WORD Christchurch
WORD Christchurch's mission is to bring the community together through its love of words in all their forms. WORD Christchurch presents a variety of literary events, from a festival – the largest literary event in the South Island – to one-off events with visiting and local authors.
WORD Christchurch Festival 2023 is on from Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 August 2023.
2023 events
WORD Christchurch Festival 2023
Find out about WORD Christchurch, the writers and books featured in the festival, and read our coverage of WORD events and sessions.
WORD Christchurch 2023: Whaia te ara o te Kareao
Maatakiwi was interested to find out stories behind some taonga from the Ngāi Tahu Archives, told by the people charged with their care.
WORD Christchurch 2023: Battle for the Buildings
Moata reports on an event in which 5 Ōtautahians share their favourite existing and imaginary buildings in a battle for structural supremacy
WORD Christchurch 2023: 50 years of Witi Ihimaera
Maatakiwi reports back on a session celebrating 50 years of Witi Ihimaera's writing career.
Eleanor Catton
Birnam Wood: Eleanor Catton comes to Burnside
Fee reports back from the recent WORD Christchurch event, Eleanor Catton in Conversation.
Ben Macintyre
Colditz and More: Spies & Espionage: Ben Macintyre Live
Ky report back on WORD Christchurch's first event of the year - the audience was spellbound by tales of World War Two derring-do
WORD Christchurch information
- Visit the WORD Christchurch website
- Follow @WORDChCh on Twitter
- Follow WORDchch on Instagram
- Like WORD Christchurch on Facebook
- Listen to WORD Christchurch podcasts
WORD Christchurch photos
Images from the WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival, and events.
2022 events
WORD Christchurch Festival 2022
WORD - Ōtautahi's own literary festival - is on from Wednesday 31 August to Sunday 4 September. Explore featured writers & festival info.
Photos of WORD Christchurch Festival 2022
Photos of WORD Christchurch events in 2022, including the programme launch at Tūranga.
Freedom, Only Freedom - Behrouz Boochani returns to WORD
Clare reports on an event with Kurdish Iranian writer, journalist, cultural advocate and filmmaker Behrouz Boochani.
Vinyl, Art & Community: Needles and Plastic - WORD Chch
Fee reports back from the launch of Needles and Plastic: Flying Nun Records, 1981-1988 in Lyttelton.
Chris Parker at The Piano: A good time for everyone
Jane reports back from the good time that was WORD Christchurch's event with comedian Chris Parker, and Jason Gunn.
Freedom, Only Freedom: Behrouz Boochani: WORD Christchurch
Writer, journalist & filmmaker Behrouz Boochani is a familiar figure to many in Ōtautahi, having made the city his first home in Aotearoa.
Needles & Plastic : Flying Nun Records, 1981-1988: WORD Chch
Wednesday 16 November at Lyttelton Coffee Company, Kiran Dass talks to Matthew Goody, at the Christchurch launch of Needles and Plastic.
Chris Parker is here for a good time - WORD Chch Weds 16 Nov
Chris Parker is Here for a good time, and so is Jane. Chris hails from Christchurch & she vaguely knows his aunty.
Flying Nun, Behrouz Boochani, & Chris Parker: WORD Chch
Flying Nun, Behrouz Boochani, & Chris Parker - Our friends at WORD have you sorted for a trio of literary events Weds 16 November.
WORD Christchurch Festival coverage
WORD Christchurch Festival 2022
WORD - Ōtautahi's own literary festival - is on from Wednesday 31 August to Sunday 4 September. Explore featured writers & festival info.
WORD Christchurch Festival 2021
Take a look back at WORD Christchurch Festival 2021. It was on from Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 November 2021.
WORD Christchurch Spring Festival 2020
The WORD Christchurch Spring Festival was a feast of words and ideas. It's all over for 2020, but catch up on our coverage of events.
2019 Events
WORD Christchurch 2019
Behrouz Boochani: Writing from Manus Island
Mark reports on the Behrouz Boochani WORD Christchurch event on Friday 29 November.
Michael Pedersen, Omar Musa, and Dominic Hoey return to WORD
Michael Pedersen, Omar Musa, and Dominic Hoey return to WORD Christchurch.
WORD Christchurch: An evening with Zadie Smith
Helen reports back from literary superstar Zadie Smith's only New Zealand appearance at Christchurch Town Hall.
Toby Faber - WORD Christchurch
Summary of Toby Faber's talk about the history of UK publisher Faber & Faber, at WORD Christchurch in early August 2019.
- Behrouz Boochani Friday 29 November
- Omar Musa, Michael Pedersen, Dominic Hoey Friday 15 November
- Zadie Smith Wednesday 13 November
- Toby Faber Sunday 11 August
- What a fool honesty is Wednesday 31 July
- Adrian Hayes: One Man's Climb Thursday 4 April
Shifting points of view - 18 August to 14 September 2019
Visit our page on Shifting points of view.
WORD Christchurch Autumn Season 2019
Read our posts on the WORD Christchurch Autumn Season. Wednesday 8 May to Saturday 25 May 2019.
Photos
WORD Christchurch Festival 2018
Posts and reports on festival events for 2018
2018 Events
Lee Child Friday 23 November 7pm
Photos
Kaveh Akbar Tuesday 6 November 6.30pm
Photos
- Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton Marshallows, Money, and Madness Sunday 22 July 2pm
Photos of the Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton Treehouse Tour - Robert Webb - How not to be a boy Tuesday 15 May 7.30pm
- The Amazing Jeff Kinney Wednesday 2 May 6pm
Photos - A feast of Francis - An hour with Francis Spufford Wednesday 7 March 7pm
Photos - Dip your pen in your own psyche: An interview with Francis Spufford Wednesday 7 March 7pm
- Mutton chops, and door knockers, face fungus and designer stubble - Lucinda Hawksley at the Christchurch Art Gallery Sunday 11 February
- 10 reasons to love Nigella Lawson Thursday 8 February
2017
- Shifting points of View — Christchurch Arts Festival 1 to 16 September
Photos - WORD Christchurch Autumn Season 14 to 17 May
Photos - Fiona Farrell: Decline and Fall on Savage Street launch 1 August
- Hera Lindsay Bird and Ashleigh Young 22 March
Photos - All about (Nasty) women 5 March
- All about women
- My library - Rachael King
- Hear Orphan X author Gregg Hurwitz in Christchurch 1 March
- Reading poetry around the world 26 January
WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival 2016
Jane Smiley - May 2016
Anis Mojgani - March 2016
- Fiercely hopeful and in love
- A new chapter: An interview with Anis Mojgani
- Things we LOVE about poet Anis Mojgani
- Geraldine Brooks and the Pulitzer Surprise 18 November 2015
Shifting points of view – 30 August and 7 September 2015
Shifting points of view was a bumper crop of sessions from top writers and commentators. It was WORD Christchurch's part of the Christchurch Arts Festival and warmed the cockles of enquiring minds. Read our coverage:
- Patricia Grace and Paula Morris: On Belonging
- Imaginary Cities: Fiona Farrell, Anna Smaill, Hamish Clayton, Hugh Nicholson, chaired by Lara Strongman
- Quick questions with Anna Smaill
- Margaret Wilson: The Struggle for sovereignty
- Quick questions with Margaret Wilson
- Quick questions with Suki Kim
- A half circle journey: Suki Kim and North Korea
- Jesse Bering: On Perversion
- Pride and Perversion
- On effective altruism – Peter Singer
- Sarah Waters at Shifting Points of View
- WORD Christchurch photos
- WORD Christchurch Autumn Season 12 to 17 May 2015
- Feminism is a feminist issue 8 March 2015
2014
Earlier festivals and events
- Michael Palin gets a Brazilian … 2 November 2012
- The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2012
- Our coverage of The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2010 links to interviews we conducted before the Festival was cancelled.
- The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2008
- The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2006
Our page on literary festivals and events.
