'Dinah Hawken has a remarkable ability to situate herself and us in nature and history. To connect us to these bigger things, while – gently yet pointedly - make us ask questions of ourselves.' Here's Dinah on RNZ following her PM's Award. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

‘I vote with the hand that holds this knife. I vote for the fish, the bird, the ocean and a raised land shaped by explosion, erosion and willful life.’ Dinah Hawken reads from her poem ‘The Uprising’ after receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for Poetry last night.

Huge congratulations to these three. We're particularly proud of our Dinah! 💙

Great to see poet Dinah Hawken here! Such a clear-sighted, brave and – when you least expect it – mischievous writer.

Happy publication day to Tusiata Avia! Giving Birth to My Father is an extraordinary new collection from one of our country’s most important voices. Cover art: Pati Solomona Tyrell teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/giv...

Happy publication day to Christina Barton! Out of the Blue: Essays on Artists from Aotearoa New Zealand 1985–2021 is art writing at its best and most engaging and a vital piece of New Zealand history. teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/out...

Happy publication day to Harry Ricketts! Bonfires on the Ice is out today. This is a beautiful, intelligent and funny book. Cover (woodcut): Dave Kent Cover (design): Todd Atticus teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/bon...

Another extremely exciting book coming in February 2026 is Bill Manhire's Lyrical Ballads. A dazzling blend of story and song where collisions between wonder and reality create unforgettable poems. @pacificraft.bsky.social Cover: Todd Atticus More here: teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/lyr...

We're thrilled to announce that in February 2026, Breton Dukes will make his debut as a novelist with Party Boy, a tender, shocking and comic portrait of a man on the edge. Cover: Dudley Benson More info and pre-orders here: teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/par...

ALAS ALAS ALAS Here’re some of the works on show at Sala Alas. The show is open 10-4 daily at 218c Willis Street, Wellington until November 12th.

Join us to launch a new book of poetry by the incredible Tusiata Avia. 🔹 Saturday 15 November, 5pm 🔹 Space Academy 🔹 371 St Asaph Street, Christchurch 🔹 All welcome! Books will be for sale with thanks to Scorpio Books, and kai and refreshments will be provided. www.facebook.com/share/16ZAvv...

Check out our November news, which includes the announcement of our first five books to be published in 2026! mailchi.mp/wgtn.ac.nz/t...

Didn’t quite make the deadline to apply for the MA in Creative Writing? Good news: we’ve extended it until Friday. It’s not too late to come and write your poetry/fiction/creative nonfiction/script with us next year!

Also in February 2026 new Breton Dukes!! teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/par...

Woooohoooo!!! New Bill Manhire! Lyric Ballads is out 13 February 2026. Can. Not. Wait. teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/lyr...

"Bill Manhire has always subscribed to Paul Valéry’s definition of poetry as ‘a prolonged hesitation between sound and sense’." Yaaaaaaaay!!!!!!

Hope, and an Auckland poetry event... newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/02/t...

Michelle will be interviewed by Thom Conroy at Palmerston North library tonight! www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Delighted to announce that acclaimed poet Tusiata Avia MNZM has been appointed Creative NZ / Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Writer in Residence for 2026, and will be joining us at the IIML next year to work on her next book! www.wgtn.ac.nz/modernletter...

Oh how gorgeous: the @thwupbooks.bsky.social edition of @ingridhorrocks.bsky.social’s wonderful debut story collection just in. Coming to OZ in 2026 as well, from UQP!

'Sometimes curators are criticised as tastemakers and gatekeepers, a pointy-headed elite that gets in the way of the art. I see myself as providing a bridge and a framework to help people understand where the artist ‘is coming from’.' A Q&A with Christina Barton www.thepress.co.nz/culture/3608...

'Ever since I discovered that the term “gas-lighting” derives from Patrick Hamilton’s late 1930s play Gas Light (and the two films made soon afterwards), I’ve meant to give his novels a go.' What Harry Ricketts has been reading… www.waikatotimes.co.nz/culture/3608...

The @thwupbooks.bsky.social publishing library is filling up

‘Too much pain, not enough empathy’: Ingrid Horrocks on a book she wouldn’t recommend

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Join us at Unity Wellington next week to hear Charles Ferrall in conversation with Michalia Arathimos about his new book South by South: New Zealand and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. ⛵ 21 October, 12:30–1:15pm ⛵ Unity Books Wellington ⛵ Free–all welcome! www.facebook.com/share/19n6Uv...

'I was drawn to how things morph and shift, echo and repeat across time and generations. Then characters from some stories started appearing in others.' Ingrid Horrocks on place in her stories. www.thepost.co.nz/culture/3608...

'Fiction is terrifying because fictional characters do things that you, as a writer, know little about.' Ingrid Horrocks on why writing fiction is scarier than nonfiction. www.nzherald.co.nz/the-listener...

Harry Ricketts reviews It's What He Would've Wanted by Nick Ascroft, with some wonderful readings from the book. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Been thinking it’s time to write your first book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction? Apply for the MA in Creative Writing at the IIML and have the support of a writing community, Deadline 1 November www.wgtn.ac.nz/modernletter...

Join us to celebrate Bonfires on the Ice by Harry Ricketts! 🪵 Thursday 6 November, 6pm 🪵 Unity Books Wellington 🪵 Free event. All welcome! The book will be launched by Ashleigh Young, with readings from Jenny Bornholdt, Tim Grgec, Gregory O'Brien, and the author himself.

Happy publication day to Ingrid Horrocks! All Her Lives is a collection of fiction celebrating women’s lives and their search for love and freedom. We are proud to publish this book today and look forward to celebrating its launch this evening at Unity Books Wellington 💚

Tonight at Unity Books, our 2024 Writer in Residence Ingrid Horrocks launches the book she wrote that year - come and celebrate All Her Lives at 6pm!

Join us tomorrow!

'A biographer's awareness of defining moments or meetings, of motivation and revelation, of the social forces that shape behaviour ... Any parent will recognise the stunning, sulking teenage girl 'in the full blooming flare of a new-found fury.’' www.nzherald.co.nz/the-listener...

Loved this poem for ages, and now a back and present story nzpoetryshelf.com/2025/10/08/p...

Poetry in Performance 2nd session Thurs 9 Oct with Gregory Kan, Lee Fraser, Philip Armstrong + open mic - brought to you by the Canterbury Poets’ Collective. Tickets (incl zoom option) $10 at the door or at events.humanitix.com/copy-of-poet...

'I’ve got two teenagers at home. Life is busy. I’ve been drawn to books that offer the intensity of an encounter with a whole world over just a few sittings.' Here's what Ingrid Horrocks has been reading: www.thepress.co.nz/culture/3608...

FAFSWAG artist Pati Tyrell's commissioned art work for the cover of Tusiata Avia's new book entitled 'Giving Birth To My Father'. You can also pick up a copy for yourself here: teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/giv...

Next week, Duncan is jumping on Zoom to talk about how to research for your writing. Sounds very useful! More info here: www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/what-you-n...

Celebrations, endings, reviews, goodbyes, new books... here is our October news! mailchi.mp/wgtn.ac.nz/t...

Charles Ferrall was interviewed by Neil Johnstone about his new book South by South. A great conversation! Listen here... www.wcl.govt.nz/news/author-...

'Democracies around the world currently face great challenges.' Geoffrey Palmer’s warning, on Newsroom today. newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/22/g...

'Gee's O Trilogy was so important to me when I was 10. I met the guy in my late 30s and didn't tell him this of course. We are supposed to look back and regret such cowardly moments but I don't. There's an honour in not bothering people.' —Nick Ascroft. www.thepress.co.nz/culture/3608...

There were two peeks inside Sick Power Trip on Reading Room this weekend! First, 'Bino' by Erik Kennedy. newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/20/s...

We've been running a book giveaway on our Instagram to mark Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. All you need to do is comment a whakataukī on our latest photo to be in the running to a copy of a very special book; Ngā Pēpeha a ngā Tīpuna. We will draw a winner on Monday :) www.instagram.com/thwupbooks/

Ahem - we'd just like to point out that if you would like to write your book alongside a cohort of supportive others, and with the guidance of a supervisor (aka mentor), applications for our 2026 MA in Creative Writing are open until 1 November.... www.wgtn.ac.nz/modernletter...

A gorgeous advance copy to end the week ❤️ @thwupbooks.bsky.social

See you at Unity tonight!