Packed 2026 WORD Christchurch Programme Unveiled

More than 100 writers, thinkers and performers will fill venues across the city, presenting the books and big ideas that are shaping conversations right now.

Programme Director Kiran Dass says this year’s programme is all about making waves – in ideas, in conversations and in the way stories connect us. 'Festivals create ripples that extend far beyond the events themselves, bringing people together to discover new voices, challenge perspectives, and celebrate the power of books and storytelling.

'Whether you’re an avid reader, a music lover, curious about the world, or simply looking to discover something new, there’s something here for all audiences. Everyone is welcome,' she says.

Tickets go on sale at 6pm, Wednesday 15 July, with most priced under $30.

Aotearoa music royalty Jon Toogood and Dave Dobbyn talk memoir and songwriting in events over the weekend. Rumour has it, they’ll also play a song or two. Multi-instrumentalist Riki Gooch (Ngāti Wai, Patuharakeke, Ngaati Maahanga) and award-winning writer Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore, Pākehā) weave together Māori futurism, whakapapa and taiao (the natural world) in sound and story in Ā Mua, a collaboration with Chamber Music New Zealand.

Beloved UK author Olivia Laing will make a digital appearance, and the festival will showcase some of Aotearoa New Zealand's finest novelists including Ingrid Horrocks, Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction winner at the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, 2022 Booker Prize-winner Shehan Karunatilaka and bestselling author Charlotte Grimshaw. Gather your crew to see powerhouse poets including multi-award-winning Australian Nam Le, and you won’t want to miss Kate Camp interrogating her teenage accounts of sex, drugs and risk-taking in her one-woman show Leather & Chains: My 1986 Diary.

Political pundits are represented with Grant Robertson, Barry Soper, Tāme Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe), and podcasting partners Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson. Head along for a fix of outstanding investigative journalism with Asher Emanuel, Charlotte Glennie and Barbara Dreaver each talking about their bestselling books. Your world may feel different after hearing internationally renowned writer Elizabeth Knox, broadcaster and writer Noelle McCarthy, journalist Sally Wenley, comedian Pax Assadi and resilience expert Dr Lucy Hone talk about their extraordinary memoirs.

Nigerian British actor, writer and activist Fehinti Belogun asks us whether we can save the planet without addressing social inequality in a screening of Can I Live? Acclaimed writers Breton Dukes (Party Boy), Lawrence Patchett (Have This Heart), Filipino-Kiwi Joseph Trinidad (Lucky Creatures) and John Summers (Green Sea) reflect on what it means to be a modern man in The New Masculinity. And in Adventurous Women, we reclaim the forgotten stories of pioneering women in Aotearoa history via two new books, Digging Deep: Women on New Zealand’s Goldfields by Julia Bradshaw and Great Hearts: First Ladies of Aoraki Mount Cook by Hazel Phillips.

WORD as ever goes beyond the page. There’s Cocktails and Tarot with critic and writer Claire Mabey, a very special kai event at Ōtautahi’s Michelin-awarded restaurant Gatherings, and the ever-popular Risky Women returns featuring daring wāhine sharing moments of calamity and joy. Cabinet of Curiosities is a WORD highlight, and there’s a rare opportunity for guests to see, touch and hear about some of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s buried secret objects, selected by archaeologists Katharine Watson and Jessie Garland. In Letters Out Loud poignant private correspondence written by historical figures and everyday heroes alike are brought to life by Elisabeth Easther, Ariana Tikao (Kāi Tahu) and more. You’ll need to be quick to secure tickets to Lost the Plot quiz night; it’s always a sellout. Celebrate the last day of the festival at Sonic Tonic, a party where spoken word and improvised sound come together with some of Aotearoa’s standout writers and musicians.

WORD is proud to partner with Ngāi Tahu for three special events including a walking tour. For writers both experienced and emerging, don’t wait too long to secure your place in a packed programme of workshops across fiction, playwriting, poetry, editing, publishing and non-fiction led by skilled professionals.

There’s plenty of fun for tamariki and rangatahi starting pre-festival on 15 August with Books Come Alive in Rolleston, a free family day at Te Ara Ātea featuring Giselle Clarkson, Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata), and a Reading Rave at Tūranga. Both events are part of the inaugural Aotearoa NZ Children’s Book Week. Don’t miss the Ōtautahi Youth Poetry Slam where the finest high school voices battle it out for the slam champion crown. Head to the Edmonds Band Rotunda by the Ōtākaro Avon River on Saturday afternoon for Rangatahi Boogie featuring singing storytellers Cubbin Theatre.

Programme Director Kiran Dass says audiences can expect thought-provoking conversations, powerful truths, moments of discovery and shared laughter.

'At WORD, you'll encounter bold new thinking from many of Aotearoa New Zealand's most acclaimed writers and thinkers—sometimes in ways you won't expect. Whether you're inspired, surprised, moved or delighted, every event offers the chance to experience something that stays with you long after you've left the room.'

WORD Christchurch Executive Director Steph Walker says this year's festival is designed to make great stories and big ideas accessible to as many people as possible.

'This year's festival reflects everything WORD is about – bringing people together through stories, ideas and unforgettable live experiences. With more than 60 events, including a wide range of free and pay-what-you- wish sessions, we've worked hard to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy the festival.'

WORD Christchurch Festival warmly thanks major funders Christchurch City Council, Creative New Zealand and the Rātā Foundation; principal funders the University of Canterbury and Pub Charity, as well as a myriad of partners, all festival champions and supporting publishers and arts organisations.

For the full WORD programme go to: