The penny drops. An idea dawns. The fog clears.

A route forward emerges. In the Festival’s much loved opening night, eight stellar writers speak to a moment of realisation – piercing, clarifying, liberating, affirming, terrifying or otherwise – in their life or work.

Featuring:

Esteemed Irish novelist Colm Tóibín; renowned Shakespearean actor Harriet Walter; trailblazing voice in women's, queer and Māori liberation movements Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku (Te Arawa, Tūhoe, Ngāpuhi, Waikato); internationally bestselling novelist David Nicholls; BAFTA-nominated spoken word poet Lemn Sissay; distinguished Australian journalist and broadcaster Stan Grant; Aotearoa New Zealand novelist of the phenomenally popular Sorrow and Bliss Meg Mason and poet and Festival Guest Curator Zech Soakai.

Hosted by Miriama McDowell (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi).

Supported by Craigs Investment Partners, the Australian High Commission and Culture Ireland.

Also at Auckland Writers Festival

$2 per hour to a max of $12 on weekends and a $12 flat rate for weekday evenings at The Civic car park. Find out more

Last updated: 17 March 2025