The 10th Whanganui Literary Festival – 21st September to 1st October 2023
To celebrate this achievement, the Festival Trust has an exclusive promotion for GrownUps members of two season tickets to the nine events in the main festival, 29th September to 1st October. This includes the gala opening on 29 September.
The Whanganui Literary Festival turns 10 this year! It’s a biennial event organised and run by the Whanganui Literary Festival Charitable Trust since 2006.
The main Festival weekend begins with the Gala Opening on Friday 29th September and is followed by individual sessions with each of eight invited authors on Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October. The venue for these events is the Whanganui War Memorial Centre.
The Dinner With the Stars on Saturday 30th September is at Bushy Park Homestead which provides an exceptional Whanganui experience for Festival attendees and authors.
The confirmed invited authors are
- Witi Ihimaera, who took part in the 2013 Festival, will discuss his life and career as a revered New Zealand and international writer.
- Chris Tse is the current New Zealand poet laureate. His poetry, fiction, and non-fiction have been recorded for radio and widely published in magazines and anthologies.
- Stephanie Johnson received the 2022 Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Fiction. Stephanie will discuss her latest novel, Kind, written during the first Covid lockdown.
- Sue McCaulay has had a long and varied career as a novelist, copywriter, journalist and farmer. Her first novel, Other Halves, won many awards. She will talk about her new novel, Landed.
- Steven Davis is a former NZ Listener columnist, investigative reporter, writer, producer, editor and educator who has worked in New Zealand and internationally to combat misinformation.
- Fiona Sussmann, GP turned short story writer and novelist, is a twice winner of the Ngaio Marsh Mystery Fiction Award. Her novel, The Doctor’s Wife is very popular with Whanganui readers.
- Jock Philipps is a leading historian, previously the country’s Chief Historian. His latest book, The History of New Zealand in 100 Objects, is a colourful retelling of our shared past, relevant to today.
- Gordon Collier is a leading plantsman and designer of three famous New Zealand gardens, including a new one in our region. Gordon is the nephew of well-known Whanganui artist, the late Edith Collier.
The Fringe Festival precedes the Literary Festival in the previous week. During the Fringe, the focus is on the many local writers who have either been born and bred in Whanganui or chosen it as their home.
Some key events are:
- The opening event for the 2023 Fringe Festival – the Whanganui Literary Festival Trust is proud to launch “Tongariro National Park: an Artist’s Field Guide” by Desmond Bovey (Potton & Burton)
- The very Literary Quiz
- A Book Fair to give local authors exposure and an opportunity to sell their work
- A Sarjeant Gallery event around three authors and their artistic connections to Whanganui, Michele Leggott, Celebrating Robin Hyde and Robin Hyde: An Unconventional Woman
One of the most attractive things about the Whanganui Festival is its size and style provides the audience with a chance to personally meet the authors. Most festivals in larger centres take place in huge auditoriums where the author is quite distant and book signings afterwards are hustled because of numbers and timing. In Whanganui it is much more relaxed and the authors are available and invariably approachable.
All you need to do to enter the draw is be a GrownUps member, make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter and fill in your details below!
Terms and conditions
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- You must be a GrownUps member and receive our newsletter to be eligible to win.
- Competition closes on the 12th September 2023, winners will be notified via email by 14th September 2023.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you correctly enter a New Zealand postal address where the tickets can be couriered. GrownUps will not take responsibility for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
- Winners are drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
- Winners are responsible for their own transport to and from the festival.
- Winners are responsible for their accomodation while at the festival.
- GrownUps employees and family are not eligible to enter.
- By entering the giveaway, you approve for GrownUps to use your name on social media as winner of the competition.
- One entry per household.
- Prize is non transferrable.
- You must reside in New Zealand.
- You must be over 50 years of age to enter, check your details are correct in your membership dashboard.