• UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage comes to Wellington for FREE events

    Verb Wellington and British Council New Zealand and the Pacific have collaborated to bring UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to Wellington on 11 – 12 March to take part in two free events that focus on the importance of libraries and of literature.   Natasha Beckman (Country Director, British Council New Zealand and the Pacific) […]

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  • New Australia Cultural Policy REVIVE includes new WRITERS AUSTRALIA body to invest in literature

    Revive: $286 million National Cultural Policy revealed “Four new bodies focused on the autonomy of First Nations arts and culture, the development of contemporary music and the literary sector, and workplace safety in the arts sector, will be established as part of the Federal Government’s new National Cultural Policy. To be known as ‘Revive’, the policy […]

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  • Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Longlist Breaks All Records

       Highly personal memoir, probing political treatise and gut-punching poetry collections sit alongside trailblazing fiction and books exploring our whenua, moana, artists and entertainers in the longlists for the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Today’s longlist announcement is the largest and widest ranging in the recent history of the awards, with a record number […]

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  • Pikihuia Awards now open for submissions

    # PIKIHUIA AWARDS Open for submissions  The Māori Literature Trust & thier amazing delivery partner HUIA are proud to announce that the iconic Pikihuia Awards are open for submissions. They cannot wait to welcome submissions in te reo Māori and English in all three sections. Kaua e whakamā, whether you’re a seasoned writer, a tuakana […]

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  • NZ Writers celebrated with New Year Honours 2023

    Congratulations to the New Zealand Aotearoa’s writers and those across the arts community who were recognised in this New Years Honours list for 2022. Writers who received recognition include Dr. Haare Williams, Pānia Papa, Beryl Te Haumihiata Mason, Dr. Lana Lopesi, Dr. Paul Maunder, Penelope Jackson and Dr. Gina Cole. We also congratulate Dame Miranda […]

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  • Announcing READERS AND WRITERS AKAROA (RAWA) June 10-11 2023

    READERS AND WRITERS AKAROA (RAWA) SAVE THE DATE 10–11 June, 2023 The Akaroa Community Arts Council, in association with the New Zealand Society of Authors, is delighted to host its inaugural symposium, Readers and Writers Akaroa 2023. Building on a successful foundation of creative writing events in the past few years, we are branching out […]

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  • Protecting Australian artists – Australia’s Albanese government moves to protect creative rights

      The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP 24 November 2022 Media Release The Albanese Government is committed to copyright laws that protect Australian artists and enable them to earn a living from their creative works. The Attorney-General’s Department will release an issues paper for public consultation as the first stage of a review into whether […]

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  • NZ Summer of Reading campaign launched by Read NZ

    An online campaign launching today will again encourage Kiwis to pick up a book and share their reading this summer. NZ Summer of Reading is a light-hearted campaign to share and promote reading for relaxation and pure fun. Now in its second year, it will run until the end of January. Read NZ Te Pou Muramura […]

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  • Changes at WORD Christchurch – Nic LOW steps down

    NOVEMBER 28, 2022 AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM WORD  After two years in the role, Nic Low is stepping down from the Programme Directorship of WORD Christchurch. Nic leaves us with stronger ties to Māori writers and storytellers, and a new strength in livestreaming and innovative digital presentation. He is leaving to concentrate on his own writing and his role […]

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  • Seven Days Walking – Going West poets offer provocations

    We love bringing you innovative ways to connect with New Zealand authors. Which is why we are delighted to be partnering with the Urban Walking Festival to extend their delightful project Seven Days of Walking: writing to inspire walking delivered to your phone by text message. We teamed up with UWF to add new commissions […]

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  • Legendary Author Joy Cowley Draws Thousands of Spellbound Young Kiwis to Special Online Event

    Wellington,1 December 2022 More than 4,000 young Kiwi booklovers in schools and libraries across the country attended a very special online event yesterday, where legendary author Joy Cowley read from her classic tale The Tiny Woman’s Coat (illustrated by Giselle Clarkson from Gecko Press) and answered questions about her love of reading, writing, and penning […]

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  • Nominees 2022 RSF Prize

    Here is the list of nominees for the 2022 RSF Prize. Fifteen journalists and media outlets from all over the world have been shortlisted for their outstanding and essential work in support of the freedom to inform. Here are the exceptional histories on their website. This year is the 30th edition of this prize. Thirty years […]

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