An annual weekend of wonderful writers and curious audiences in beautiful Marlborough.
The Marlborough Book Festival returns:
18 July to 20 July 2025
24 July to 26 July 2026
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Save the date and join us next time for more captivating conversations with the people who write the books you love!
Our full 2025 programme will be announced in early May and tickets on sale from early June. Sign up for our newsletter to be among the first to learn about the 2025 programme and when tickets are on sale.
PODCAST SERIES
Did you know you can listen to podcasts of sessions from past festivals in the comfort of your own home?
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PS: Did you know $1 from every ticket you buy at the festival goes towards supporting children's reading in Marlborough? Read more...
WORDS FROM OUR AUTHORS...
"The festival is amazing. I feel like it's the best-kept secret of literary festivals in New Zealand. Just the warmth and generosity of the hospitality... it's absolutely brilliant. I think it's more intimate than many other festivals. It feels like you're part of a friendly crowd, sort of in a book group or something. It feels warm and like a family gathering."
Anna Smaill, 2024 author
"It's been a really magical festival. There's such a nice buzz and the hospitality is off the charts... you can just feel that the audiences are having a really nice time. It feels like a great community event... There's just that lovely connection between writers and readers."
Emily Perkins, 2024 author
"As an author, I’m very lucky in being sort of sent around the country to literary festivals like this, and I kid you not, Blenheim—I've been here twice before, and this is the best. This is actually the best. It’s just the vibe of it. It’s really great. It’s really welcoming and friendly. I told a friend I was going to Blenheim for the Literary Festival, and he said, ‘Ah, New Zealand’s Best Books Festival.’ There you go."
Steve Braunias, 2022 author
"It's wonderfully run by a bunch of very dedicated, passionate people. I've learned heaps, and I'd certainly come back to another festival like this... you're going into a different world, learning things you never really thought about before. It's incredible."
Dave Lowe, 2022 author
"It's one of the great festivals in the southern hemisphere because it is so carefully thought through. It has superb content, a very carefully curated collection of writers and presenters, and it looks after everyone at the festival... Wine is very present, which is, of course, wonderful... It's an absolutely top happening for me."
Kate de Goldi, 2022 author