Project 19 - Writer's Block

Writer’s Block

New Zealand Young Writers Festival
An Urban Dream Brokerage Project
7 ‒ 10 September 2017
23 Princes Street
Property Partner: Haranda Investments 

Reaching new audiences and finding new ways of bringing people together, the 2017 New Zealand Young Writers Festival took over a vacant space as part of its exciting innovative programme.

Sex, dairy farming and feminism were among the unlikely bedfellows at the Festival; 15 free events delivered some of the country’s finest young wordsmiths to Dunedin. The line-up included Lizzie Marvelly (2017 Canon Awards: Columnist of the Year; Blog Site of the Year for “The Villainesse”); Chris Tse (2016 Ockham Award Winner); New Zealand’s first Snapchat comedy star Tom Sainsbury; dairying dystopic Rhydian Thomas, and a two-day arts writing workshop with Lana Lopesi and Rosabel Tan from Pantograph Punch.

Continuing a proud theme of collaboration within the event, this series of events featured contributions from the Blue Oyster Art Project Space and Pantograph Punch; the New Zealand Book Council; Aotearotica; and the Dunedin High Schools’ Poetry Slam. 

Across the weekend, young writers and the people who love them (their work) had the opportunity to bond over performances, readings, panel discussions, workshops and a pub quiz. The programme was presented with the support of Phantom Billstickers.

Website: youngwritersfest.nz 

Images: Justin Spiers