Queenstown Writers Festival: Full programme and ten free double passes

Crux has partnered with the Queenstown Writers Festival to offer ten free double passes to this year’s events. Just decide which session you’d like to attend, email [email protected] naming that event and the first requests received for ten individual events will win a double pass. Excludes the gala event and workshops.

The Queenstown Writers Festival has cemented its position as a fixture of the Aotearoa literary circuit with a 2025 programme filled with award winning writers, big personalities, and a slew of talented southerners.

Festival chair Tanya Surrey says that the 2025 festival - held between October 30 and November 3 - has something for people of all ages.

“Our last festival was the biggest in the festival’s history and showed that there is a thirst for the storytelling showcased in our festival events. People love hearing and reading great tales.

“Queenstown has been named New Zealand’s second most creative city (after Wellington) three years in a row and events like ours are growing and enhancing the local arts scene.”

The addition of Craigs Investment Partners as principal sponsors in 2025 had enabled the festival to present over 30 events again this year.

“Our team is immensely proud of this programme that has been put together over the last six months. It is always so difficult to choose our programme when the quality of writing across the motu is so good.”

In 2025, the festival team are thrilled to welcome the 2025 winner of New Zealand’s top literary prize, the Jann Medlicott Acorn prize for fiction, Damien Wilkins, with his acclaimed story of families and ageing, Delirious.

• Damien Wilkins

Other sensational and fabulous writers who were requested by festival regulars include literary legend Owen Marshall talking about his writing career, Steve Braunias with his much anticipated Polkinghorne, Dr Monty Soutar, talking about his acclaimed Kawaii trilogy, Duncan Sarkies with his novel on democracy and alpacas, and Josie Shapiro with her new novel following up on the runaway success of Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts.

Interviews with memoir writers including former deputy prime minister Grant Robertson, former Listener television reviewer Diana Wichtel, journalist Mike McRoberts and master of reinvention, Brodie Kane, are expected to draw in the crowds.

• Diana Wichtel

A special panel of some of Central Otago poet Brian Turner’s closest friends and family will present The Life of Brian, celebrating the life and works of one of most beloved poets and environmentalists. Guests include Jillian Sullivan, Glenn Turner, Sir Grahame Sydney and Owen Marshall.

Other panels include a peek behind the relentless rise of the Romantasy genre with bestselling authors Helen Scheuerer and Nalini Singh, a deep dive into the joys and pitfalls of the role of the reviewer with book reviewer Steve Braunias, television reviewer Diana Wichtel and restaurant reviewer Sumi Hahn, and Sonya Wilson, Tina Makereti and Laurence Fearnley discussing the role that the natural world has in their fiction with our own Peta Carey.

Included for families in this year’s programme is champion of neurodiversity Chanelle Moriah with their new book I Am Dyslexic, and Sonya Wilson with a thriller for young adults The Secret Green. Sonya will join illustrator Toby Morris in a special Live Action Storytelling session. Children can bring an adult for free.

• Chanelle Moriah

We are thrilled to be celebrating southern writing talent with new books by Peta Carey and Kim Rangiaonui Logan, and a special Sampler session of Songs from Tāhuna, featuring Sofia Macray, Violet Hirst and Tom Maxwell, at The Sherwood. In an event chaired by Dunedin writer Maxine Alterio, and celebrating historical fiction Lauren Roche will discuss her new novel on Julia Eichardt alongside Central Otago writer Sophie Rogers with her tale of the goldfields Nightshades and Paperwhites.

Crime writers include Liam McIlvanney and novelists Rachel Paris and Jennifer Trevelyan, who have hit the best seller lists on debut.

We have writing workshops with Laurence Fearnley and Damien Wilkins, script writing with Duncan Sarkies, illustrating with Toby Morris and morning tea with literary editors Laura Williamson and Emily Makere Broadmore.

Historical fiction writer Jenny Pattrick is bringing her new contemporary fiction to the festival, while Olivia Spooner’s latest war-time novel focuses on the American Boys, in Wellington.

This year’s festival includes the return of the Anna-Marie Chin Architects sponsored short story competitions for children, judged by Rachael King, and adults, judged by Owen Marshall.

There will also be a schools programme led by illustrator and writer Toby Morris, and sponsored by Anna-Marie Chin Architects.

The always popular gala opening will again be hosted by Emma Lange, and this year celebrates Moments of Truth, with writers Steve Braunias, Liam McIlvanney, Mike McRoberts, Chanelle Moriah, Rachel Paris, Josie Shapiro and Monty Soutar.

Tickets are available from www.qtwritersfestival.nz, with early bird discounts available until midnight on 30 September 2025. Keen readers and writers for whom pricing is a challenge should contact festival organisers directly on [email protected] as support from the Mactodd Community Charitable Trust allows the festival to support those experiencing financial hardship.