Sales for the
Auckland Writers & Readers Festival have hit an all-time high this year,
with more than 24,000 tickets sold for the just-delivered five day
programme. This represents a 10%
increase on 2011.
From 9-13 May, more
than 120 guests have delivered 82 sessions and workshops to thousands of New
Zealanders who have filled the Aotea Centre and surrounding venues to hear and
meet writers from across the world.
“We’re delighted to
have exceeded all our artistic, financial and audience targets and delivered a
world class literature festival into the centre of Auckland,” said Chair Sarah
Sandley.
“This event
continues to grow in both stature and popular appeal and has truly become one
of Auckland and New Zealand’s premiere cultural events, going from strength to
strength and providing strong evidence of a thirst to engage with literature
and ideas beyond the sound bite,” she said.
Over the last five
days the Festival has presented 22 international writers and more than 100 New
Zealanders in diverse sessions including readings, conversations, debates,
lectures, live drawing, music and film, poetry performance and play reading.
“There’s been
laughter and tears, high energy and quiet thoughtfulness, delight, wonder and
provocation,” said Artistic Director Anne O’Brien. “We couldn’t have asked for better writers
or audiences and we leave the venues with a great sense of achievement.”
Sessions with particularly
high attendance included Dame Stella Rimington, who spoke in front of an
audience of 1000 on Saturday afternoon, Irish writer Roddy Doyle, cosmologist
Lawrence Krauss, Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeffrey Eugenides, New Zealand comedian
Rhys Darby, and national icon Maurice Gee.
The Festival’s
bookshop, managed by a partnership of Unity Books and The Women’s Bookstore, is
also anticipating a record year for sales with a number of titles selling out.
The Auckland
Writers & Readers Festival is a major undertaking delivered by a small core
staff and an army of volunteers. It
takes place in May each year with planning for the 2013 event, confirmed for
15-19 May, already underway.
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