Join us for a guilt-free spot of reading, surrounded by like-minded book enthusiasts, hosted by RNZ Afternoons presenter Jesse Mulligan. BYO book!

Born in the Waikato and raised in Sheffield, Catherine Taylor returns to her birth country to share with us an evocative, unforgettable memoir of love, violence, anger, feminism and the thrills and terrors of youth —The Stirrings.

Joined by host Cherie Jacobson, the two will speak to the many varied aspects of the book, both personal and political, including North of England in the 1970s and 80s.

A Verb Community members special event! Hosted by GOOD BOOKS, this will be a warm discussion of books on a cold Winter’s night, hosted by Claire Mabey.

We are thrilled to welcome Eleanor Catton to Wellington for a discussion on all things Birnam Wood, May 23 at Embassy Theatre.

Join the 2022 Booker Prize winner for a special, one-off event in Wellington.

UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage joins with a host of stunning local poets to perform work on the subject of nature, climate change and our relationship to the environment.

UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage talks with Aotearoa Poet Laureate Chris Tse about the place of literature in our personal and political lives.

For one night only we have one of the world's most acclaimed historians in town. Ben Macintyre is the multimillion-copy bestselling author of books including Agent Sonya, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat and A Spy Among Friends.

Award-winning writer Mohamed Hassan maps the experience of being a Muslim in the twenty-first century in this stunning collection of essays, How To Be A Bad Muslim. Join Mohamed for this timely and important conversation about life, loss, Islamophobia, and hope.

Join us for an evening with Sarah Winman, author of beloved novel, Still Life.

Join three of the world’s biggest crime writers with our own Brannavan Gnanalingam (author of Slow Down, You’re Here, and Sprigs) for a night of crime…

Join us to celebrate Clementine and her latest book, How We Love is: Notes on Life, with a live, in-person event with the author herself. Venue and ticket details released in July.

Award-winning British podcaster Helen Zaltzman, aka The Allusionist, returns to the stage to wrestle with language with infectious verve and humour. Join her and house band Martin Austwick for a fun, fascinating and irreverent adventure into the world we make with words.

Join the Queer Arts Festival for a special event in which five fabulous writers read aloud fan mail to their queer idols!

Come along to this free launch event to celebrate the seven astounding women who we are honouring with our Aotearoa Literary Coven Cards. Enjoy drinks, nibbles and readings and stories from local authors and whānau of the writers. Plus a handy time to do some Christmas shopping!

How do we turn our cities into sites of play? Cities that inspire 8 year olds as well as 80 year olds? Join Alex Bonham for a trip through her fascinating new book on the concept of the Playful City.

Rick Gekoski (US), rare book dealer, discusses his latest book, Guarded by Dragons, which uncovers the mysteries behind the most unusual manuscripts and archives, where stories are weaved within stories.

Join The Aunties for a conversation about finding power in sharing your survival story.

A fresh new festival presented by Verb Wellington and The Spinoff. Come to the Wellington Botanic Gardens on 20 - 21 Feb 2021 for talks, music and food.

When Golriz Ghahraman was nine years old she and her parents were forced to flee their home in Iran. In Know Your Place, Golriz offers a moving, honest depiction of seeking asylum, making a home in Aotearoa, and becoming the first refugee to be elected to the New Zealand Parliament. Join Susie Ferguson (RNZ) and Golriz for a conversation about this extraordinary journey.

What if we could talk to animals? How far would you go to find a loved one? How does a pandemic restructure our values? What kind of conversation would you have with a dingo?

Join Laura and Verb Director, Claire Mabey, to talk about the voices of animals, launching a pandemic novel in an actual pandemic, literary heroes, influences, inspirations and more.