Humanist poet produces his best efforts yet

Walking into the bright lights of a bookshop can be annoying. Books everywhere: novels, cookbooks, biographies.

Posted: Tuesday Dec 16, 2025

Takatāpui writer paving the way for community

Essa Ranapiri (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Pūkeko, Te Arawa) has become the first Māori PhD graduate from the University’s Engl...

Posted: Tuesday Dec 16, 2025

Lifetime of learning

At 88, Peter Duncan is proof it’s never too late to learn.

Posted: Tuesday Dec 16, 2025

Read 'Worthlessness'

By Kirstie McKinnon

Posted: Tuesday Dec 16, 2025

Poetry Shelf cafe readings: Sue Wootton

Listen to Sue Wootton read a few of her poems on Paula Green's Poetry Shelf cafe reading series!

Posted: Friday Dec 12, 2025

The City Library Book Group will be returning on 12 February 2026

There won’t be a meeting in January to give you more time to relax and read!

Posted: Friday Dec 12, 2025

Poetry Shelf goes hiking

Te Araroa poems by Jillian Sullivan

Posted: Friday Dec 12, 2025

The MacLeods epic overland journey

In 1962, Dunedin farmer Alan MacLeod said to his wife Joan and six kids, 'how about going for a drive'?’

Posted: Friday Dec 12, 2025

Landfall Tauraka Review December

Eric Trump reviews: Everything but the Medicine: A doctor’s tale by Lucy O’Hagan (Massey University Press)

Posted: Friday Dec 12, 2025

A Conversation with Nicole Flattery - CISS Irish Writing Fellow 2025

Earlier this year, Dunedin Public Libraries and Ōtepoti UNESCO City of Literature had the joy of hosting young Irish aut...

Posted: Friday Dec 12, 2025

Call for applications for the 2026 writing residencies at Vil·la Joana, Barcelona

Submit your application before 16 January 2026 and live a unique experience in the heart of Collserola Park.

Posted: Thursday Dec 11, 2025

Poetry Shelf celebrates ...

Te Whāriki: Reading Ten New Poets from Aotearoa edited by Anna Jackson, Dougal McNeill and Robert Sullivan (Auckland Uni...

Posted: Thursday Dec 11, 2025

Inspiring Communities

Child-Rich stories of local leadership and action

Posted: Wednesday Dec 10, 2025

Book of the Week: Give the patient a comfortable chair

Dr Eileen Merriman savours a memoir by Dr Lucy O’Hagan

Posted: Wednesday Dec 10, 2025

Entries for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults!

For books published between 1 April 2025 and 30 November 2025, submissions close at 5pm on Friday 12 December 2025. For ...

Posted: Wednesday Dec 10, 2025

Check out the Weekly Top 5 at University Bookshop

Trust other Booklovers: these are worth reading.

Posted: Wednesday Dec 10, 2025

The 2026 John O’Connor First Book Award

Submissions close at midnight on 16th January 2026.

Posted: Tuesday Dec 09, 2025

Latest news from DWRF

Mā te Wā...

Posted: Tuesday Dec 09, 2025

Poetry Shelf Monday Poem

Paranormal Phenomenon by Richard Reeve

Posted: Monday Dec 08, 2025

Applications are open for the NZSA Mentor Programme

Applications close 1 February 2026

Posted: Monday Dec 08, 2025

Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel Research grants (Post-doc and Short-term Fellowships)

Application deadline: January 31, 2026, start: January 1, 2027

Posted: Monday Dec 08, 2025

Check out the Weekly Top 5 at University Bookshop

... including 3 Otago University Press Books!

Posted: Friday Dec 05, 2025

Outstanding contributions recognised with Honorary Doctorates

Highly-respected Ōtākou kaumātua Edward Ellison and Emeritus Professor John Broughton will be awarded with Otago's highe...

Posted: Friday Dec 05, 2025

Poetry Shelf celebrates a Laureate evening

Poetry Shelf celebrates our Poetry Treasures

Posted: Friday Dec 05, 2025

University Book Shop Christmas Late Night

Thursday 4 Dec 9-8pm, and 25% off storewide all day!

Posted: Thursday Dec 04, 2025

Applications for Te Pou Theatre's Nohonga Creative Residencies 2026 are now open!

Applications close Sun 14 Dec 2025.

Posted: Thursday Dec 04, 2025

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

Applications are open from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2026 for writers interested in residencies at the cottage for p...

Posted: Thursday Dec 04, 2025

Congratulations to Richard Joseph - recipient of the 2025 Dunedin Public Libraries' Citation

Dunedin Public Libraries are delighted to announce that the recipient of the 2025 Dunedin Public Libraries' Citation is ...

Posted: Thursday Dec 04, 2025

Today on Write Spot

Award-winning Dunedin author Barbara Else has received a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement

Posted: Wednesday Dec 03, 2025

Being awarded fellowship has extra meaning for writer

Dunedin writer Laurence Fearnley was a student when she first experienced poetry as "a living, breathing form".

Posted: Wednesday Dec 03, 2025

Writing Competitions and Contests - Weekly Updates

13 opportunities | 3 closing this month | Total prizes over $25,000

Posted: Wednesday Dec 03, 2025

Where might Alice end up if she tumbled down, down, down through the earth?

The Antipodes, of course — Larnach Castle in New Zealand!

Posted: Wednesday Dec 03, 2025

Call for Nominations: 2026 Bucheon Diaspora Literary Award

Submissions close 23 December 2025

Posted: Wednesday Dec 03, 2025

Dive into the Dream Issue of Pasefika Presence

Posted: Wednesday Dec 03, 2025

Together

Posted: Tuesday Dec 02, 2025

Venerable comedy given sparkling outing by youth

The Importance of Being Earnest - Playhouse Theatre.

Posted: Monday Dec 01, 2025

The Reread with Hera Lindsay Bird

Tonight Hera Lindsay Bird joins us for the Reread.

Posted: Friday Nov 28, 2025

Call for Videopoetry — UNESCO Cities of Literature.

Deadline: January 10, 2026.

Posted: Friday Nov 28, 2025

Indigenous Voices in Children’s Literature

Register for this four-day programme 2 Feb - 5 Feb 2026, Te Kura Toi Tangata, School of Education, Waikato University (H...

Posted: Friday Nov 28, 2025

Beatrice Hale's new book, The Black Thistle (Kellas Cat Press) is available now!

The sequel to The Resolute Heart, by Beatrice Hale

Posted: Friday Nov 28, 2025

Writing Prizes Roundtable - call for registrations

Join coordinators from literary prizes across the UNESCO Cities of Literature for a dynamic virtual meeting hosted by Me...

Posted: Friday Nov 28, 2025

Sending aroha from Dunedin to Halyna Bolkun at Mystetska Biblioteka and Lviv City of Literature

These incredible art books, donated by our friends at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery are poised and ready for the shelve...

Posted: Thursday Nov 27, 2025

Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival 2026 Reflections

Victor Rodger, Nadine Hura, Sihle Ntuli, Ati Teepa and Dianne Brown

Posted: Thursday Nov 27, 2025

Birds of a Feather are so very excited to announce what's in store for 2026

In a collaboration with BRAVE Theatre Birds of a Feather will be opening the NZ premiere of JULIA by Joanna Murray Smith...

Posted: Wednesday Nov 26, 2025

Poet honoured with plaque

Sir Vincent O’Sullivan has received a plaque in the Dunedin Writers Walk which was unveiled at a small ceremony outside ...

Posted: Wednesday Nov 26, 2025

OAR FM Air Awards

Burns Hall at First Church was buzzing on Saturday night as OAR FM celebrated their Air Awards 2025.

Posted: Wednesday Nov 26, 2025

'How about going for a drive?' turned into an epic global adventure

Hannah Bulloch has written a book about her grandparents decision to take six kids around the world on a house truck.

Posted: Tuesday Nov 25, 2025

Hope new youth theatre group will bridge gap in city

First-time director Sebastian Cumming is leading the charge with the new youth theatre group at The Playhouse Theatre, i...

Posted: Tuesday Nov 25, 2025

2026 Dublin Literary Award Nominations

Huge congratulations to Dominic Hoey on his nomination by Dunedin Public Libraries for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award fo...

Posted: Tuesday Nov 25, 2025

Poetry Shelf Monday Poem

volume turned down to 7 by Kay McKenzie Cooke

Posted: Tuesday Nov 25, 2025

Halo olketa! Happy Solomon Islands Pijin Langguis Wik!

The Dunedin Solomon Islands Community and Dunedin Wantoks are BACK with another series of podcasts, tok stori in celebra...

Posted: Monday Nov 24, 2025

Poetry Shelf Noticeboard: The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems

Congratulations to our very own Sue Wootton, winner of the Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems.

Posted: Monday Nov 24, 2025

Asia New Zealand Foundation Arts Experience Fund opens 1 December

Supporting self-directed opportunities for New Zealand-based arts practitioners to build meaningful artistic and profess...

Posted: Monday Nov 24, 2025

Looking for Christmas presents?

Buy this gorgeous 2026 calendar and support the Robert Lord Writers Cottage Trust and the cottage residency programme.

Posted: Monday Nov 24, 2025

Catching up on cottage news

Here are a few highlights of what's been happening at the cottage recently, plus the chance to buy Joyful and Triumphant...

Posted: Monday Nov 24, 2025

Love Your Bookshop Day

"The team at University Book Shop would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us and all indepen...

Posted: Friday Nov 21, 2025