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The 2026 Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki invites book lovers to spend a week with some of the world’s most fascinating minds, from 12 to 17 May 2026.
For 27 years, the festival has brought celebrated storytellers, bold thinkers and fresh new voices to the heart of the city. This May, thousands of people from across Aotearoa will once again gather in the city centre to explore a packed programme of talks, ideas and conversations — with literary heavyweights, global voices and exciting new talent all taking the stage.
Highlights
How to Festival: Auckland Writers Festival Edition
The Writers Festival is taking over Aotea Centre — and the city centre is ready to play its part. Between big ideas and standing ovations, there’s coffee to fuel you, bites to grab, shops to browse and galleries to dip into. Whether you’re racing between sessions or lingering long after the last applause, consider this your guide to making a full day (and night) of it.
What's new
17 MAY, 2026 | Q Theatre
Enjoy literature outside the lines with Plot Twist: the programme that bends genres, breaks rules and rewrites the Festival script. On Sunday 17 May, head to Q Theatre for intriguing activities like spoken word, tarot, dark academia, romance and surprises around every corner. Spill out into the Q Theatre foyer to soak up the atmosphere with their bookstall, free zine-making with Auckland Zinefest, DJs, BookTok meet-ups and more.
The Intrepid Lounge
Level 4 at QBE Gallery
The Intrepid Lounge is a new welcoming dwell space encouraging festivalgoers to relax during the bustling Festival days. Showcasing inspiring international destinations, the lounge celebrates the creative connection between storytelling and Intrepid Travel – a small–group tour operator that operates trips globally with a strong focus on sustainability and community impact.
A $10,000 Intrepid Travel voucher is up for grabs, be sure to visit The Intrepid Lounge to go into the draw to win!
Free fun for all!
Family activities, coffee & street food
15 - 17 MAY | Aotea Square
Step into Aotea Square for lively family activities, coffee and street food to keep you fuelled, and some exciting new additions will be unveiled closer to date.
15 - 17 MAY | Aotea Centre
Nestled on Level 5, Kōrero Corner offers a fresh strand of dynamic free events, drop-in style. Expect a range of short, informal sessions that promise to spark inspiration and delight, or even teach you something new. Swing by daily to see what’s happening.
16 - 17 MAY | 5th floor at Aotea Centre
Experience another action-packed Pukapuka Adventures programme with enthralling events for tamariki and your whānau – all absolutely free. Get curious and explore the enchanting worlds of books through music, dance, potion-making, sleuthing, drawing, interactive storytelling, creative crafts and plenty of laughs!
Click here for more free events.
Let the scent of books pull you in!
Embark on the bookshop trail along High Street, where all your favourite bookstores are perfectly nestled together. Whether you're hunting for rare vintage treasures or the latest BookTok sensations, you'll find them all waiting here.
Hone your writing skills with...
Daniel Hahn: An Introduction to Translation
15 MAY | 9 - 10.30AM | Waihorotiu Room | $67.50
Daniel Hahn is one of the UK’s most acclaimed literary translators, known for his translations from Portuguese, Spanish and French and his work with the Translators Association, the Society of Authors and English PEN. In this illuminating and beginner friendly masterclass, he’ll reveal how a piece of fiction moves between languages in the hands of a literary translator. Click here for more information.
Emma Neale: Drafting and Crafting Poetry
15 MAY | 3 - 4.30PM | Waihorotiu Room | $67.50
Award-winning Emma Neale is one New Zealand's most celebrated poets. In this practical and engaging workshop, Neale will help you find your way into a poem – and how to stay on course once you’ve begun. You’ll gain insights into how to craft poems that truly lift – and truly land. Click here for more information.
Barbara Demick: Covering Repressive Regimes
16 MAY | 11AM - 12.30PM | Waihorotiu Room | $67.50
As authoritarian regimes hone their means of control, journalists have to up their game. In this unique masterclass, Samuel Johnson Prize winner and Orwell and Pulitzer Prize shortlisted journalist Barbara Demick reveals some of the techniques modern journalists employ: from defector interviews to open-source intelligence, to social media. Click here for more information.
Click here for more masterclasses.
Discover the full Auckland Writers Festival programme here!
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Last updated:
26 February 2026