Another Success in the Books
Kia ora booklovers! Around 10,000 booklovers descended on Featherston for the 11th Karukatea Festival, officially the biggest and most successful in the event’s history. Across 47 events and 75 presenters, the Festival drew record crowds, building on the momentum of the festival’s landmark 10th anniversary celebrations in 2025. Organisers said the result was particularly remarkable given the current economic climate and rising fuel costs. Festival Director Jordan Hamel, who oversaw his first Karukatea Festival this year, said: “I’m truly blown away by this festival’s capacity for surprise, for spectacle, and for the worlds it can hold. Seeing Featherston come alive with ideas and stories is truly special and I’m overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and support of the festival audience.”People lined up to hear from some of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed writers, thinkers and cultural voices, including All Blacks skills coach Gilbert Enoka at the sold-out Fish ‘N’ Chip Supper, award-winning novelist Catherine Chidgey, activist and author Tāme Iti, journalist Steve Braunias and many more. International perspectives were also part of the programme, with Australian author Hannah Kent and renowned Indigenous Australian academic Barry Judd attending through a collaboration with the Australian High Commission.
