WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 is on from 1 to 6 September
Find out about WORD Christchurch, and the writers and books featured in the festival, and explore our coverage of WORD events and sessions.
Librarian Picks
sLibrarian picks
Dive in the Deep End: Fionaccl's top picks for WORD
Fee dives into the programme for WORD Christchurch 2026 and makes her picks of the festival, on 1 to 6 September.
Can I have a WORD? Picks from the 2026 programme
Moata rifles through the WORD Christchurch festival programme, running 1 to 6 September, and picks what she's looking forward to attending.
WORD Q&A
WORD Q&A
WORD Christchurch writers recommend wave-making books
WORD asked Festival writers and performers the question: Which wave-making book should everyone in Aotearoa read? Why?
WORD writers: Which wave-making book should everyone read?
Writers and performers share the books that make waves. WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 is on from 1 to 6 September.
WORD writers: Who or what has made waves in your life?
Writers and performers share who (or what) has made waves in their lives. WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 is on from 1 to 6 September.
WORD writers: Where is the best place to think and write?
Writers and performers share their fave places to writer and be creative. WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 is on from 1 to 6 September.
WORD Christchurch at Tūranga
Free, bookable events at Tūranga
Masterclasses and Workshops
All things Romantasy: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Sep 2nd | 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Authors & fans Ashley Andersen, AJ Lancaster, HG Parry, Stacey Broadbent and Darianne Schramm in conversation with Lizzie Tollemache.
Shortland Pounamu: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Sep 4th | 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Ngāi Tahu Archive panellists Atholl Anderson, Helen Brown, Takerei Norton, and Michael Stevens share the story of the Shortland Pounamu.
Curious Artefacts of Ōtautahi: WORD Christchurch 2026
Sep 6th | 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Archaeologists Katharine Watson & Jessie Garland (Christchurch Archaeology Project) discuss weird and wonderful artefacts they've found.
Free, drop in events at Tūranga
Masterclasses and Workshops
WHAIAO exhibition, part of a series
Ki te Whaiao, Ki Te Ao Marama - a celebration of Mātauranga Māori and the Library's Ngā Pounamu Māori Collections.
Reading Rave: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Aug 16th | 10:30am - 1:30pm
Join MCs Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan & celebrate Aotearoa NZ Children’s Book Week with Sarina Dickson, Belinda O’Keefe and Melanie Koster.
The Tūranga Table: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026, part of a series
Sep 4th | 10:00am - 5:00pm
At Tūranga, our librarians love helping you discover your next great read. Drop by the Tūranga Table for a friendly kōrero about books.
Spin-a-Story: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026, part of a series
Drop in to Hapori / level 1 of Tūranga, where a spin of the wheel sends your imagination on its next adventure.
Pay-for bookable events at Tūranga
Masterclasses and Workshops
Lost the Plot! The WORD Quiz night: WORD Christchurch 2026
Sep 3rd | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Gather your team together for an evening of joyous competition and WORDy antics. Who doesn’t love a quiz?
Short Stories: The Art of the Glimpse: WORD Christchurch
Sep 4th | 10:30am - 11:30am
Writers Ingrid Horrocks, Shariff Burke and Laura Borrowdale join Kate de Goldi for a conversation about the craft of short stories.
The Fiordland Deer Recovery: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Sep 4th | 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Peta Carey's story of helicopter deer recovery in Fiordland is told through the lives of three brothers, Gary, Mark and Kim Hollows.
Mortified: Pax Assadi: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Sep 4th | 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Award-winning comedian, TV writer and Taskmaster NZ competitor Pax joins pip adam to discuss his joyfully chaotic & honest memoir Mortified,
Cabinet of Curiosities: Tiny Lectures: WORD Christchurch
Sep 4th | 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Snap up your tickets to this riotous session of tiny lectures. Five writers share their weird and wonderful deep obsessions!
One Last Question, PM: Barry Soper: WORD Christchurch
Sep 5th | 10:30am - 11:30am
Journalist Barry Soper has spent nearly five decades questioning NZ's prime ministers. He joins Philip Matthews to talk about his career.
Stakes: Noelle McCarthy: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Sep 5th | 12:30pm - 1:30pm
In her memoir Stakes, Noelle returns to Dracula, reckoning with her own history and a changing world: generation-spanning shame and trauma.
A Life in Forensics: Thomas Coyle & Ruben Miller: WORD Chch
Sep 5th | 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Two of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most accomplished forensic investigators come together for a fascinating glimpse into working on crime scenes.
The New Masculinity: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Sep 5th | 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Four writers chat about tackling masculinity: Breton Dukes, Lawrence Patchett, John Summers, and Joseph Trinidad - with Damien Levi.
The Poetry Powerhouse: WORD Christchurch Festival 2026
Sep 5th | 6:30pm - 7:30pm
A powerhouse lineup of poets Nam Le,Kate Camp, Ariana Tikao, Sara Qasem, Joanna Preston, Rebecca Hawkes and Erik Kennedy take the stage.
How Will I Ever Get Through This? Dr Lucy Hone: WORD Chch
Sep 6th | 10:30am - 11:30am
Psychologist and resilience expert Dr Lucy Hone offers us compassionate, practical guidance for navigating grief and loss.
Ghosts in the Machines: Technology & AI in Fiction: WORD
Sep 6th | 2:30pm - 3:30pm
In a future shaped by “intelligent machines”, what can remain uniquely human? pip adam & Tim Corballis talk about their new books.
Into The Valley: Crime & Punishment: Asher Emanuel: WORD
Sep 6th | 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Civil legal aid lawyer Asher Emanuel’s The Valley has made waves as an extraordinary once-in-a-generation work of investigative journalism.
WORD Masterclasses and Workshops at Auaha Hīhī, Tūranga
Masterclasses and Workshops
Masterclass: Lawrence Patchett on Editing: WORD Christchurch
Sep 5th | 10:30am - 12:30pm
Book a WORD Christchurch Masterclass with Lawrence Patchett: Editing Your Own Work, Editing Others’ Work.
Masterclass: John Summers: Non-Fiction: WORD Christchurch
Sep 5th | 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Book a WORD Christchurch Masterclass with John Summers on The Craft of Non-Fiction.
Masterclass: Ingrid Horrocks: WORD Christchurch
Sep 5th | 3:30pm - 5:30pm
Book a WORD Christchurch Masterclass with Ingrid Horrocks: The Right Moment: Discovering Stories through Image and Scene.
Masterclass: Breton Dukes: WORD Christchurch
Sep 6th | 10:30am - 12:15pm
Book a WORD Christchurch Masterclass with Breton Dukes on Writing Fact Into Fiction.
Workshop: Joanna Preston: WORD Christchurch
Sep 6th | 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Book a workshop with Line Break Queen Joanna Preston - demystifying the most under-appreciated tool in the poet’s toolbox: the line break.
Workshop: Writing about Artefacts: WORD Christchurch
Sep 6th | 3:30pm - 5:00pm
Book a workshop with Heather McQuillan and use fabulous artefacts as writing prompts. Create new stories and poems. Ages 11 and over.
Find works by WORD writers in our collection
WORD Christchurch titles
- pip adam
- Ashley Andersen
- Atholl Anderson
- Pax Assadi
- Laura Borrowdale
- Julia Bradshaw
- Stacey Broadbent
- Helen Brown
- Shariff Burke
- Kate Camp
- Peta Carey
- Giselle Clarkson
- Angela Clifford
- Tim Corballis
- Sacha Cotter
- Thomas Coyle
- Molly Crighton
- Lianne Dalziel
- Kiran Dass
- Delaney Davidson
- Kate de Goldi
- Reuben Derrick
- Sarina Dickson
- Dave Dobbyn
- Barbara Dreaver
- Breton Dukes
- Michal Dziwulski
- Elisabeth Easther
- Asher Emanuel
- Saige England
- Bryce Galloway
- Grace Gassin
- Nick Gill
- Charlotte Glennie
- Brannavan Gnanalingam
- Kate Gordon-Smith
- Charlotte Grimshaw
- Erin Harrington
- Rebecca Hawkes
- Juanita Hepi
- Dominic Hoey
- Dr Lucy Hone
- Ingrid Horrocks
- Joseph Hullen
- Tāme Iti
- Claudia Jardine
- Shehan Karunatilaka
- Erik Kennedy
- Rachael King
- Elizabeth Knox
- Melanie Koster
- Olivia Laing
- A. J. Lancaster
- Nam Le
- Damien Levi
- Nic Low
- Claire Mabey
- Rebecca Macfie
- Tina Makereti
- Philip Matthews
- Noelle McCarthy
- Heather McQuillan
- Ruben Miller
- Joshua Morgan
- Josiah Morgan
- Stacey Morrison
- Takerei Norton
- H. G. Parry
- Lawrence Patchett
- Hazel Phillips
- Riki Pirihi
- Joanna Preston
- Jo Randerson
- Grant Robertson
- Victor Rodger
- Richard Shaw
- Barry Soper
- Murdoch Stephens
- John Summers
Featured
Libby eBooks by WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 guests
Get prepped for WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 in September! Read eBooks by festival writers.
Libby audioooks by WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 guests
Get prepped for WORD Christchurch this year by listening to Libby eAudiobooks by WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 writers.
WORD Christchurch Festival 2026 photos
WORD Christchurch information
- Visit the WORD Christchurch website
- Follow @WORDChCh on X
- Follow WORDchch on Instagram
- Follow @WORDchch on Tik Tok
- Like WORD Christchurch on Facebook
- Listen to WORD Christchurch podcasts
WORD Christchurch coverage
Listen to Bookenz on Plains FM for interviews with WORD authors.
Previous WORD Coverage
Visit our WORD Christchurch page for coverage of previous festivals and events.
WORD Christchurch Festival and Events
Discover WORD Christchurch festival and events, and read our coverage.