Ahi Kaa - Home Fires and Shared Stories: Building Our Festival Kaupapa Together

The Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival has always been about more than literary events; it’s where people gather around the home fires of storytelling in community and solidarity.

The Challenge We Navigate Together:

This year, we’re facing a funding landscape that looks different from previous years. We’re deeply grateful to our funders, sponsors and supporters, this year we also need our community’s help to bridge the gap and ensure our festival can continue to thrive.

Our Kaupapa: Māori Curation and Community

We’re building on past festivals and deepening our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This isn’t just programming – it’s about honouring the whenua we gather on and the pūrākau that have shaped this place for generations. Your support directly funds this vital mahi, ensuring tāngata whenua voices are platformed and celebrated.

Walking Together: Our Community in Action

Our festival exists because of an incredible network of support. We acknowledge and celebrate our sponsors, funders, partners, guests and volunteers who make this gathering possible. This truly is a community effort.

Join Us on This Journey – Ahi Kaa

Walk with us, help us keep the home fires burning. Your support means more than funding. It means you’re here, alongside us, sharing in our vision of a community where every voice matters, where necessary conversations happen with aroha, and where the home fires of storytelling never dim.