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
Paddy Gower
Tusiata Avia
Harriet Allen
Margaret O’Hanlon
Gavin Bishop
Pip Adam
Craig Hoyle
Lil O’Brien
Airana Ngarewa
Mike White
Angela Thompson
Alexa Forbes
Daren Kamali
Kyle Mewburn
Olive Jones
Scott Bainbridge
Jude Dobson
Emma Wehipeihana
Remarkable Theatre
Saraid de Silva
Kate Evans
Jacinta Ruru
Peter Newport
Steve Braunias
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.
