About

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to RAWA’s website, Readers and Writers Akaroa, where we welcome lovers of books and writing to the stunning Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū, Banks Peninsula!

RAWA is a biennial festival that is hosted by a small group of volunteers who believe in the power of literature to influence lives in joyful and meaningful ways. Our aim is to bring together a community of readers and writers in an intimate regional festival where people can engage with, and learn from, the very best authors in Aotearoa.

We hope those of you who have attended our readers and writers festival in Akaroa have been inspired by our fabulous lineup of speakers and range of topics. For those of you yet to experience RAWA, subscribe to our newsletter that will let you know about our activities: KEEP IN TOUCH HERE.
 
Each RAWA builds on the last and in 2024 we had an impressive programme of fiction and non fiction. We also introduced new RAWA fellowship schemes and prizes that celebrate New Zealand writers and writing. For a summary of
these initiatives and to find out more about what our audience thought about RAWA 2024, take a look at our end-of-festival report: RAWA 2024
 

Our small team of RAWA volunteers is now taking a well-earned rest and we look forward to seeing you all next time.
 

Mā te wā,
Marie Connolly