Auckland Writers Festival 2017

Overview

The country's largest literary festival will return to Auckland from 16-21 May. For its 18th chapter, Auckland Writers Festival will take to the sea, the pavement, festival halls and a pop-up venue with its most ambitious programme yet.

A whopping 160 writers, historians, scientists, radicals and thinkers are onboard for this year's showcase of New Zealand literary talent— 42 of those coming across international waters. A few high points include: Veep and The Thick of It creator and master of satire, Armando Iannucci; 2016 Man Booker Prize-winning novelist Paul Beatty; US feminist icons Susan Faludi and Roxane Gay; 99-year-old theologian Lloyd Geering; Canadian transgender writer, filmmaker and songwriter Ivan Coyote; and Masterchef judge and food critic, Jay Rayner.

Not strictly directed at bookworms, the six day slog will offer everything from boat rides, readings, debates, stand-up poetry, literary theatre, and free public events. The Heartland Festival Room will treat audiences to 'on the couch' salons hosted by local writing duo Parker and Sainsbury, and OBE knighted novelist Stella Duffy; High Street will host a word trail where more than 20 writers perform Insta-essays, music, spoken word, games and theatre; Auckland's brightest spoken word artists will take to the stage with global greats; Aotea Square will come alive with text projections in Pop Poetry: Love Letters; and True Stories Told Live: The Heart of the Matter will see writers tell a seven minute true story propless and scriptless.