Writers' festival favourite gets early spotlight

Words of passion, expression and empowerment echoed as Auckland Writer’s festival’s STREETSIDE: Britomart took over the precinct for a one-night literary carnival.

Held a week earlier than usual to sidestep the main festival clash, this vibrant fringe event shone through a dusky Autumn evening to spotlight local Tāmaki talent.

The programme featured everything from jubilant street performers, more-ish mocktails and music to zine-making workshops, intimate literary talks and evocative poetry that kept the night pulsing.

Artistic Director for the Auckland Writers Festival (AWF), Lyndsey Fineran, says deciding to bring the event forward this year was to prevent “FOMO”.

“Streetside used to take place on the Friday night within the main festival dates, and we were hearing from a lot of artists and audience members that they felt really torn whether to be on-site in the festival venue events or down at Britomart,” she says.

“We thought, what does it look like if we bring Streetside forward and give it its full celebration, its full moment in the sun? So, that's what we did.”

Despite torrential rain in the Auckland district, hundreds of people turned out to this year's event which was curated by STREETSIDE: Britomart Programmer Ruby Macomber.

In a media release, Macomber said that the programme focussed “on creating opportunities for artists to let loose and take the unorthodox structure of STREETSIDE: Britomart in their stride”.

The “extravaganza of creative shenanigans” included the return of Book Fight Club with former WWF wrestler El Jaguar, where books ‘fight’ each other in a ‘Literati Thunderdome’.

A new station hosted typewriter poets to whom attendees could give prompts and then receive a personalised poem in return.

Fineran says the Streetside event’s unconventional nature and buzzy location make it lively, dynamic and surprising.

“It's really about broadening and diversifying the audience for these events. We know how cool book festivals are, but some people may find them intimidating so we’re trying to remove barriers.

“With Streetside, it’s very relaxed, it’s very friendly and it’s very accessible.”

The AWF STREETSIDE event, which is free of cost, has taken place annually since 2020 and has been based in Britomart since 2023.

Frequent AWF attendee Shyrel Burt says she went to STREETSIDE: Britomart as “it was casual; you can come along and don’t have to book anything”.

“It's [also] a lovely event to spend some time with a friend.

“There is lots of great content and it’s great to see some of your heroes in person.”

The 2025 Auckland Writers Festival will be held from May 13 to 17.