The New Zealand Young Writers Festival celebrates playwrights and poets; comedians and historians; critics and consciences; the only national festival by, for and about young writers, held right here in Ōtepoti Dunedin.
This live recorded podcast of the New Zealand Young Writers Festival was brought to you by Otago Access Radio and supported by Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature.
The One Work That Defines You
A play, a song, a joke, a story – there’s always one work that comes to mind when you think of a writer. We join playwright Sam Brooks, comedians Abby Howells and Janaye Henry, and poet Claudia Jardine as they chat about what it means – and how it feels – to have an audience come back to a single piece of work that may be long in a writer’s rearview mirror.
Prescriptions and Prose: where medicine and creativity meet
Ōtepoti is Aotearoa’s only UNESCO City of Literature and is home to one of the top medical schools in the country. Is this an unlikely combination, or are there deeper connections between medicine, writing and creativity? We join festival Guest Curator and Rat World founder and editor-in-chief Jennifer Cheuk as she examines this topic with doctor Libby Whittaker and doctors-in-training Olivia Wright and Will Pudney, all of whom are writers. They explore how language and creativity influences medical practice, and what it means to be a creative in the professional world of STEM.
Writing Across Disciplines
What is writing? Who is a writer? Drawing on their interdisciplinary backgrounds, writer and performer Josiah Morgan, poet and musician Isla Huia, comedian Janaye Henry, and playwright and journalist Sam Brooks unpack the multifaceted dimensions of storytelling across genre borders.
Stick It To The Man: the power of street postering
For centuries, street posters have served as a powerful tool for causes of all kinds. This panel discussion explores how the humble poster has ignited social and political movements. Festival Guest Curator and Rat World founder and editor-in-chief Jennifer Cheuk chat with Ōtepoti creatives Jamiema Lorimer, Piupiu Maya Turei and Jörg Bendt about how posters create dialogue within communities.
Calling Community From The Page: Art and Activism
Creative writing is often positioned on the periphery of activism, community-building and mobilisation. However, relational writers cannot create in isolation. NZYWF Young Writer in Residence Ruby Macomber, Carl Naus and others discuss the necessity of creative communities for social change. They explore how creative writing can be a call to action, and the importance of equitable and accessible creative opportunities to amplify the experiences of marginalised voices.
I Identify As An Imposter
The arts are gradually becoming more diverse, but many acclaimed writers of the literary canon are still of the old-white-man persuasion. Given the lack of representation in the field, it can be hard for emerging young authors – especially people of colour and gender diverse folk – to dare to dream of successful careers. We join poet and writer Naomii Seah, NZYWF Young Writer in Residence Ruby Macomber, Isla Huia and Vira Paky as they discuss their creative journeys and the road to overcoming imposter syndrome.
Storytelling Unplugged: finding common ground through podcast narratives
Podcasting is an innovative storytelling technique and a creative entry point for some of today’s most important conversations. We join poet and playwright Vira Paky as she chats with Thabiso Sibanda and Kii Small from the Unpack and PhD: Unpacked podcasts about how to create thought-provoking audio content and the potential of podcasts to amplify voices and ignite change.