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The One Work That Defines You
5:00pm - 6:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
A play, a song, a joke, a story – there’s always one work that comes to mind when you think of a writer. Join playwright Sam Brooks (he/him), comedians Abby Howells (she/her) and Janaye Henry (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa; she/her), and poet Claudia Jardine (she/her) as they chat about what it means – and how it feels – to have an audience come back to a single piece of work that may be long in a writer’s rearview mirror.
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Festival Opening with Fast Laughs
7:00pm - 8:30pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Join festival Guest Curator Jennifer Cheuk as we launch our ninth annual NZ Young Writers Festival, then settle in for a laugh-out-loud introduction to ‘writing in real time’ using improvised comedy. MC and Billy T Award nominee Janaye Henry (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa; she/her) will put multidisciplinary artist Josiah Morgan (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Maniapoto; he/him), 2023 Billy T Award winner Abby Howells (she/her) and Ōtepoti improvisers Marea Colombo and Daniel Allan through their paces. It’s gonna be a riot!
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Slam Poetry Workshop
10:00am - 12:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Have you ever wanted to try slam poetry? Join Sara Hirsch (they/she) from Motif Poetry for a workshop introducing you to the basics of slam poetry. Sara is a London grown poet, a former UK Slam Champion and a spoken word educator currently on loan to New Zealand. This workshop is a great opportunity to create or polish work for tonight’s regional championship.
Maximum 15 participants, registration essentialPresented in association with Motif Poetry
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Prescriptions and Prose: Where Medicine and Creativity Meet
1:00pm - 2:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Ōtepoti is Aotearoa’s only UNESCO City of Literature and is home to one of the top medical schools in the country. Is this an unlikely combination, or are there deeper connections between medicine, writing and creativity? Join festival Guest Curator and Rat World founder and editor-in-chief Jennifer Cheuk as she examines this topic with doctor Libby Whittaker and doctors-in-training Olivia Wright and Will Pudney, all of whom are writers. They’ll explore how language and creativity influences medical practice, and what it means to be a creative in the professional world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).
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Writing Across Disciplines
3:00pm - 4:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
What is writing? Who is a writer? Drawing on their interdisciplinary backgrounds, writer and performer Josiah Morgan (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Maniapoto; he/him), poet and musician Isla Huia (Te Āti Haunui a-Pāpārangi, Uenuku), comedian Janaye Henry (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa; she/her), and playwright and journalist Sam Brooks (he/him) will unpack the multifaceted dimensions of storytelling across genre borders. They’ll shine a spotlight on why stories matter, and why it matters how they’re told and who they’re told by.
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Otago Poetry Slam
7:00pm - 9:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Open to slam poets of any age, Sara Hirsch (they/she) from Motif Poetry will MC this regional slam championship. The winner will be awarded travel funds to represent Otago at the National Slam. The competition will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the National Slam (newzealandpoetryslam.com/rules), and poets may be required to read up to three poems.
Please register to compete, numbers limitedContent warning: young people under 14 are welcome to attend if accompanied by someone over 18; please note the poetry may contain adult themes and content Presented in association with Motif Poetry
Please register to compete, numbers limitedContent warning: young people under 14 are welcome to attend if accompanied by someone over 18; please note the poetry may contain adult themes and content Presented in association with Motif Poetry
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Stick It To The Man: The Power of Street Postering
10:00am - 12:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
For centuries, street posters have served as a powerful tool for causes of all kinds. This hybrid panel and workshop will explore how the humble poster has ignited social and political movements. Festival Guest Curator and Rat World founder and editor-in-chief Jennifer Cheuk will chat with Ōtepoti creatives Jamiema Lorimer, Piupiu Maya Turei (Wairarapa Moana, te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi) and Jörg Bendt about how posters create dialogue within communities. Then stick around and turn your inspiration into art in a make-your-own poster workshop. Whatever the cause you care about, you’ll learn tips and tricks to get postering.
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Tuhia ki te Rangi Workshop
1:00pm - 3:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Tuhia ki te Rangi is a writing workshop specially for rangatahi Māori. Come along and learn ways to hone your writing skills, wānanga with others, and try out some new activities and prompts to get your creative juices flowing! This workshop will be led by Isla Huia (Te Āti Haunui a-Pāpārangi, Uenuku) and Annabelle Parata Vaughan (Ngāi Tahu). Whether you’ve never written before, or are a seasoned kaituhi, all are welcome. Nau mai, haere mai!
Maximum 10-12 participants, rangatahi Māori only please, registrations are essential
Maximum 10-12 participants, rangatahi Māori only please, registrations are essential
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Make-A-Zine Workshop
1:00pm - 3:00pm @ Writers Lounge, Community Gallery (26 Princes St)
Join the Dunedin Youth Writers Association for a reading by some of the most promising young writers in Ōtepoti, followed by a zine-making workshop (materials provided). Zines – homemade publications – can be about anything … let your imagination run wild!
Maximum 20-25 participants, registrations are essential
Maximum 20-25 participants, registrations are essential
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Calling Community From The Page: Art and Activism
3:30pm - 5:30pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Creative writing is often positioned on the periphery of activism, community-building and mobilisation. However, relational writers cannot create in isolation. NZYWF Young Writer in Residence Ruby Macomber (Rotuma, Taveuni, Ngāpuhi; she/they), Ōtepoti artist Hailey Xavier (they/them) and others will discuss the necessity of creative communities for social change. They’ll explore how creative writing can be a call to action, and the importance of equitable and accessible creative opportunities to amplify the experiences of marginalised voices. Then join Ruby for a workshop to explore poetry prompts for political re-imagining, planting seeds for community-building ahead of the 2023 General Election.
The NZYWF Young Writer in Residence is made possible by the generous support of the Robert Lord Writers Cottage TrustContent warning: contains mention of incarceration, climate activism, protest and other sensitive issues
The NZYWF Young Writer in Residence is made possible by the generous support of the Robert Lord Writers Cottage TrustContent warning: contains mention of incarceration, climate activism, protest and other sensitive issues
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Should I Have Read That?
8:00pm - 9:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Inspired by Jean M. Auel’s epic Cro-Magnon softcore erotica series Earth’s Children, six writers share the moment they realised they were ‘reading beyond their age’. Featuring innuendos, throbbing manhoods and … Digimon? Isla Huia (Te Āti Haunui a-Pāpārangi, Uenuku), Sam Brooks (he/him), Eamonn Tee (Vaka Puaikura, Pākehā), Festival Curator Jennifer Cheuk and Ōtepoti theatremaker Bronwyn Wallace will be your confessors for the evening, alongside event curator and Clan of the Cave Bear acolyte Claudia Jardine (she/her) as MC.
Content warning: recommended for ages 16 and up
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Lucy Pollock Talks – and Sings! – Songwriting
9:00pm - 10:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Ōtepoti artist Lucy Pollock is a multifaceted musician who performs as beet-wix, an electronic project consisting of songs written on a Nintendo DS, and sir queen, which merges elements of classical piano and folk guitar. Revel in their musical talent as they sprinkle their set with pearls of wisdom about the art of songwriting.
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I Identify As An Imposter
10:00am - 11:00am @ Te Whare o Rukutia
The arts are gradually becoming more diverse, but many acclaimed writers of the literary canon are still of the old-white-man persuasion. Given the lack of representation in the field, it can be hard for emerging young authors – especially people of colour and gender diverse folk – to dare to dream of successful careers. Join poet and writer Naomii Seah, NZYWF Young Writer in Residence Ruby Macomber (Rotuma, Taveuni, Ngāpuhi; she/they), Isla Huia (Te Āti Haunui a-Pāpārangi, Uenuku) and Vira Paky as they discuss their creative journeys and the road to overcoming imposter syndrome.
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Storytelling Unplugged: Finding Common Ground Through Podcast Narratives
11:30am - 12:30pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Podcasting is an innovative storytelling technique and a creative entry point for some of today’s most important conversations. Join poet and playwright Vira Paky as she chats with Thabiso Sibanda (he/him) and Kii Small from the Unpack and PhD: Unpacked podcasts about how to create thought-provoking audio content and the potential of podcasts to amplify voices and ignite change.
The Ethics of Worldbuilding Workshop
11:30am - 1:30pm @ Writers Lounge, Community Gallery (26 Princes St)
Literature has a long history of orientalism and exploitation, and unfortunately some of that history still lingers. This workshop explores the ways writers can imagine new worlds and new stories without reproducing the same old problems. Eamonn Tee (Vaka Puaikura, Pākehā) and NZYWF Young Writer in Residence Ruby Macomber (Rotuma, Taveuni, Ngāpuhi; she/they) will help you find the tools to tackle the messy subjects, such as confronting colonisation (or always being expected to), using your own whakapapa in your writing, and telling stories for those on the margins.
Maximum 16 participants, registrations are essential
Maximum 16 participants, registrations are essential
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Starling Micro-Residency Panel Discussion
1:00pm - 2:00pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
Join Louise Wallace, Starling Editor, in conversation with Xiaole Zhan and Jackson McCarthy, the two young writers who’ve been undertaking a micro-residency in Ōtepoti as part of the festival. You’ll be treated to both a performance and a lively discussion about what it means to be a young writer today, navigating writing and publishing in Aotearoa, and the writers’ residency experience
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Bridging the Ditch: Connecting Trans-Tasman Comics Communities
2:30pm - 3:30pm @ Te Whare o Rukutia
The comic community is booming in Aotearoa and Australia, but visual narrative writing is often overlooked, relegated to the literary periphery. Festival Guest Curator and Rat World founder and editor-in-chief Jennifer Cheuk will chat with comics scholars and advocates Neal Curtis (NZ), Allan Xia (NZ), Joshua Santospirito (Australia) and Eleri Harris (Australia) about bridging the gap between the literary and comics worlds, and creating connections in the Australia and New Zealand comics communities.
Note: the Australian panellists will be appearing via Zoom
Note: the Australian panellists will be appearing via Zoom