Schools Programme Hōtaka Kura Tuesday 13 - Thursday 15 May 2025

FIRST EXCITING NAMES REVEALED!

Auckland Writers Festival l Waituhi o Tāmaki is thrilled to announce our first three names for the 2025 Schools Programme Hōtaka Kura, running from Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 May across three jam-packed days.

Scotty Cotter | Stacy Gregg | Anton Clifford-Motopi

YEARS 5 & 6: Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May 2025
YEARS 7 & 8: Tuesday 13 May 2025
YEARS 9 - 13: Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May 2025

Read on to hear more about our first authors!

NEXT KEY DATES:

Wednesday 5 February 2025 Full Schools Programme line up revealed

Wednesday 12 February 2025 Tickets on sale – book early to ensure availability

Select National Library-produced teaching resources available on AWF website

Tuesday 13 May 2025 Barfoot & Thompson Young Authors Challenge competition opens

SCOTTY COTTER (AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND)

Scotty Cotter (Tainui, Ngāti Kahu, Fiji) is a storyteller whose passion spans stage and screen. His work blends humour, heart, and magic, often challenging conventions around Indigenous storytelling. In partnership with Silo Theatre Scotty created Mauri Tau a unique audio experience that weaves together the magic of theatre and your whakapapa to the stars and nature. In this interactive session for Intermediate and Secondary schools, Scotty will introduce students to his playful and reflective Sound Play that explores Te Kāhui o Matariki (the star cluster of Matariki).

STACY GREGG (AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND)

Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta/Ngāti Pukeko/Ngāti Maru Hauraki) grew up in Ngāruawāhia, the setting for her middle-grade, suspenseful novel Nine Girls which won the Margaret Mahy Supreme Award at the 2024 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. In our 2025 schools programme Stacy will discuss this page-turning adventure that follows leading character Titch as she searches for potentially cursed gold buried somewhere on her family’s land.

Stacy is the undisputed queen of pony fiction, author of 39 titles and she remains HarperCollins NZ’s third best-selling children’s author of all-time after David Walliams and Dr Seuss.

ANTON CLIFFORD-MOTOPI (AUSTRALIA)

Author Anton Clifford-Motopi enjoys writing stories that make children laugh. His debut book To and Fro is a cheeky novel that explores identity, family and friendship, drawing from his experiences of having a black identity with light skin and growing up in a large adoptive family. In this delightfully funny and thought-provoking session Anton will delve into the challenges and joys of writing personal stories.

A BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

We’d like to thank the following long-term sponsors and partners for their generous support of the Schools Programme which enables us to keep the Schools Programme accessible for every child and their school: Freemasons Foundation, Barfoot & Thompson and the Potter Masonic Trust.

Practical Information

Venue: Aotea Centre, Auckland City

Schedule: 9:30am – 2:30pm daily (four age-appropriate sessions)

Bookings: From 12 February 2025 through Ticketmaster

Enquiries: schools@writersfestival.co.nz

Ticket prices (kept at 2024 prices):

• Full-day attendance (four x 45-minute sessions) is $13 per student;
• Workshop places (one hour) are an additional $16 per student;
• Teachers attend FREE of charge.

A note from our Family and Schools Programmer, Gabrielle Vincent:

“This programme is designed with a range of access points, to inspire the next generation of readers and writers. As a student I was described as a “reluctant reader” and for years I struggled to find my way into the joy of reading, but with the support of a passionate teacher I was able discover material that made sense to me. It was this connection that set me on the journey that has led me to this role. My inspiration, when curating this programme, was to capture the attention of all types of young readers and writers, and to ensure it is as fun as it is educational. We can’t wait to see you there!”

Our Schools Programme is proudly supported by

YOUNG AUTHORS CHALLENGE