About Verb Wellington
Here at Verb we’re all about making space for stories, books, writers and readers to come together. We passionately believe that stories, books and ideas can change the world.
Our mission is to support and nurture our literary arts community so we can together move through a future filled with experiences that sustain the spirit and grow empathy.
Every year we have a big, beautiful party that celebrates books, reading, ideas, information and conversation. Over several days we gather, roam and talk together. Writers and artists from all over the world and Aotearoa share their ideas and their stories with curious readers. The most recent festival was 9 - 12 November 2023 and was a special one: check out the programme here!
LitCrawl Wellington is always the centrepiece of our party with 26 events in one Saturday night, with over 160 artists, and 26 of Wellington’s indie businesses and public spaces.
Verb Events
We run literary events and host a number of incredible writers throughout the year in the lead-in to our Festival. For example, we hosted Eleanor Catton in conversation with Joan Fleming about Birnam Wood, and two events with UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, supported by British Council. You can see our past events here (which is also where we’ll add upcoming events).
Verb Readers and Writers Festival
Verb Residencies
We can’t live without creativity in our lives. Our mission is to connect the eco-system between readers, and the writers and artists who create the work that inspires us. Our residencies provide opportunities for young artists to take time (supported by space and money) to make work. We offer Micro-Residencies that coincide with the Festival, and also run the Verb Wellington Residency with Katherine Mansfield House & Garden. This is three weeks of paid writing time at Katherine Mansfield’s birthplace, while you stay in a lovely spot in Wellington. Calls for applications will go out in early July.
We want to make Wellington one of the world’s most supportive creative cities. We’re working on creating more residency opportunities. Watch this space.
Verb for Wellington
Pōneke, Te Whanganui-a-Tara is our beloved home. We are committed to keeping our creative community safe, nurtured and vibrant. Our work has been recognised internationally by our peers as innovative and welcoming. We look to a bright future, a radical one, where the creative work that keeps people and communities going is at the centre of national and international conversation.
Who we are
2023 Festival programmers
The Verb Readers & Writers Festival 2023 programmers were: Rangimarie Sophie Jolley (Waikato-Tainui) and Trinity Thompson-Browne (Ngāti Kahungunu, Muaūpoko) - ngā kaitiaki o te mauri o Te Hā o Ngā Pou Kaituhi Māori; Damien Levi (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi); Rosabel Tan; and Chris Tse. These artists were joined by our long-time collaborators, including Crip the Lit, to create a very special festival programme that celebrated 10 years of LitCrawl.
Melanie Hamilton: Executive Director
Melanie comes to Verb from the performing arts, where she’s been working as a producer and dramaturg, and before that as a performer. Melanie delights in bringing audiences and artists together to foster wonder, community, friendship and deep connection. She first joined Verb as producer of our 2021 festival.
Claire Mabey: Founder
Claire is a writer, reader, festival organiser and books editor at The Spinoff. She loves running, travelling and lying down with a book. She’s currently writing novels for children and working on one for adults, too.
Andrew Laking: Founder
Andrew is a musician and spent a big chunk of his life touring the world with Irish folk group, Gráda. Andrew is now part of the production team behind a lot of Verb’s work, and is the creator and director of Lōemis festival, a Solstice-timed dark moth that creates a series of bespoke productions with musicians, prop-makers, sculptors, fire artists, designers and his own musical energy.
Wellington Treasure Trust
The Wellington Treasure Trust governs Verb Wellington's activities. Trustees are: Emma Marr (Treasurer), Catherine Robertson, Brannavan Gnanalingam, Claire Mabey and Andrew Laking.