This film is based on In My Father's Den, Maurice Gee's third novel published in 1972. When his father dies, Paul (Matthew Macfayden), a world-weary war journalist, returns to his Central Otago hometown. He strikes up an unlikely friendship with a teenage girl (Emily Barclay). Their relationship is frowned upon and when she disappears, the community holds him responsible. The events that follow force Paul to confront a tragic incident he fled as a youth, and face dark secrets.

An evening of poetry-based films building on the success of the inaugural 2016 Lyrical Vision programme. Locally-based Robin Kewel and Martin Sercombe - collaborators in bringing film to the people - team up to present an eclectic assortment of short films seldom seen, all influenced by poetry. It is a rare experience to see films of this unique nature and to meet their makers.

A Double Doco Delight

In Perfectly Frank the Life of a NZ Writer biographer Michael King takes us through the life of pioneering writer Frank Sargeson: from puritanical parents to self-discovery in London, through to decades encouraging an emerging tide of New Zealand writers.

A Portrait of Katherine Mansfield examines her complicated relationships with her family and homeland, her turbulent personal life, her writing — credited with changing the course of the English short story — and her early death in France in 1923, at age 34.

Join us to launch Outside the Square's inaugural writing series. There will be a reading of Sofya's Garden, Renee Liang (Glucina)'s play for children featuring live music, Renee's trademark humour and puppets (if you're lucky). This will be followed by A Botanical Sublime where writers Paula Morris, Nina Seja, Ann Poulsen, and Renee Liang will read excerpts from their work and discuss the way Henderson's people, places, and botanical past influenced their writing process. 

With New Zealand continuing to argue the seemingly never-ending debate on legalising cannabis, writer Colin Hogg hit the road to see what moral decline had descended upon those parts of America where the drug is now legal. In conversation with Russell Brown.

Join us to question the man who ate Lincoln Road, Steve Braunias, to uncover what, if anything, he learned from his quixotic endeavour.

Both Gus Simonovic and Peter O’Connor have worked extensively with young people to give their creativity voice. Together, they explore the transformative power of creativity and imagination.

At the heart of The Wish Child, Catherine Chidgey’s extraordinary fourth novel, is an enigmatic voice that tells the story of German families caught up in a nation’s dream. Catherine is in conversation with fellow fiction writer Sue Orr.

Te Uru's Learning Centre becomes a thriving showcase of artist books, catalogues, limited-edition publications, zines and more. The annual Indie Book Fair aims to celebrate and support the diversity of small-scale and independent productions, and the ongoing creativity and exuberance of the people behind them.

Using Black Marks on a White Page, edited by Witi Ihimaeraand Tina Makereti; and Sleeps Standing, by Ihimaera and Hemi Kelly, as an entry point the writers explore the nature of mentorship and collaboration with Paula Morris.

Acclaimed chef Sam Mannering and bestselling author Karen McMillan share their personal stories, how they created the book Everyday Strength: Recipes and Wellbeing Tips for Cancer Patients and how it can help families facing cancer.

A fun filled day of story-telling from the wide world right here in our back yard including stories in multiple languages from Asia, the Pacific Islands, the north and south hemispheres and Aotearoa! 

Though nearly every corner of our country has been explored and mapped, exploration beneath our land is still in its infancy. Caves: Exploring New Zealand’s Subterranean Wilderness shines a light on this hidden world with a stunning new illustrated book.

Going West is proud to host the launch of Forty Years of Titirangi Poets, an anthology, the roots of which lie at the Titirangi Library, where the Titirangi Poets have been meeting off and on for four decades. To celebrate the launch of this very local publication we'll here poems and discussion from nine of its featured poets – Piers Davies, John Adams, Kevin Ireland, Peter Bland, Iain Sharp, Amanda Eason, Denys Trussell, Riemke Ensing and Ila Selwyn.

Simply by Sailing in a New Direction: Allen Curnow: A Biography was one of the last projects undertaken by the late literary scholar Terry Sturm. Editor Linda Cassells, who completed Sturm’s work on the biography, and author and scholar CK Stead join Associate Professor Alex Calder to examine Curnow’s life, his work and his legacy

Both writers of realist fiction that plays with the unreal and the mythic, self-described contrary creatures Pip Adam and Kirsten McDougall are also friends and ‘bookish nerds’. Together, they discuss the contrary delights of combining the real with the unreal in their latest works.

In Mansfield and Me and Family History Sarah Laing and Johanna Emeney follow an autobiographical narrative, mining the experience of their lives, those around them, and their heroes, to explore those uniquely human questions about who we are, and how we navigate through our lives, our loves and our griefs.

In her latest book, Tears of Rangi: Experiments Across Worlds, Dame Anne Salmond takes readers back to New Zealand in 1840, when two peoples with very different assumptions about how the world works meet and try to make sense of each other. With Moana Maniapoto.

Poet Bill Manhire and musician and composer Norman Meehan join poet Paula Green to discuss their latest collaboration Tell Me My Name, and how they work together to reach a place where, to quote Manhire, “the music doesn’t overpower the words; but neither does it defer to them”.

A deeply personal search for answers lies at the heart of Driving to Treblinka, an astonishing memoir by award-winning journalist Diana Wichtel. In conversation with Steve Braunias

Featuring Selina Tusitala Marsh as The Curnow Reader, Rod Oram as the Sir Graeme Douglas Orator and and literary musical experience Small Holes in the Silence, a selection of New Zealand poetry set to music, including works by Hone Tuwhare, Bill Manhire, Alistair Campbell and James K Baxter.
$30.00 ($25.00 concession) Includes light supper and a complimentary glass of wine. Cash bar open at intermission and following performance.
Bookings at iTICKET.co.nz

Word Up! is an exciting word-based performance competition which gives 13-20-year-olds the opportunity to present their original work, from rap, poetry, and spoken word, to music or even stand-up comedy. This is an action-packed evening not to be missed, featuring some of our finest young performers as they battle it out for great prizes.

Te Reo Māori Theatre show for rangatahi Hinepau is adapted from a classic children’s book written by Gavin Bishop and first published in 1993. The 2017 production uses te reo Māori-speaking actors to present a mythical story about respecting your environment and staying true to yourself.