The feature documentary, BEHROUZ will have its world premiere in Christchurch on Saturday, 11 June, at the Isaac Theatre Royal. Come and join us for this special event! Tickets are available now.
The Backlisted Podcast episode that was going to be recorded live as part of WORD was recorded anyway and is now available.
We've listened to your feedback about how much you enjoyed watching the Festival sessions over the summer, and that you know others who would like to watch them, too. So, we've reinstated all our on-demand recordings. Read more here.
We did it! After the most tumultuous year in WORD’s history (yes, even more so than in 2010 when the festival was shut down by a huge earthquake!) we staged a great festival. We harnessed technology to beam writers both into the festival and out to the world. Read on for our report from the 2021 WORD Christchurch Festival!
Books exploring subjects from wartime nationalism to sexual violence, terrorism to one of New Zealand’s most infamous cases, scooped the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Awards on Saturday night.
We did it! After weeks of replanning, undoing and planning again, through alert level changes, uncertainty and daily roadblocks, we can now release the revised, downsized, Covid-safe 2021 WORD Festival programme. READ ON...
Safety is paramount in these unsettling times, and we want to offer our audience, writers, volunteers and staff peace of mind. We have a number of policies in place because we care about our community, and that means looking after our most vulnerable and all doing our bit. READ ON...
From journalists hunting justice to communities upturned by sudden violence, the authors of the 2021 Ngaio Marsh Awards finalists explore the motives and impacts of some of the starkest criminal justice issues facing Aotearoa. Check out the finalists here.
The WORD Christchurch Festival, due to take place in August, has been rescheduled. New dates have just been announced: 10 – 13 November. Watch this space for the revised programme, out soon!
We couldn't be more pleased to once again be partnering with the University of Canterbury with our shared vision of telling stories and highlighting important issues. We invited one of UC's many staff who are appearing at the festival, Jeanette King, to tell us what she's reading and what she's looking forward to at the festival.
The programme for the Cheltenham Literature Festival in England has been launched and we are thrilled that WORD is participating!
Kia ora. It's Rachael here. I am going to tell you about something that got me through Lockdown last year, and I hope it will help make the next few days better. Read on...
It's been a week of literary awards in New Zealand, with the Sir Julius Vogel Awards for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror and the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. We are thrilled to announce that WORD writers took out some of the top award categories in each.
WORD Christchurch is keeping a close eye on updates from the Ministry of Health and will be following all alert level protocols. We will keep you updated via newsletter, our website and social media. Our thoughts are with those affected by the latest COVID announcement.
WORD Christchurch Festival 2021 offers a range of exciting events for all of you writers out there, from aspiring to experienced, including poetry, fiction, memoir and editing workshops, and the chance to see yourself in print with our magazine in residence, takahē.
Te Papa Tupu is The Māori Literature Trust's mentoring programme for aspiring Māori writers, awarded biennially to six people who have a complete manuscript and are working towards publication. It offers editorial guidance and mentorship, a stipend, and a community of writers. WORD extends a very warm nau mai, haere mai ki Ōtautahi to this year's rōpū.
We welcome two talented Christchurch writers as guest curators – who bring their knowledge of festivals and the New Zealand literary landscape, and their unique voices, to add some extra spice to the programme. Read their 'what and why' here.
Introducing The Faraway Near: our custom digital venue that has the intimacy of a night at the pub with friends – and a favourite writer. Featuring international guests Helen Garner, Ruth Ozeki, Helen Macdonald, Hari Kunzru, Tommy Orange, Ava Homa & Behrouz Boochani; A. C. Grayling and Mark O'Connell. Don't miss your chance to experience these innovative events!
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