He pānui, he angitu | News and Opportunities
Waiariki Parata-Taiapa represents Ōtepoti in international literary online programme
Waiariki Parata-Taiapa (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Porou) recently represented Ōtepoti in an exciting international lit...
Posted: Thursday Sep 17, 2026
“...the fitness and the wonder of it.”
The Larnachs by Owen Marshall (RHNZ Vintage, 2011)
Posted: Wednesday Sep 16, 2026
First New Edition in 67 Years of Pioneering NZ Gay Novel 'A Way of Love'
Lurid Editions will publish the first new edition since 1959 of James Courage's A Way of Love on 24 September — a novel ...
Posted: Wednesday Sep 16, 2026
New Zealand Set to Unveil Tri-Nation Indigenous Co-Production Initiative at Toronto Film Festival
New Zealand is set to announce a first-of-its-kind Indigenous co-production initiative at the Toronto Film Festival, New...
Posted: Wednesday Sep 16, 2026
Ukrainian museum cats are conquering the world!
Vote now and help Odesa's museum cats win! Voting is open until October 10!
Posted: Wednesday Sep 16, 2026
Connecting Both Halves of a Life – a review of Shariff Burke’s Childish Palate
Rakibul Hasan Khan on Childish Palate by Shariff Burke (Tender Press, 2026)
Posted: Wednesday Sep 16, 2026
Ockham NZ Book Awards 2027 Judges’ Announcement
Renowned and award-winning authors, reviewers, academics, curators, a bookseller and a broadcaster are among the 12 expe...
Posted: Wednesday Sep 16, 2026
Follow the Southern Sunset Thursday 17 September
We're so proud to share that our very own Lisa Dick will be reading her first children's picture book, 'The Baby Sleeps'...
Posted: Wednesday Sep 16, 2026
Dunedin writers encouraged to enter the Robert Burns poetry competition
Dunedin writers can now submit their poetry on the theme of land, people and belonging to the 2026 Robert Burns Internat...
Posted: Tuesday Sep 15, 2026
Whodunit? Ask the Librarian
Librarian Molly Crighton reckons there’s plenty in common between the sleuthing she does with books, and writing a best-...
Posted: Monday Sep 14, 2026
School’s Polyfest costume project gives ‘whānau feels’
St Clair Primary School kapa haka group, Tītike, shone during their Polyfest performance this week thanks, in part, to n...
Posted: Monday Sep 14, 2026
Te Reo Māori in the Home 16 Sep 12pm online webinar
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is celebrating the power of bringing te reo home and the role whānau play in nurturing language, ...
Posted: Monday Sep 14, 2026
Are you thinking about presenting a show in Dunedin Fringe Festival 2027?
We all know having a little extra pūtea goes a long way to success so please do consider applying for a Fringe grant to ...
Posted: Monday Sep 14, 2026
Otago Polyfest 2026 livestream replay
The lovely team at The Video Factory Limited have made the Livestream version of Otago Polyfest 2026 in a Vimeo Showcase...
Posted: Monday Sep 14, 2026
Today on Write Spot
Waimate-based writer and illustrator Emma Heppell has a new children's book, Walter and Wilma the Wandering Albatrosses.
Posted: Wednesday Sep 09, 2026
An Essential Sadness
Sally Blundell reviews What We Remember, What We Forget by Siobhan Harvey (Otago University Press, 2026)
Posted: Wednesday Sep 09, 2026
Arina and Domi are back at the Otago Polyfest village!
Interviewing attendees, organisers, performers and stallholders about their favourite Polyfest memories. Pop by and say ...
Posted: Wednesday Sep 09, 2026
Research Grant Applications
The Friends of the Turnbull Library offers an annual research grant of up to $20,000 available to scholars whose researc...
Posted: Wednesday Sep 09, 2026
A Lawrence & Gibson Triple Book Launch
Including our very own Frances Pavletich launching That Was Not My Intention
Posted: Tuesday Sep 08, 2026
Poetry Shelf pays tribute: Riemke Ensing (1939 – 2026)
Let us hold Riemke to our hearts, as we stand, hand in hand breathing in the sweet salty air at Muriwai Beach, wherever ...
Posted: Tuesday Sep 08, 2026
Halo olgeta! It's Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin Language Week!
The Papua New Guinea Kominiti in Dunedin explores this year's theme: Lukautim, strongim na kirapim tokples na pasin bilo...
Posted: Tuesday Sep 08, 2026
Calling all poets and writers!
Entries are now open for the annual Robert Burns International Poetry Competition, celebrating the enduring global conne...
Posted: Monday Sep 07, 2026
2026 Te Tauihu Short Story Awards
The annual Te Tauihu Short Story Awards are open to all New Zealand writers aged 16+, celebrating stories written in te ...
Posted: Monday Sep 07, 2026
2026 PANZ Book Design Awards ceremony!
Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 PANZ Book Design Award ceremony, which will be held in Auckland on 24th September f...
Posted: Monday Sep 07, 2026
Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant 2026
Penguin Random House New Zealand is thrilled to launch the Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant: a $50,000 initiative des...
Posted: Monday Sep 07, 2026
1 week until Te Wiki o te Reo Māori eraaaa - Āe, e whitu ngā rā e toe ana
There's still time to rally the crew! Register your Te Reo Town at reomaori.co.nz and join communities across Aotearoa c...
Posted: Monday Sep 07, 2026
Nō hea koe? Where are you from?
Tell Te Wiki o te Reo Māori the town you call home and you could see its name lighting up the Sky Tower in Tāmaki Makaur...
Posted: Wednesday Sep 02, 2026
Review: 75th Anniversary anthology full of stunning new poems
Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2026, edited by Tracey Slaughter (Massey University Press)
Posted: Wednesday Sep 02, 2026
Icarus: a fictional retelling
Small stories, deep ripples. Poetry, art, creatures and inspiring people. History — anytime from yesterday.
Posted: Wednesday Sep 02, 2026
Applications are now open for the 2027 Randell Cottage Writers Fellowship!
Applications close 23 October 2026
Posted: Tuesday Sep 01, 2026
Inside Joy Cowley’s extraordinary life and writing
The Kiwi author reflects on a lifetime of writing and the experiences that have shaped her life and work.
Posted: Tuesday Sep 01, 2026
Congratulations to the new Tuwhare Fellows
The Hone Tuwhare Trust is excited to announce our 2026–2027 residencies bringing together a new cohort of writers and ar...
Posted: Tuesday Sep 01, 2026
Happy WORD week!
Kicking off on Tuesday night with a very special musical and spoken word performance - Ā Mua. There are so many cool eve...
Posted: Tuesday Sep 01, 2026
Best ever celebration of NZ Poetry Day
Fiona Farrell responds to Tūmanako: Words of Hope event
Posted: Tuesday Sep 01, 2026
Fleur Beale: The Annual NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Lecture
Friday 25 September - Verb Wellington
Posted: Monday Aug 31, 2026
New Zealand Arts Review
Ōtepoti Dunedin Architecture: A Walking Guide by John Walsh and photographer Patrick Reynolds (Massey University Press)
Posted: Monday Aug 31, 2026
A very special setting for 'Pepeha Portal'
On Saturday 8 August, Ōtākou Marae hosted Poetry on the Marae, a special event celebrating the release of Ariana Tikao’s...
Posted: Monday Aug 31, 2026
Faces & Flowers: Dinah Hawken and Patricia France exhibition
The Eastern Southland Gallery warmly invites you to a Floor Talk, Exhibition Opening and Poetry Reading, on Saturday 12t...
Posted: Friday Aug 28, 2026
Poetry Shelf celebrates NZ Poetry Day
A Panel of Poets, Words of Hope and Lambing Season
Posted: Friday Aug 28, 2026
Heading Off to Bhutan!
That Blind Woman, Julie Woods, visited Bhutan in 2013, the remote kingdom in the Himalayas, nestled between India and Ch...
Posted: Friday Aug 28, 2026
Warm congratulations to Ōtepoti author Molly Crighton on the launch of 'The Body and the Blood' (Moa Press)!
Here are a few words from Molly about the special evening at St Paul’s Cathedral:
Posted: Friday Aug 28, 2026
Young poets shine at the 2026 Ōtepoti Youth Poetry Competition
Ōtepoti He Puna Auaha Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature was delighted to support the 2026 Ōtepoti Youth Poetry Competiti...
Posted: Thursday Aug 27, 2026
Te Wiki o te reo Māori - 14-20 Hepetema 2026
Each day of the week, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori has a theme for you to focus your reo around.
Posted: Thursday Aug 27, 2026
Professor Emerita Jocelyn Harris receives honorary doctorate
Congratulations to Professor Emerita Jocelyn Harris who, in addition to delivering today’s graduation address, received ...
Posted: Thursday Aug 27, 2026
Call for abstracts!
The University of Otago will host the 2027 International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures (IASIL) Conferen...
Posted: Thursday Aug 27, 2026
Calling literary programmers!
We’re excited to share that Melbourne's 6th International Literary Programmers Roundtable will take place in 2027! EOIs ...
Posted: Thursday Aug 27, 2026
Writing for Wellness returns for a second season
For participants in this year’s Writing for Wellness workshop series, four weeks of creativity, connection, laughter and...
Posted: Thursday Aug 27, 2026
From the Pearl River Delta to Otago’s fields of gold...
Ribbons of Grace by Maxine Alterio (Penguin New Zealand, 2008)
Posted: Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
Volunteer at Otago Polyfest
Otago Polyfest are looking for volunteers 7-11 September 2026 to fill rolls from encouraging backstage performers to gre...
Posted: Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
Today on Write Spot - Ōtepoti Dunedin Architecture: A Walking Guide
Award-winning writer John Walsh introduces his new book, Ōtepoti Dunedin Architecture: A Walking Guide, one of a series ...
Posted: Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
What a treat – two beautiful books launched together by two award-winning authors!
Everyone is welcome to join this celebratory eve on Wednesday 9 September, 6pm, at Unity Books, Wellington!
Posted: Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
Submissions for the 2027 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards now open!
Entries are now open for the 2027 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, for New Zealand books published between 1 January 2026...
Posted: Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
JULIA by Joanna Murray-Smith
20 tickets sold within the first 24 hours of show going live! Don't miss out!
Posted: Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
2026 Ngaio Marsh Awards - Best Novel Longlist
Congratulations to all the authors on the Best Novel Longlist for the 2026 Ngaio Marsh Awards especially our very own Li...
Posted: Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
Verb Wellington - A Riot of Words
Saturday 26 September, The Tasting Room
Posted: Tuesday Aug 25, 2026
Book Review: 'Ōtepoti Dunedin Architecture: A Walking Guide' by John Walsh and Patrick Reynolds (Massey University Press)
Pocket guide to Dunedin buildings not just for architecture geeks
Posted: Tuesday Aug 25, 2026
Publications editor turns children’s book author
With remarkable simplicity, Lisa Dick turned a handful of words into a heartfelt story about love in her debut children’...
Posted: Tuesday Aug 25, 2026