2012
Sales for the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival hit an all-time high in 2012, with more than 24,000 tickets sold for the just-delivered five day programme. This represents a 10% increase on 2011.
The 2012 programme can be viewed online as an ebook here.
2011
The eleventh Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Aotea Centre from 11 May to 15 May 2011.
It boasted record numbers with attendances of 31,000, an increase over 2010 of 18%.
2010
The tenth Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Aotea Centre from 12 May to 16 May 2010.
It boasted record numbers with attendances of 25,500, including a 23% increase in bookings for the Schools Programme.
The 2010 Festival also starred in a television commerical:
A huge thank you to Glenn, Paul and the guys at Kaleidoscope for creating it. Thanks also to Tamara and Liquid Studios for the perfect soundtrack.
2009
The ninth Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Aotea Centre from 13 May to 17 May 2009. Twenty-four international guests joined 75 local writers and commentators in 51 events, and the festival hosted the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Awards.
The festival audience was estimated at 25,000 in total, including 18,500 at the main festival, and 6,500 school attendances.
The Festival introduced a Schools Programme in 2009, held on 13 and 14 May with 12 events for intermediate and secondary school students. The response was staggering, and the Schools Programme declared a major success.
2008
The eighth Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Aotea Centre from 14 May to 18 May 2008. Nineteen international guests joined 60 local writers and commentators in 62 events.
The festival audience was estimated at 13,500.
2007
The seventh Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Aotea Centre from 24 May to 27 May 2007. Twenty-five international guests joined 83 local writers and commentators in 65 events.
Overall audience attendances were 14,800.
2006
The sixth Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Aotea Centre for one day in May 2006.
This one-day event featured ten international guests on their way to the Sydney Writers Festival that year. The success of this event led to the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival Charitable Trust Board voting to once again make the Festival an annual event from 2007 on.
2005
The fifth Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Hilton Hotel on Princes Wharf from 19 May to 22 May 2005. Seventeen international guests joined 111 local writers and commentators in 63 events. Overall audience attendances exceeded 11,000.
The Festival also produced a weekend of writing workshops the weekend of 14/15 May featuring Owen Marshall, James George, Diane Brown, Joan Rosier-Jones, Michael Bennett, Jill Malcolm, Stephen Stratford and Harry Ricketts on a range of topics.
2003
The fourth Auckland Writers & Readers Festival was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from 15 May to 18 May 2003. Sixteen international guests joined 82 local writers and commentators in 45 events, including book launches for James George. Overall audience attendances were 8,000.
In 2004, the festival ran stand-alone events with Alain de Botton, D.B.C. Pierre (who had won the 2003 Booker Prize, Annie Proulx and Colm Toibin.
2001
The third Auckland Writers’ Festival was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from 25 May to 27 May 2001. Eleven international guests joined 82 local writers and commentators in 43 events, including book launches for Shonagh Koea, Maurice Gee & Patricia Grace, Peter Wells and Jan Kemp. Overall audience attendances exceeded 6,500.
The Auckland Writers & Readers Festival Charitable Trust was formed in 2001, the festival was made a biennial event, and it’s name changed to “The Auckland Writers & Readers Festival” to acknowledge the importance of readers and writers. The next Festival was planned for May 2003.
In 2002, the festival ran stand-alone events with Rachel Seiffert and Andrew O’Hagan, and produced “Winter Writing Workshops” in June 2002 with Sue McCauley, Owen Marshall, Nick Ward, Paula Green and Geoff Walker/Michael Gifkins.
2000
The second Auckland Writers’ Festival was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from 19 May to 21 May 2000.
Nine international guests joined 92 local writers and commentators in 48 events, including a celebration of Vintage’s 10th Birthday, and Robert Dessaix, Marilyn Duckworth and Martin Edmond talking about memoir and autobiography.
Overall audience attendances exceeded 5,600.
1999
The inaugural Auckland Writers’ Festival was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from 27 May to 30 May 1999.
Seven international guests joined 70 local writers and commentators in 40 events, including “To the Lighthouse: North Shore Writers on the Ferry” featuring Tessa Duder, Kevin Ireland, Graeme Lay and Tina Shaw, and the first Buddle Findlay dinner with Felipe Fernandez-Armesto.
Overall, audience attendances exceeded 5,200. The festival had arrived.