Aotearoa’s best authors named in AWF 2026 programme

Announced yesterday, the programme features more than 220 artists from across the country and the world in over 170 events, creating a party-like atmosphere that will take over the Aotea Centre and other central city venues.

The annual event is one of the biggest festivals of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, with 2025 seeing more than 85,000 attendances and a staggering 12,000 books sold – testament to New Zealanders passion for books, reading and big ideas.

The programming prowess of Artistic Director Lyndsey Fineran and a team of staff and guest curators have delivered a Festival that will entertain, enlighten and inform every type of reader.

“As a new artistic director stepping into a long‑running Festival, you ask yourself two things: what do our loyal audiences love and want? And who isn’t coming through our doors yet, but could be?” says Lyndsey.

“Nothing has thrilled me more than seeing attendances soar over the last two years and watching a broader range of readers (and the reading‑curious…) fill our theatres. My hope is that my third AWF programme not only excites our beloved Festival regulars but also cracks the doors open a little wider to welcome new ones.

I’m so grateful to the creative team, my co-leader Catriona Ferguson and the wider AWF whānau who bring this exceptional Festival to the city.”

Plot Twist, a whole new arm of the Festival aimed at rangatahi and celebrating lit outside the lines launches this year. A Q Theatre takeover, the programme will bend genres, break rules, and rewrite the Festival script on Sunday 17 May. Every inch of Q will be packed with spoken word, tarot, dark academia, romance and surprises around every corner. There will also be free zine making with Auckland Zinefest, DJs, BookTok meet ups and more.

Also new for 2026 is the Intrepid Lounge, a welcoming dwell space for Festival goers to escape the bustle for some downtime. Audiences will need the chance to relax and reflect after hearing from some of literature’s most recognisable household names.

The strong international contingent is joined by a rollcall of top New Zealand writers: literary legend Witi Ihimaera; superstar Catherine Chidgey; fiction delights Emma Neale, Josie Shapiro, Charlotte Grimshaw and more; mental performance coach Gilbert Enoka; activist Tāme Iti; journalist Barry Soper; acclaimed historian Vincent O’Malley; doctors Timoti Te Moke and Lucy O'Hagan; and grief expert Dr Lucy Hone, who will join Natalie Flynn for a special tribute panel to Nigel Latta.

Festival audiences will be amongst the first in Aotearoa to hear Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern discuss her Ockham New Zealand Book Awards nominated book, A Different Kind of Power.  And the 2026 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction winner will be revealed at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards ceremony with the recipient taking to the Festival stage for their first post-win appearance. 

True crime aficionados will have plenty to sink their teeth into. Two of the most seasoned forensic investigators in Aotearoa, Thomas Coyle and Ruben Miller, will offer rare insight into their work, while Steve Braunias will take the audience on a revealing journey into the Polkinghorne trial.

2026 Honoured Writer Bill Manhire leads a roll call of the most esteemed authors in Aotearoa including Tusiata Avia, Charlotte Grimshaw, and Elizabeth Knox. Beloved children’s authors will appear, with Rachael King, Stacy Gregg and Giselle Clarkson among those to join Illustrator in Residence Ruth Paul.

There is plenty to entertain as well – comedian Pax Assadi will open up on his new memoir Mortified; Laughton Kora will invite the audience to be part of conceiving A Waiata in an Hour; in Down the Rabbit Hole writers will share how an unexpected topic, however niche, quirky or odd, ended up being significant to their work; Fran Lebowitz will deliver her razor-sharp commentary, biting realism and unapologetic observations, and the late-night Spice Salon is back by popular demand.

 AI, climate change, the economy, mental health, modern masculinity, indigenous rights in an election year and what it means to be a writer in today’s fractured America are just a few of the topics to be unpacked during a series of lively panel discussions.

There is plenty excitement for the Festival’s youngest attendees at PUKAPUKA ADVENTURES, a free programme of family fun which runs over the weekend of 16 and 17 May.

The action kicks off early with STREETSIDE running from 6 – 9pm on Friday 8 May. With an expanded programme for 2026, this pre-Festival teaser has become an institution and sees writers, musicians and artists bring bite-sized events to the streets of Britomart.  While during the Festival itself, KŌRERO CORNER will again deliver a fresh strand of dynamic, free, drop in events and a series of Masterclasses offer an opportunity for attendees to hone their writing skills.

This is just a small snapshot of the full programme available at writersfestival.co.nz. Public tickets are on sale from 9am, Friday 13 March via Ticketmaster or by calling 0800 111 999. The event is designed to be accessible and welcoming, with more than 25% of the festival events free of charge.

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