About Us
Help us create the next chapter. Invest in a world-class festival of books and ideas.
Our Patrons are a vibrant group of supporters who underpin the charitable trust and help to make this Festival one of New Zealand’s premier cultural events. Every year we stage hundreds of events, gathering together the world’s best writers and thinkers with festival goers for extraordinary experiences. Our Patrons are investors in the future of the event, and in the world of reading, writing and ideas.
We are enormously grateful for the support we receive from individuals which ensures that the Festival continues to bring exceptional writers and thinkers who extend the boundaries of the reader experience to the Auckland stage.
Invest in our Festival, take your seats in the front row and enjoy searching conversations, lively performances, late-night lit and creativity in all its bookish formats.
From 1 November 2025, our Patrons Programme delivers the same exceptional benefits with a newly introduced fully tax deductible donation component allowing for tax credits of up to 33.33%. A receipt to support your tax deductible donation will be issued following payment. More information on patron benefits and tax deductibility in this FAQs .
Download a Patron Brochure or find out more about becoming a Patron, making a donation or gifting Patronage or Friend Membership.
Additional thanks goes to our BOLD patrons, who have shown bold, philanthropic leadership by generously making a charitable donation equivalent to or greater than their base patronage.
Thank you to our 2025 Patrons for their generous support of the festival.
Platinum
Betsy & Michael Benjamin
Philip Carter
Antonia Fisher & Stuart Grieve
Theresa Gattung
Anna Gibbons
Joséphine & Ross Green
Pip Greenwood & David Gibson
Patricia & Gary Holden
Michael Horton
Julian & Lizanne Knights
Pip Muir & Kit Toogood
Kevin Ramsbottom-Isherwood
Jenny & Andrew Smith
Susan & Gavin Walker
Anonymous (2)
Gold
John Barnett
Libby & Andrew Barrett
Frances Bell
Gaybrielle Binning
Ruth Bonita & Robert Beaglehole
Neil Brown
Denise Brown & Paul Vujcich
Sally Christie
Jo Clayton
Barbie & Paul Cook
Candis Craven & John Daly-Peoples
Raewyn Dalziel
Lady Dayle & Sir Christopher Mace
Michelle Deery
Anni Docking
Kent Gardner & Ngaere Duff
Dame Jenny Gibbs
Bridget Hanley & Mike Allen
Catherine & Michael Hapgood
Anabright Hay
Rachel Henderson & Mark Russell
Wyn & Steve Hoadley
Julyan Lawry
Leigh & Donald Melville
Charlotte & Ian McLoughlin
Christine & Derek Nolan
Irene Norbis
Rachel & Jason Paris
Georgina & Jolyon Ralston
Amanda Sadlier
Judith Shea & Keryn Smith
Robyn Spooner
John Spooner
Anthea & Peter Springford
Tania Stiles & James Griffin
Joan Vujcich
Michael Webb
Shan Wilson & Gavin Scott
Anonymous (4)
Silver
Ema Aitken & David Galler
Brenda & Stephen Allen
Margaret Anderson & Sally Jackson
Gaye & Michael Andrews
Louise & Mark Binns
Clare Bradley & Brian Carter
Brigit & Giles Brant
Katherine Burson
Louise & Robert Clark
Debbie Cook & Sue Haigh
Christine Fernyhough
Susan Francis & Chris Bridgeman
Isabel & Jean-Maurice Gaillard
Jane & Kevin Glover
Jo & John Gow
Victoria & John Gresson
Adina Halpern & David Flacks
Rod Hansen
Anne Hargreaves
Katie Jacobs & Chris Aughton
Jo Johnson & Jarvie Tunnicliffe
Judy Jordan & Trevor Bayly
Claire Laidlaw
Jenny & Robert Loosley
Bronwyn Monopoli
Ali Nelson
Matthew Patrick
Jane & Norman Parlane
Nadine & Ian Perera
Helen Pollock
Sarah & Sefton Powrie
Richard Prevett
Anna & Troy Rawhiti-Connell
Maree & Colin Reynolds
Fran Ricketts
Juliet Robieson
Jeanette Saunders
Jane & David Simcock
Amanda & Craig Styris
Liz Tucker
Stephanie Urlich & Marty Forsman
Nancy van der Laan
Lucy Whineray
Anonymous (6)
Bronze
Gretchen Albrecht & James Ross
Midge Bentley
Carole Beu
Anne Blackburn
Hillary Brick
Claire & Peter Bruell
Angela & Kim Campbell
Jill & Tim Caughley
Christine Chilwell
Vanessa & Andrew Clark
Tania Clifton-Smith
Fran & Phil Connell
Amber Coulter & Andrew Lewis
Jane Davidson-Ladd & Simon Ladd
Ainslie Dewe
Danelle Dinsdale & Bruce Isles
Ruth Diver
Lisa Dorushkin
Clare Gordon
Charlotte Hellaby & Fraser Norris
Leonie Hynds
Kathy Kane & Nigel Harrison
Deborah Kelland
Carol-Ann & Max Lamb
Hilary & Maureen Lewis
Julie Loranger & Lindsay Niemann
Peter Macky
Susan McCarthy
Pip & John McKay
Audrey Moss & Mark Werman
Shona & Barry Old
Fay Pankhurst
Caroline & Paul Restall
Kathryn Roberts
Nicky Ryan & John Dixon
Kathryn Todd & Tony Nicholson
Penny Thomson
Margaret & Mike Tomlinson
Peter Vial
Laura Watts
Christine Wechsler
Judy Wrightson
Anonymous (3)
With thanks to our 2025 Donors
Edward Federman
Anna Gibbons
Isabel & Jean-Maurice King-Gaillard
Lizanne & Julian Knights
Pat McKenzie
Margaret Malaghan
Deborah Meldrum
Rachel & Jason Paris
Nadine & Ian Perera
Founding Donors
Erika & Robin Congreve