Every year we stage over 200 public events, gathering over 220 of the world’s best writers and thinkers to celebrate the world of books and ideas.

For the past 24 years the Festival has enriched the culture of our city and established itself as a major Australasian festival, characterised not only by the calibre of our guest authors but also by the enthusiasm and engagement of our audience and the warmth and welcome provided by Auckland as our setting.

The Festival 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. We celebrate curiosity and a sense of intellectual adventure and our programme is driven by the desire to spark ideas, to get us talking and to give us a time and place to engage with the world.

Visit our People page for a list of Staff and Trustees.

To get in touch with us please contact us.

To find out more about past Festivals visit our Archive.

The MĀTĀTUHI FOUNDATION has been established by the Auckland Writers Festival to support the development of the literary landscape of New Zealand, by:

• Supporting activities that provide opportunities for New Zealand writers to develop and promote their works and for readers to increase their appreciation of New Zealand literature and/or increase their engagement with the work of New Zealand writers; and
• Funding activities that contribute to literacy in Aotearoa and/or provide transformative experiences for readers of New Zealand literature, and thereby enhance appreciation for the works of New Zealand writers.

We are offsetting flights associated with the Auckland Writers Festival with Ekos and have been awarded their Carbon Friendly certification. Ekos is a social enterprise that offers carbon management services and partners with landowners to establish and protect indigenous forests in NZ and the Pacific.