Young Minds Take the Library

Activities galore.

See author interviews led by young readers, listen to stories read aloud to live improvised music, let a teenager lead you through the Pūkana: Moments in Māori Performance exhibition, write secret notes to leave in library books, take part in workshops and make your own mini book.

Hear and see amazing authors.
Authors include international guest Scarlett Thomas (WorldQuake), Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan (The Bomb), Whiti Hereaka (Legacy), Vincent O’Malley (The New Zealand Wars: Nga Pakanga O Aotearoa) and more.

A special guest will be joining us for storytime... keep your eyes on the Festival’s Facebook & Twitter for the big reveal.

Dress up and win.
What is a festival without a costume? We will have prizes for best dressed!
Come as your favourite book character and you will be richly rewarded.

This event is part of the New Zealand Festival of the Arts and is proudly supported by National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.

Prizes for parents.
The first 50 adults through the doors will receive a bag of L’affare coffee (we got you).

Timetable
Times below are subject to change.

10am to 1pm: Stories and secret notes at He Matapihi
Enjoy story times with Book Girl!, Timotimo and others all morning and make sure you visit the note-writing-and-hiding desk where you can write secret notes and hide them in library books for someone to find.

11am to 2pm: Mini-zine and comic-making
Roll up to the ZineFest table to learn how to make your very own zine or comic! The wonderful artists from ZineFest will be there to guide you in your story-making activity.

11.15am: Picture book workshop
Fun with Words & Pictures with Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan (creators of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year 2019, ‘The Bomb | Te Pohū0146). Suitable for ages 8+

11.15am: Author interview — Vincent O’Malley
The author of ‘The New Zealand Wars | Ngā Pakanga o Aotearoa’ talks to young
readers about his hugely important book.

12.30pm: Author interview — Whiti Hereaka (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa and Pākehā)
Award-winning playwright and YA-novelist (‘The Graphologist’s Apprentice’, the awardwinning YA novel Bugs and Legacy) talks to a young fan about her life as a writer and what she is writing next.

From 1pm: Explore the Roaming Hut!
Explore this remarkable, sustainable hut made by artists Kemi Niko & Co for their
NZ Festival of the Arts commission, Urban Hut Club.

1.30pm: Author interview — Damien Wilkins
Aotearoa writer Damien Wilkins talks with fellow author Kate De Goldi about Aspiring, a brand new novel about a teenage boy hunting for clues about his hometown, his family and himself.

2.15pm: Stories and music live
Timotimo are a storytelling crew who travel the motu bringing stories to life through taonga puoro and waiata.