An Ode to the Gothic
When the candles flicker, the wind howls and the supernatural starts to seep through the windows, the writers read. Dracula queen, Noelle McCarthy, hosts line-up of writers, including Joy Holley, Lucy Black who will read aloud pieces from their most loved gothic literature, and share what makes these works so fantastically indelible to their lives.
Scenes to Make Your Mouth Water
Join Manuia Heinrich, Linda Martelletti and Shariff Burke as they share delectable scenes from their work where food takes centre stage. With Lucy Corry, they discuss how food is a key ingredient in their storytelling, the tastes and smells that have left lasting impressions on their memories and other epicurious books that have made them drool.
A Word of Advice
Romance and fantasy heroes are forever making terrible choices. Falling for the wrong person, ignoring obvious warnings and charging headfirst into disaster. What advice would the writers of these books give to their characters? Hear from Marie Cardno, Ashley Andersen and Chloe Cullen as they offer some essential counsel to the characters they created.
Bad Diaries Salon
Bad Diaries Salon is back in 2026. Four courageous writers – Airini Beautrais, Tusiata Avia, Jordan Hamel and Jack Remiel Cottrell – read from their unpublished diaries, journals and notebooks, with salon host Tracy Farr. Our theme this year is THREE – three threes for our ninth Verb salon; three’s company, three’s a crowd, three’s a charm. What happens in salon stays in salon, so come, witness, celebrate.
More than Murder
Murder in a gothic Dunedin cathedral. Mystery disappearances in Wellington. Molly Crighton (The Body and the Blood) and Anthony Lapwood (Mincemeat) are thrilling new voices in crime fiction, shaking up the genre by breaking traditional tropes and centring queer voices. They speak to Damien Levi about their new books and what lies beneath a mystery.
Lighten Up
After a lifetime of being told she can’t take a joke, pip adam wrote the book, kluge, in the style of a stand-up comedy special. With Hugo Grrrl, pip explores the structure of comedy, the politics of laughter, and the weaponisation of humour in contemporary culture.
Cult Icons
From cult TV and pop divas to forgotten fads and guilty pleasures, we are pop culture obsessed. Join icons Chris Tse and Haro Lee as they dissect the songs, shows and cultural touchstones they love, and read their poetic responses. To round things off, our writers will lead a quiz to see how your pop knowledge stacks up. Hosted by Melissa Oliver.
The Haunting Wood
What happens when fear distorts reality? John Summers’ Green Sea draws on true stories of people lost in the bush, where isolation can unravel a person’s sense of self. Tīhema Baker’s One Day a Taniwha follows a father struggling to trust what he sees. With William Brandt, they explore disorientation, fear, and minds under pressure.
Starling: Sparks to a Flame
Artistic lineages are traced through readings by four pairs of writers, drawn from past and present pages of Starling, the journal for writing by Aotearoa authors under 25. With current Starling writers reading alongside previous contributors who have inspired them, expect discovery and delight from the murmuration.
How to Write Spice
Ever wanted to write with a little more steam and a lot more spice? Join Isabelle Taylor as she talks through tips and tricks for successfully writing scenes that smoulder off the pages. Writers of any level are welcome.
Political Afterthoughts
The votes are counted and the political horse-trading begins. James Nokise leads a pressing post-election debrief with Māni Dunlop (The Post), Lillian Hanly (RNZ) and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (The Spinoff), reviewing who’s in, who’s out, and what the results of the 2026 election mean for Aotearoa.
Don't Talk About Rocks
The first rule is you don’t talk about rocks. In this event for grown-ups, superstars Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan perform a reading of A Guide to Rocks. Then they join Claire Mabey to discuss the story behind the book and the important conversations it inspires between children and adults.
Reworking the Work
Pulverise it, cut it, transform it! Four poets respond with haiku to Cornelia Parker’s own ‘haiku’: small-scale artworks that distill big ideas. Parker’s series explores the notions of objects to create new forms and ways of understanding the original items. Expect adventurous reinventions of the poets’ own work. Featuring James Brown, Airini Beautrais, Rebecca Hawkes and Tony DiCarlo.
Stories You Can't Trust
In a world where truth is slippery and stories travel faster than facts, how do we know what’s real? Acclaimed writers take the stage to share tales that are either true or completely made up. As each story unfolds, the audience must separate fact from fiction before the final reveal. Hosted by Jo Randerson with Joseph Trinidad, Una Cruickshank, Nick Ascroft, Kiri Lightfoot and Jem Yoshioka.
Cut from the Same Cloth
Are authors influenced by nature or nurture? Join mother-daughter duo Marilyn Duckworth and Mia Farlane as they discuss growing up in a literary family, before turning the tables and asking each other questions they've perhaps never before voiced. In conversation with Tracy Farr.
Ashley Andersen: Malachite
Blending dark academia intrigue with irresistible enemies-to-lovers tension, Ashley Andersen’s debut romantasy, Malachite, is a must-read for fans of the genre. Join Ashley in conversation with H.G. Parry to discuss the first book in her series, the rise of romantasy, and the power of a trope readers can’t get enough of.
Now we are 10, but we won't be 10 forever and ever
Catch the captivating Crip the Lit writers on their 10th anniversary as they riff off this creative milestone and give you ten new reasons to celebrate the work of Wellington’s disabled writers.
A Riot of Words – An Exhibition
View the display of creative works from Verb audience members who created wonderful, strange, poignant, politically charged artistic pieces inspired by words.
Metal and Poetry
Get loud and loose as metal collides with poetry, featuring FVKVSHIMA and poets including Haro Lee, Jordan Hamel and Gregory Kan. Responding to the band’s recurring theme, future imperfect, poets step into the noise with new work, creating an electrifying exchange of sound, rhythm and language.
Alas® 360 Exhibition Launch
Join prolific artist and book-cover designer Todd Atticus for the official launch of Alas® 360, a city-wide visual poem told over the course of a year. Come and celebrate the catharsis of lament, as Alas® 360 begins its mission of reclaiming Wellington’s public spaces from total commercial capture.