27 Writers Attend Three-Day Dunedin Retreat
The Dunedin Fringe team organized a second annual wānaka for young authors, featuring workshops and performances in Karitane.
By Malik Salazar ·
The New Zealand Young Writers Festival concluded its latest edition in Dunedin, a city designated as a UNESCO City of Literature.
Dunedin Fringe organized the event, which included a wānaka for a selected cohort of 27 writers aged 18 to 35. This marked the second year the festival offered this specific retreat component. Participants stayed for three days at Puketeraki Marae in Karitane. The program followed a tuakana-teina framework, pairing senior mentors with newer writers to provide guidance and skill-building opportunities.
The retreat began with a pōwhiri and a Talitali kava ceremony. These rituals allowed writers to honor deceased loved ones and set intentions for the festival period. The group also took a guided tour of Huriawa pā to engage with local history. Mornings started with karakia and waiata to welcome the sunrise, while evenings concluded with open mic sessions in the wharenui where participants shared new and old pieces.
Mentors Eric Soakai and Rauhina Kohuwai-Banks led specific workshops during the stay. Soakai guided the cohort through a life mapping session that included discussing past experiences and future plans, including death dates. Josiah Morgan, the 2026 Young Writer in Residence, taught movement-based techniques to help writers handle discomfort. Antony Deaker and Nick Tipa also presented on managing artist funds, taxes, and grant applications.
The main festival program opened with the cohort presenting work in an event titled Pou Kōrero, Pou Talanoa: Posts that Speak. The session ended with the writers performing a waiata composed by the previous year's cohort, which now serves as the official festival song. The weekend schedule included workshops on slam poetry, zine making, multilingual collaborative poetry, and ritual. Tara Leckie led a workshop called 'Talking to the Dark,' which one attendee described as a healthy way to bounce thoughts around before returning to the safety of the light. The Otago Poetry Slam Champs performed on Saturday night.
A panel discussion featuring five cohort members closed the public events. The group discussed courage and revolution in their work and lives, touching on lived experience, collaboration, and initiative. Rachel O'Neill moderated the session. The cohort then gathered privately for closing reflections and poroporoaki.
The festival team, including Vanessa, Hannah, and Katrina, managed the logistics of the event. The Fringe organization plans to continue the festival next year.
