2025 dates
coming soon
The Queenstown Writers Festival is an unmissable event each November for anyone who loves books, words and insightful conversation.
The 2024 festival
has wrapped
Our sixth programme was the largest and most diverse we’ve brought to the Queenstown Lakes. More than 25 nationally acclaimed writers took part in a host of events including author conversations, workshops, a book launch, theatre and panel discussions.
Festival Speakers
Mike White
Alexa Forbes
Steve Braunias
Holly Dunn
Gavin Bishop
Olive Jones
Claire Baylis
Tusiata Avia
Jude Dobson
Debbie Jamieson
Margaret O’Hanlon
Tayi Tibble
Nikki Macdonald
Sonya Wilson
Emma Wehipeihana
Scott Bainbridge
Jacqueline Bublitz
Daren Kamali
Remarkable Theatre
Angela Thompson
Harriet Allen
Kathryn Van Beek
Craig Hoyle
Anne Stevens KC
Key Sponsors
Support the Festival
The Queenstown Writers Festival is run by a charitable trust on volunteer power and with the generous financial support of patrons and sponsors. If you want to help us connect people over a shared love of words, stories and ideas, consider supporting our work.
On the blog
Queenstown-based Emma Wright is the author of Body Confident: A Guide to Raising Happy Eaters.
Dïne the Fox is a Glenorchy-based illustrator. She illustrated Ruby Loud Mouse and The Ruru, a story by Alice Pearce.
Bookworms walking down Shotover St would be forgiven for spying wetsuits and snowboard gear in the window of NZSHRED and strolling right on by.
From Rakiura to Ōamaru, Bannockburn to Limehills, we received entries from all over Otago and Southland – and were amazed by the quality and crafting of the writing submitted.
Queenstown Writers Festival chair Tanya Surrey is still coming down from the high of another successful festival. Here’s her wrap-up of this year’s event.
Queenstown Writers Festival co-founder Tanya Surrey sat down for a chat with our feature guest for the 2023 festival.
