Book review: Olveston by Jane Ussher and John Walsh

Leah McFall reviews Olveston: Portrait of a Home by Jane Ussher and John Walsh

Posted: Tuesday Sep 16, 2025

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is officially underway!

Whether it's your very first kupu (word) or you're building towards a full kōrero (conversation), you are part of this j...

Posted: Tuesday Sep 16, 2025

Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival on OAR FM

Festival co-director Kitty Brown provides an overview of the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival programme for 2025

Posted: Tuesday Sep 16, 2025

A display rich in stories of connection and collaboration

When you visit the Ōtepoti UNESCO City of Literature display area on the ground floor of Dunedin City Library you’ll see...

Posted: Monday Sep 15, 2025

Art Books for Lviv: A Gift from Cities of Literature

Ōtepoti City of Literature is thrilled that Dunedin Public Art Gallery has generously gifted three remarkable books for ...

Posted: Monday Sep 15, 2025

Slamming poetry with the best of them

Posted: Monday Sep 15, 2025

E kainamu mai ana Te Wiki o te Reo Māori!

The celebration is set to be bigger than ever!

Posted: Monday Sep 15, 2025

Parishay's Layers of Identity

Ōtepoti Dunedin’s creative rangatahi explore their whakapapa through powerful stories of their identity, culture, and be...

Posted: Friday Sep 12, 2025

Otago Polyfest Podcasts

OAR FM captured 30+ interviews at the 2025 Polyfest - and they’re all podcasted for you!

Posted: Thursday Sep 11, 2025

NZ Young Writers Festival is on this weekend!

Posted: Thursday Sep 11, 2025

Watch the presentation of the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish crime novel of the year online!

Saturday 13 September 4.30am NZST- good luck Liam!

Posted: Wednesday Sep 10, 2025

Books hit shelves in new library

South Dunedin’s new library is a hive of activity as staff make final preparations for the opening of the long-awaited f...

Posted: Wednesday Sep 10, 2025

Today on Write Spot

Dunedin Writer, educator and Landfall editor Lynley Edmeades will launch her latest book Hiding Places at University Boo...

Posted: Wednesday Sep 10, 2025

Master Your Craft - Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival

Don't miss out - sign up to the newsletter now for immediate access when the programme drops Wednesday September 10th at...

Posted: Monday Sep 08, 2025

Applications Invited For 2026 Randell Cottage Writers Residency

Applications close Friday 24 October 2025

Posted: Monday Sep 08, 2025

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2025

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) this September

Posted: Monday Sep 08, 2025

Ockham New Zealand Book Awards

Tranche #2 submissions now open for the 2026 Ockham NZ Book Awards! Entries close 5pm on Wednesday, 16 October 2025.

Posted: Monday Sep 08, 2025

Olveston: Portrait of a home by Jane Ussher and John Walsh

Ten Question Q&A with John Walsh and Jane Ussher

Posted: Monday Sep 08, 2025

New doco Joy, Full & Fearless shines light on beloved author

Watch here!

Posted: Monday Sep 08, 2025

Water and Bread: a contemplation of rescue

The water is translucent blue. Wade in, and it’s shallow for a long stretch, undulating sunlight beckons. The drop into ...

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

The 2025 Katherine Mansfield Sparkling Prose Competition

Warmest congratulations to all the 2025 Katherine Mansfield Sparkling Prose Competition shortlisted writers

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

Call for Participation: Taif City of Literature Writing Retreat (Novels) 2025

Applications close 30 September 2025

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

Charlie Milne's Layers of Identity

Ōtepoti Dunedin’s creative rangatahi explore their whakapapa through powerful stories of their identity, culture, and be...

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

ANZRB Review: Short/Poto edited by Michelle Elvy and Kiri Piahana-Wong

A bilingual 'celebration of flash fiction' that offers brevity, wit and weight.

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

ANZRB Review: Ten Thousand Nights by Yvette Thomas and The Anatomy of Sand by Mikaela Nyman

Two poets navigate 'the natural world and the ephemerality of its loveliness'.

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

Dan Davin Literary Awards 2025

The Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, 12 September 2025, at the Kelvin Hotel, Level 6, Invercargill

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

Grace Moore, University of Otago

Literature and Hope in a Time of Fire

Posted: Friday Sep 05, 2025

Warmest congratulations to all finalists for the 2025 Ngaio Marsh Awards

Especially Wendy Parkins and Vanda Symon!

Posted: Thursday Sep 04, 2025

Young writers to convene for festival

“Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu” — with feathers, the bird can fly.

Posted: Thursday Sep 04, 2025

Lilliput Libraries Shine at Keep Dunedin Beautiful Awards

Our heartfelt congratulations to Ruth Arnison

Posted: Thursday Sep 04, 2025

Julie Woods chases 60 countries by the times she is 60

When Julie Woods was a little girl, she never thought about travelling the world, or of going blind…

Posted: Wednesday Sep 03, 2025

OAR FM is part of the Otago Polyfest Village

OAR FM Dunedin – Community Access Media is back in the Village with their podcast booth! You can even hear some of last ...

Posted: Wednesday Sep 03, 2025

Cultures being celebrated

In its biggest year to date, the Otago Polyfest is weaving together cultural sharing and community pride.

Posted: Tuesday Sep 02, 2025

Writer ‘uplifted’ after receiving Janet Frame Prize

A Dunedin novelist and poet is having an "astonishing" run after about 30 years in the game, most recently securing a $1...

Posted: Tuesday Sep 02, 2025

Calling all poets!

Entries for the 2025 Robert Burns International Poetry Competition are now open. Entries close 6pm 30 November 2025.

Posted: Monday Sep 01, 2025

New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2025 has officially begun!

This week is all about celebrating Chinese languages, culture, and connection across Aotearoa.

Posted: Monday Sep 01, 2025

Happy publication day to Wednesday’s Children

A new edition of Robin Hyde’s captivating feminist novel

Posted: Monday Sep 01, 2025

Happy publication day to Nor the Years Condemn

A beautiful new edition of Robin Hyde’s poignant post-war novel

Posted: Monday Sep 01, 2025

2025 Te Tauihu Short Story Awards

Entries close 31 August 2025

Posted: Friday Aug 29, 2025

Nembeka Ganaii's Layers of Identity

Ōtepoti Dunedin’s creative rangatahi explore their whakapapa through powerful stories of their identity, culture, and be...

Posted: Friday Aug 29, 2025

The Janet Frame Prize 2025 awarded to Emma Neale

In memory of Janet Frame who was born 101 years ago on this day. Congratulations Emma!

Posted: Thursday Aug 28, 2025

Poetry Scrum

To celebrate Exeter’s involvement in hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in the UK, Exeter City of Literature are h...

Posted: Thursday Aug 28, 2025

Poetry Box review: Why Not? by Swapna Haddow

Posted: Thursday Aug 28, 2025

Today on Write Spot

Acclaimed writer Nicole Flattery is the 2025 Writing Fellow at the University of Otago's Centre for Irish and Scottish S...

Posted: Wednesday Aug 27, 2025

Kete Books Review: Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2025

Reviewed by Savannah Patterson

Posted: Wednesday Aug 27, 2025

Melbourne City of Literature International Literary Programmers Roundtable

Next year Melbourne City of Literature are bringing back one of their signature programs - International Literary Progra...

Posted: Wednesday Aug 27, 2025

OARsome Morning Show - 22-08-2025 - New Zealand Young Writers Festival - Kate Schrader

New Zealand Young Writers Festival - Festival co-director Kate Schrader previews this year's New Zealand Young Writers F...

Posted: Tuesday Aug 26, 2025

Creative New Zealand and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples sign first MoU to support Pacific language storytelling

Tala: Sharing Pacific Stories – a new initiative supporting Pacific creatives to write and publish in Pacific languages.

Posted: Tuesday Aug 26, 2025

Kete Books Review: The Anatomy of Sand, by Mikaela Nyman

Reviewed by Erica Stretton

Posted: Tuesday Aug 26, 2025

Asia New Zealand Foundation Internships

Applications open 1 September 2025 and close 13 October.

Posted: Monday Aug 25, 2025

Asia New Zealand Foundation Research Grants

Round 2: Opens 1 September 2025 and closes 30 November.

Posted: Monday Aug 25, 2025

Layers of Identity

Today, on National Poetry Day eve, OAR FM celebrated their talented Phase 2 contributors and completion of our Layers of...

Posted: Friday Aug 22, 2025

Zoey Hipolito’s Layers of Identity

Ōtepoti Dunedin’s creative rangatahi explore their whakapapa through powerful stories of their identity, culture, and be...

Posted: Friday Aug 22, 2025

Breaking News: Robert Sullivan Named New Zealand Poet Laureate

We are so excited with this wonderful announcement!! Warm congratulations to Robert Sullivan (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu) - New Z...

Posted: Friday Aug 22, 2025

Poetry Shelf celebrates The Venetian Blind Poems: a gathering of illness poems

When I wrote Wild Honey: Reading New Zealand Women's Poetry (MUP, 2019), I built a house, dividing the book into rooms, ...

Posted: Thursday Aug 21, 2025

Poetry Box School Zoom Gift

Posted: Wednesday Aug 20, 2025