catherine Chidgey and Ōtepoti favourite Jeff Harford for an exploration of fiction’s power to illuminate the shadows of human nature. In her latest work, The Book of Guilt, Chidgey crafts a spine-chilling vision of alternate 1979 England, where children are classified by their worth to society. This haunting yet oddly comforting novel asks the questions we’d rather avoid: who deserves to belong, and who gets to decide?
Go Your Own Way
Sat 9.30am | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Talia Marshall, Becky Manawatu, and host Victor Rodger
Three brilliant contemporaries go rogue in this unconventional session, an intimate chat about creativity through the lens of Fleetwood Mac’s timeless music. Join Victor Rodger with friends Talia Marshall and Becky Manawatu as they explore how artistic constraints become catalysts rather than limitations. From ‘Silver Springs’ to ‘Albatross’ to ‘Beautiful Child’, each writer reveals their individual creative rhythms while examining the delicate tension between control and letting go that shapes memorable storytelling.
It’s been six weeks since my last confession: In Conversation with Peta
Mathias
Sat 11am | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Peta Mathias and host Harriet Moir
Politics in Miniature
Sat 11am | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Duncan Sarkies, Dominic Hoey, and host Claire Mabey
Sometimes the most revealing power struggles happen in the most unlikely places — like alpaca paddocks and spacies parlours. Join Duncan Sarkies and Dominic Hoey for a delightfully subversive exploration of how the personal becomes political, and how local dramas reflect universal truths about power, corruption and the dream of something better.
H.K. Taiaroa: Impact and Influence
11am | Dunedin Public Art Gallery
Free — all welcome
Exhibition talk led by Megan Pōtiki
A talk illuminating this exhibition which celebrates 19th century Kāi Tahu rakatira and political leader, Hōri Kerei (H.K.) Taiaroa.
Proudly supported by the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
Award-winning food writer and TV presenter Peta Mathias
MNZM serves up her most deliciously indiscreet stories yet in this razor-sharp memoir. In her 19th book, she dishes out hardwon wisdom with trademark wit and zero filter. Sharp, funny, and utterly fearless — this is Mathias at her most irresistible.
Books of Mana
Sat 11am | Conference Room 2 | $25/20
Jeanette Wikaira, Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla, and host Nadine Hura
Join these hard-core Māori book nerds as they explore how books become treasured taonga, carrying mana and knowledge across generations. Drawing from their groundbreaking work, Books of Mana and the Te Takarangi collection — which celebrates more than 200 years of Māori print literacy — Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla and Jeanette Wikaira will deep dive on the books that have inspired them and informed their work.
Proudly supported by Otago University Press.
The Welcome of Strangers
1pm Sat | Fullwood Room
Free — all welcome
Atholl Anderson, Gerard O’Regan, and host
Jonathan West
Commissioned by the DCC in 1998, this new expanded
The Welcome of Strangers is co-published by Bridget Williams Books & Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Featuring historic and contemporary photographs, it brings compelling stories to life while preserving the whakapapa and histories that define southern Māori identity today.
World Building at the End of the World
1pm Sat | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Ben Stenbeck, Octavia Cade, and host David Large
How can horror and speculative fiction bring post-apocalyptic atmospheres to life? How do writers transform abstract global threats into emotionally resonant narratives? Join Octavia Cade and Ben Stenbeck, along with chair David Large, to explore the unique strengths of visual and textual world-building and the collaborative creative process across comics, short fiction and novels.
Masterclass — Dominic Hoey How to Write Good
1pm-2.30pm Sat | Conference Room 2 | $55/50 (limited numbers)
Join best-selling novelist and poet Dominic Hoey as he shares tips, tricks and techniques learned over more than 30 years of writing.
This class is open to anyone interested in words and writing. No experience necessary.
Laying Siege to Lips
Hone Tuwhare Trust Poetry Series
2.30pm Sat | Fullwood Room | Free — all welcome
Apirana Taylor and host Victor Rodger
Join celebrated poet Apirana Taylor as he lays siege to lips with every syllable. Echoing Hone Tuwhare’s legacy of language that stirs, seduces, and stands its ground, this will be an event where words are performed! Hosted by acclaimed playwright and provocateur Victor Rodger.
Telling Truth Through Fiction: The Art of Honest Lies
2.30pm Sat | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Wendy Parkins, Michelle Elvy, Tina Makereti, and host David Eggleton
Join these three masterful storytellers as they explore how fiction can illuminate truths that slip through the cracks of conventional narratives. This session explores how creative writers become truthtellers, using fiction as both telescope and mirror, revealing what we’ve overlooked and reflecting what we sometimes would rather
Pasifika Publishing - Sharing our Stories
Sat 3pm | Conference Room 2 | FREE
Brought to you by Tangata Tātā
Do you have a story or poem hidden in a notebook or a laptop? Join Tangata Tātā intern Millie Mo‘unga as she talks to Dr Louise KeweneDoig, Zech Soakai, and Ruby Macomber about their experiences creating, sharing and publishing Pasifika stories. From self-publishing to multi-media story-telling – there’s a space for all varieties of Pasifika writing. Find out what you might do with yours! Afterwards stay around for snacks and chats.
Proudly supported by Aratoi (Dunedin City Council) and Otago Community Trust.
Slowing the Sun: Making Climate Change Make Sense
with Mātauraka Māori
4pm Sat | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Nadine Hura and host Metiria Turei Stanton
The Architecture of Experience: Building Stories from Life’s Fragments
4pm Sat | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Liam McIlvanney, Lynley Edmeades, and host Louise Wallace
How do writers transform the raw material of life into compelling literature? Join Louise Wallace with acclaimed authors Liam McIlvanney and Lynley Edmeades as they explore the decisions and craft of turning lived experience into art. Both writers mine familiar territory, yet their approaches couldn’t be more different — one building narrative tension through traditional storytelling, the other assembling meaning through experimental form.
Mana: In Conversation with
5.30pm Sat | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Tāme Iti and hosts Paulette Tamati-Elliffe and
Tāme Iti is an artist, actor, poet, entrepreneur, beekeeper, gardener, father and grandfather with a bone-deep commitment to his practice. Throughout his life he has used creativity as a vessel for change — moving fluidly between disciplines and genres with a vision that has resonated across decades. On the occasion of publishing Mana, his memoir and story, we celebrate Tāme.
Join these two deeply engaged Māori authors, activists and artists as they explore how the creative forms of writing, art and climate communication meet with Mātauraka Māori. Learn how the right words in the right order can cut through the noise, stir emotion, and shift the way we think, feel, and talk about our changing world. This is climate communication — but not as you know it.
Proudly supported by Bridget Williams Books.
Go Tell Your Racist Jokes To Someone Else Hone Tuwhare Trust
7pm Sat | WOOF! | Free — all welcome Poets: Dominic Hoey, Ati Teepa, Sihle Ntuli, Liz Breslin, Isla Huia, Jessica Hinerangi, Nafanua and host Aaron Hawkins
This won’t be a quiet night of polite verse! This is poetry for the people at WOOF! — where poetry gets loud, political and unapologetically raw. Inspired by Hone Tuwhare’s fire-starting line, come join this night of revelry.
Hosted by Ōtepoti local, Aaron Hawkins.
Satellite Event Joy, Full and Fearless: Film Screening
7pm Metro Cinema
$14/$12/$10 — tickets available from Metro Cinema
See page 6 for more details.
V. C. Andrews ANON
9.30am Sun | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Becky Manawatu, Claire Mabey, and host Harriet Moir
What are the books that set your teen self alight? The titles that formed your formative years? Guilty pleasures, shocking serials… join us for a little jaunt down memory lane and enjoy some literary nostalgia!
Mud, Sweat and Social Revolution: Telling Aotearoa’s Hidden History
9.30am Sun | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Ryan Bodman and host Matiu Workman
Rugby league didn’t just arrive in New Zealand in 1907 — it erupted. Born from British working-class rebellion over player payments, it landed in a country ripe for its own social upheavals. Through gripping firsthand accounts and forgotten archives, this session explores how rugby league became the sporting voice of New Zealand’s industrial heartland. From the Kiingitanga to the coalfields, from factory gates to suburban clubs, discover how communities used this ‘rebel sport’ to challenge power, build identity and write their own rules.
Proudly supported by Bridget Williams Books.
Free Jazz and the Sound of DIY Revolution
11am Sun | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Daniel Beban and host Kiran Dass
Join musician, sound artist, and author Daniel Beban alongside powerhouse arts organiser Kiran Dass as they explore the power of grassroots creative communities and the DIY ethos that transforms local scenes into lasting cultural movements. A compelling session for anyone interested in creative community-building, the intersection of art and activism, and how local scenes become cultural forces — whether in music, visual arts
Proudly supported by Te Herenga Waka University Press.
Masterclass — Catherine Chidgey The Voice of the Child: Writing the Child Narrator
10.30am-12.30pm Sun | Conference Room 2 | $55/50
(limited numbers)
Many of Catherine Chidgey’s novels feature child narrators, The Wish Child and Pet to The Book of Guilt (and, arguably, The Axeman’s Carnival). In this workshop, Chidgey will discuss how she created these characters and their voices, guiding you through a series of exercises to help you to practise writing your own child narrators as threedimensional figures who ring true without sounding twee.
Bloody Minded: In Conversation with Susie Ferguson
11am Sun | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Susie Ferguson and host Vivienne Anderson
RNZ presenter Susie Ferguson has made a career of telling stories, but her most powerful one might be her own. From war correspondent to radio host, Ferguson has navigated extraordinary professional terrain while privately navigating a world that wasn’t built for inclusive experiences.
Proudly supported by Harper Collins.
Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art
1pm Sun | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Deidre Brown, Ngarino Ellis and host
He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity. - Piri Sciascia
Join Jeanette Wikaira to welcome Deidre Brown and Ngarino Ellis — authors of Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous , winner for Illustrated Non-Fiction at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2025. Settle in for an inspiring journey through 800 years of Māori artistic expression, celebrate this landmark publication, and hear the stories gathered over 12 years of work from these dedicated and determined authors.
Proudly supported by Auckland University Press.
Wry Song
Hone Tuwhare Trust Poetry Series 1pm Sun | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Emma Neale and host Lynley Edmeades
Poetry with a raised eyebrow. Join us in celebration of Emma Neale, winner of the Ockham 2025 Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry. Known for her lyrical brilliance and wry, incisive take on the everyday, this session is an intimate conversation with local legend
Emma Neale as we explore her extraordinary awardwinning collection Liar, Liar, Lick, Spit. Hosted by Ōtepoti literary academic and renowned writer, Dr Lynley Edmeades.
Masterclass — Duncan Sarkies Writers as Explorers: Mapping
Your Project
1pm-2.30pm Sun | Conference Room 2 | $55/50
(limited numbers)
Developing a project can feel like being lost in the middle of the ocean. Not knowing where or how to start can sink projects before they begin. But beyond this uncertainty lies the joy of discovery, as you learn to build a map from your own mind and heart, and prepare to take your audiences on a journey.
Whether you come with a project in mind or seek a whole new direction, Duncan demystifies the process, offering tools for navigating the unknown, embracing uncertainty, and discovering exciting, untapped stories.
Bingo! Everyone Smiles
Hone Tuwhare Trust
Poetry Series
2.30pm Sun | Fullwood Room | Free — all welcome Poets: Liz Breslin, Nafanua Purcell Kersel, Isla Huia, Sihle
Ntuli, Jessica Hinerangi, Jasmine Taylor, and host H-J Kilkelly
An event where poetry hits the jackpot! Join us for poetry where the lines are loaded and the smiles come with a sting. Taking a cue from Hone Tuwhare’s knowing humour, our poets will serve up verse that’s playful and packed with punch. Expect sharp wit, unexpected joy, electric language and when it hits … bingo!
Hosted by Ōtepoti-based theatre producer, H-J Kilkelly.
Ash and Ice
2.30pm Sun | Conference Room 1 | $25/20
Laurence Fearnley, Louise Wallace and host Kathryn van Beek
Anything Could Happen: In Conversation with
Grant Robertson
4pm Sun | Fullwood Room | $25/20
Grant Robertson and host Ian Telfer
Join former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister (and current University of Otago Vice-Chancellor) Grant Robertson for an intimate look behind the curtain of New Zealand politics during some of our most defining moments. Grant will discuss the art of political storytelling, why vulnerability can be a strength in leadership, and his enduring optimism about Aotearoa’s potential even in turbulent times.
Celebrating the Short Form in Many Languages
4pm Sun | Conference Room 1 | Free - all welcome Chang Shih Yen, David Eggleton, Leina Isno, Susan Wardell, Diane Brown, Jessica Hinerangi, and host Michelle Elvy
Gather for a low sensory hour listening to perfectly formed short short stories in English and translated to various languages, from multiple heritage and identity lines.
Two powerful novels with captivating environmental settings. Both authors use the elements as mirrors for their protagonists’ internal reckonings. Join Louise Wallace and Laurence Fearnley as they discuss how natural forces become metaphors for transformation, with host Kathryn van Beek.
Satellite Event
Jane Austen Regency High Tea
2.30pm Sun | Tūhura Otago Museum, Beautiful Science Gallery
$69pp — bookings required from www.otagomuseum.nz/ Step back in time and indulge in an elegant afternoon celebrating Jane Austen’s brilliance, insight and enduring legacy. This Regency-inspired high tea will feature classic parlour games, live entertainment, delectable high tea delights and a traditional tea service.
Prizes for the best Regency dress!
Email events@tuhura.nz with dietary requirements.
Satellite Event Turbulent Threads: Women Rising in Times of Change
5.30pm for a 6pm start | Larnach Castle
$95 — tickets available directly from www.larnachcastle. co.nz (includes arrival drinks, canapés and bespoke tour) Join bestselling historical novelist Karen McMillan as she explores how pivotal moments in history become the perfect backdrop for stories of female resilience and transformation. Set in 1890s Dunedin during one of New Zealand’s most turbulent decades, Turbulent Threads follows Greer Gillies from orphaned servant at Larnach Castle to a woman who dares to claim her place in a rapidly changing world.
Includes bespoke tour of the castle after the event, curated to connect with the work.
Satellite Event Joy, Full and Fearless: Film Screening
7pm Metro Cinema
$14/$12/$10 — tickets available from Metro Cinema
See page 6 for more details.
The Welcome of Strangers: A History of Southern Māori
by Atholl Anderson
‘The best ethnohistory produced in New Zealand to date … scholarly yet accessible … pleasing to have this volume available to a new generation of New Zealanders – and even more so, Ngāi Tahu whānui.’ — Sir Tipene O’Regan, Chair, Te Pae Kōrako; Upoko, Te Rūnaka o Awarua
A landmark history of southern Māori life, land and legacy — updated with rich imagery, maps, biographical information and new research.
| $69.99 | Out now
A DIFFERENT LIGHT
The presentation of this exhibition is a collaboration between Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Auckland War Memorial Museum, Hocken Collections
Uare Taoka o Hākena and Alexander Turnbull Library.
Hocken
Hardback
Bridget Williams Books | Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
William Meluish, Octagon, decorated in honour of the marriage of the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra, July 1863, Box-167-007, Hocken Collections Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago.
Festival Hub — your home away from home
Nestled between the welcoming spaces of the Fullwood Room and the Conference Rooms, our Festival Hub offers genuine southern manaakitaka throughout the weekend. Whether you’re seeking a quick coffee between sessions or wanting to settle in for hours, this is your space.
Browse our mini-bookshop, catch authors at the signing tables, try your hand at zine-making and crafts, browse the Critic: Te Arohi exhibition or discover gentle poetry from Pocket Poetry scattered throughout the space.
Between 10am and 2pm both days, free:
· Print your own bookmark on an Adana letterpress courtesy of Otago University Special Collections.
Take the time to share your work and get friendly, peer-to-peer feedback from members of the Dunedin Writers’ Workshop, a local group that is a mix of emerging and experienced writers.
· And on Sunday-only between 10am and 2pm, visit the drop-in Bookbinding Workshop with Harshi from Studio NAHADS. Discover the essential skills of bookbinding and leave with everything you need to finish your book off at home.
Find your rhythm among the puzzle tables, warm up with kai and hot drinks, or simply sink into one of our quiet corners for connection and kōrero.
With fully accessible spaces, low-sensory zones for when you need to retreat, and plenty of room to knit, read or just be, the Festival Hub is your restorative base during a (potentially chilly) Ōtepoti spring weekend.
Festival Venues
Opening Pōwhiri and Evening Event
Ōtākou Marae: 25 Tamatea Road, Portobello, Ōtākou
Programme Events
Fullwood Room, Conference Rooms & the Hub, Dunedin Centre: entry through the Glenroy Auditorium, 1 Harrop Street, The Octagon
Eden Hore Event
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum: 31 Queens Gardens, Central Dunedin
Kaituna Kids
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library, 14 King Edward St, South Dunedin
Tuwhare Poetry Event
WOOF!: 368 Moray Place, Central Dunedin
Jane Austen Events
Tūhura Otago Museum, Beautiful Science Gallery: 419 Great King Street, Dunedin North
Turbulent Threads
Larnach Castle: 145 Camp Road, Dunedin
Joy Cowley Film
Metro Cinema, Dunedin Centre: Moray Place entrance
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Festival Info
Tickets
Tickets are available online from www.dunedinwritersfestival.co.nz and door sales will be subject to availability.
Tickets are purchased through TicketMaster and are subject to their booking and service fees. GST is included.
Concession price is available to holders of Community Services Cards, Gold Cards, and students. ID required.
Satellite and partner events sell their tickets through their own platforms; these are noted throughout the programme.
Weekend Festival Pass*
Come for the whole weekend! Buy your Weekend Festival Pass for only $180 and go to as many events as you can squeeze in. Simply show us your ticket and we’ll scan you in — this pass covers one event per time slot.
*excludes Ōtākou Marae, masterclasses, satellite and partner events
Five Session Pass*
Buy four, get one free! Simply load your tickets into your cart and the fifth one is automatically free. A great option for groups or if you have several sessions you’d like to attend. You can mix and match these as you like.
*excludes Ōtākou Marae, masterclasses, satellite and partner events
Free Events
Free events help to make the festival more accessible to all. Generally, no tickets are required (except for the Kaituna Kids workshops). First come, first served — no seats will be reserved. Queues may form up to 20 minutes before a free event start time.
Tamariki
Children are welcome at all of our events. Parental guidance is recommended — some events may contain adult themes and language. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Under-18 entry to WOOF! is with a parent or caregiver only; proof of age required.
Refunds and Cancellations
Tickets cannot be refunded but are transferrable; you can give your ticket to someone else if you are no longer able to attend. If an event is cancelled, full refunds will be issued.
Seating and Accessibility
Please arrive early if you have special seating requirements.
Our main venue contains elevators to each floor, as well as an Assisted Listening System in each room.
When purchasing tickets, you can also let us know if you require additional assistance.
Health and Safety
We have a zero tolerance policy towards any racism, hate speech, misogyny. Disruptive audience members will be removed.
If you are unwell, please stay at home.
Programme Updates
Programme information was correct at the time of printing. Please see our website for the most recent updates.
At a Glance
FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER:
Landfall Tauraka 250 Symposium
9.30am–3pm | Barclay Theatre, Tūhura Otago Museum Satellite Event
Joy, Full and Fearless: Film Screening 1.10pm Fri | Metro Cinema Satellite Event
Ahi Kā — The Long Burning Fire 5pm | Ōtākou Marae
An Evening with Eden Hore
5.45pm | Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Foyer Satellite Event
SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER:
The Book of Guilt: In Conversation with Catherine Chidgey
Sat 9.30AM | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Go Your Own Way
Sat 9.30am | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
10am–2pm: Facepainting and Crafts in the Maker Space
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
10.30am–1.30pm: The Rock Doctors
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
It’s been six weeks since my last confession: In Conversation with Peta Mathias Sat 11am | Fulwood Room
Politics in Miniature Sat 11am | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
Books of Mana Sat 11am | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 2
H.K. Taiaroa: Impact and Influence
11am | Dunedin Public Art Gallery Satellite Event
11am: Dazzlehands, Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
11am: Workshop: Poetry and the Moanaverse Nafanua Purcell Kersel
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
Satelitte event Kaituna Kids event Masterclass event
11.45am: Harp and the Lyre. H. C. Roberts
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
12–2pm: Recording studio sessions. Music Healz. Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
12PM-1PM - LUNCHTIME
1pm: A Guide to Rocks. Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
The Welcome of Strangers
1pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
World Building at the End of the World
1pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
MASTERCLASS - How to Write Good with Dominic Hoey
1pm-2.30pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 2
1.45pm: The Raven’s Eye Runaways. Claire Mabey
Te Whata o Kaituna, South Dunedin Community Library
Laying Siege to Lips
2.30pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Telling Truth Through Fiction: The Art of Honest Lies
2.30pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
Publishing Pasifika – Sharing our Stories
3pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 2
Slowing the Sun: Making Climate Change Make Sense with Mātauraka Māori
4pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
The Architecture of Experience: Building Stories from Life’s Fragments
4pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
Mana: In Conversation with Tāme Iti
5.30pm Sat | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Go Tell Your Racist Jokes To Someone Else
7pm Sat | WOOF!
Joy, Full and Fearless: Film Screening
7pm Sat | Metro Cinema
Satellite Event
SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER:
V. C. Andrews ANON
9.30am Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Mud, Sweat and Social Revolution: Telling Aotearoa’s Hidden History
9.30am Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
MASTERCLASS - The Voice of the Child: Writing the Child Narrator with Catherine Chidgey
10.30am-12.30pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 2
Bloody Minded: In Conversation with Susie Ferguson 11am Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Free Jazz and the Sound of DIY Revolution 11am Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
12PM-1PM - LUNCHTIME
Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art 1pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Wry Song 1pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
MASTERCLASS - Writers as Explorers: Mapping Your Project with Duncan Sarkies 1pm-2.30pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 2
Bingo! Everyone Smiles 2.30pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Ash and Ice 2.30pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
Jane Austen Regency High Tea
2.30pm Sun | Tūhura Otago Museum, Beautiful Science Gallery Satellite Event
Anything Could Happen: In Conversation with Grant Robertson 4pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Fullwood Room
Celebrating the Short Form in Many Languages 4pm Sun | The Dunedin Centre, Conference Room 1
Turbulent Threads: Women Rising in Times of Change 5.30pm Sun | Larnach Castle
Satellite Event
Joy, Full and Fearless: Film Screening 7pm Sun | Metro Cinema
Satellite Event
Book direct with us and save up to 19%
P: +64 3 470 1470
E: dunedincity@scenichotels.co.nz
W: scenichotelgroup.co.nz
Perfect your writing craft with award-winning mentors PROUD TO SUPPORT THE DUNEDIN WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL
Otago’s Master of Creative Writing
Applications close 1 November 2025
Do you want to explore the world of writing fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, plays, or game writing? Hone your craft and be mentored by award-winning writers in Otago’s one-year Master of Creative Writing. This flexible programme offers study options both on campus and via distance. It’s also available to those without a degree, but who hold a publication record in creative writing.
Win a scholarship for 2026
The English and Linguistics programme is offering a full-tuition scholarship for domestic students focusing on digital narrative or game writing in 2026. Eligible applicants will be automatically considered.
For further information, including scholarships: lynley.edmeades@otago.ac.nz
The Tuwhare Poetry Series: It Won’t Be a Lonely Walk
The New Zealand Land March on Wellington, Hepetema 14-Oketopa 17, 1975
What will I wear? What can I afford to wear? And will my landlord keep my flat for me in Dunedin? This long walk: what a hell of a thing.
I need a haversack. Who will lend me one? I might have to carry my gear in a sugar-bag with flax tied to the bottom corners: no sweat. But I need a raincoat. Who will
trust me with one in the immense time of Spring when showers bless the earth, eh? I am old. Already wrinkles spread inexorably: inching, inching. They’re not all of
them laughter-lines. Agh, what a hell of a thing. But it won’t be a lonely walk. People all around and mostly young: from blue-brown with bits more added right on
up to off-white? Jesus, how self-conscious can you get. Like man, I only want to last the distance, right?
Yeah: and all the different people worrying differently and separately about the decision and the action of commitment they each have taken to grab the burning but elusive
star together. And together not knowing what lies at the end of the star’s reach. Together, not knowing whether they will get a punch in the face at the end of the
road, or, with much pain learn that it is just the beginning . . . My feet are beginning to ache already. The cracks on my Maori feet are beginning
to widen: my blood turned on. Do not laugh. Laugh only when the blisters fade with the jaded politicians and their cunning.
Laugh only when the small spies soft-pies pie-eyed freckled ladies and their mafia-men with dark glasses are dug out like bed-bugs from among us. Be watchful, watchful . . .
I need a haversack. Who will lend me one? I need a raincoat. Who will trust me in a time of Spring when flowers clamour for the yellow and the blue, the
red the green of the life-giving earth? What a good time to take a walk.
- Hone Tuwhare
17-19th October 2025
