Programme Director

About the festival

The Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival is a biennial literary festival held in Ōtepoti Dunedin. It brings writers and readers together for a weekend of conversation, ideas and community, with a programme that spans ages, genres, topics and audiences. We are a Te Tiriti-led organisation that places manaaki at the heart of everything we do. We aim to celebrate Ōtepoti as a UNESCO City of Literature, share fresh ideas and stories, and inspire a thriving community of readers and writers. These things are at the heart of everything we do, shaping our programming and how we work.

About the role

You would lead the overall curation of the festival programme, working closely in a small team with the Festival Director and the Board. It is a role for someone who loves books and reading, knows the literary world, thinks outside the box, enjoys people and can hold many moving parts at once.

In this role, you will:

• develop themes and topics, with a good spread across ages, genres, communities and audience interest
• lead the kaupapa Māori stream of the programme or work alongside guest curators to make sure it is strong
• help curate our children’s events
• build and manage relationships with authors, publishers, sponsors and other stakeholders
• help weave manaaki through the whole festival
• support festival event delivery.

You will have:

• the expertise and commitment to uphold the festival’s kaupapa and to work in a Te Tiriti-led way
• programme curation experience and a feel for how sessions fit together
• strong relationship management skills and knowledge of local and international authors and their work — being a reader is essential
• the ability to juggle many things at once, work to deadlines, self-manage and work closely as part of a small team
• event or project management experience
• a sense of humour

This is a part-time contract role, with hours to be negotiated with the successful applicant. It will start in February 2027 and conclude at the end of October 2027. The role requires some evening and weekend work and is based in Ōtepoti Dunedin. 

For a full position description or to ask any questions, please contact chair@dunedinwritersfestival.co.nz.

Send a cover letter, CV and the names of two referees. Please include a declaration about whether you have used AI in the preparation of your application.

Applications close Friday 27 November 2026.