Featherston Booktown 2025
9 Episodes
This year, we're live streaming nine major events, with the ability to re-watch them at a later stage.
You can either buy access to a single event which will allow you to watch the live stream for that single event for up to 30 days afterwards it is broadcast.
Or you can join our Annual Subscription which gives you full access to all live streamed events for the entire year to watch at your leisure.
-
Ko Aotearoa Tēnei — How Will The Justice System Make Use Of Tikanga Māori?
One of New Zealand’s biggest constitutional issues is how state law and tikanga Māori intersect. Join tikanga expert and lawyer
Te Raumawhitu Kupenga (Ngāti Porou) as he unpacks this with a distinguished panel: former High Court Judge, Māori Land Court Chief Judge and longtime Waitangi Tribunal C... -
The Pluck Of The Irish
No country on the planet comes close to Ireland as a literary powerhouse. It has produced an impressive list of Nobel laureates and Booker Prize winners and has a booming publishing scene, and now Ireland’s Granard Booktown Festival has a place on the map.
What’s the secret behind Ireland’s lite... -
Fixing The Bear Pit: How To Make Parliament A More Humane And Positive Place
The hostile culture of Parliament has broken people and careers. Is there a better way to conduct the politics of the nation? Can our adversarial political system be changed? Former MPs will debate the motion:
Kiri Allan (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Rarawa), Marilyn Waring... -
Ten Out Of Ten
For 10 years Featherston Booktown has featured the best of this country’s literary talent. Our gala night birthday party will gather 10 of the hundreds of writers who’ve yarned and shared with us so generously. And now we’ve asked them to bring one
more gift to the table. Each one will ... -
Invasion! The Waikato War
Historian Vincent O’Malley writes that the nine months’ of fighting in the Waikato between July 1863 and April 1864 is a tragic tale that ‘goes to the very core of who we are as a nation’. The Mangatāwhiri River was the declared boundary between Kīngitanga
territory and areas controlled by the C... -
Rogernomics: 40 Years On Through The Lens Of A Wairarapa Community
The radical economic reforms of the fourth Labour Government 40 years ago, known as Rogernomics, had a devastating impact on rural communities, including Wairarapa. The dollar was floated, agricultural subsidies removed, GST introduced, forests sold and state-owned
enterprises corporatised. The ... -
Colonisation And Decolonisation: Facing Them Head On
A small book called Imagining Decolonisation has been a notable bestseller in New Zealand. People want to know more about decolonisation and colonisation but often don't know where to start. Join our expert panel in a fascinating kōrero: Papawai
Marae Kaumātua Paora Ammunson (Ngāti Moe, Ngāti K... -
Yeah, It’s All Good: Men Keeping Themselves Well
Why do men, especially in rural areas, struggle to talk about their problems? What’s standing in the way? Are the men of today okay and how do they keep themselves well? Join us for a candid conversation about masculinity, society, health, wealth, life, death
and everything in between, featuring... -
Norwegian Wood: Lars Mytting Talks Wood Chopping, Stacking And Drying
Episode 1
Norwegian author Lars Mytting’s book Norwegian Wood — the definitive woodcutter’s bible to preparing firewood — spread like wildfire around the world. No wonder, when our relationship with fire is ancient and universal and the age-old rituals
around chopping and stacking wood continue to be a pa... -
Ko Aotearoa Tēnei — How Will The Justice System Make Use Of Tikanga Māori?
Episode 2
One of New Zealand’s biggest constitutional issues is how state law and tikanga Māori intersect. Join tikanga expert and lawyer
Te Raumawhitu Kupenga (Ngāti Porou) as he unpacks this with a distinguished panel: former High Court Judge, Māori Land Court Chief Judge and longtime Waitangi Tribunal C... -
1:08:45Episode 3The Pluck Of The Irish
Episode 3
No country on the planet comes close to Ireland as a literary powerhouse. It has produced an impressive list of Nobel laureates and Booker Prize winners and has a booming publishing scene, and now Ireland’s Granard Booktown Festival has a place on the map.
What’s the secret behind Ireland’s lite... -
Fixing The Bear Pit: Making Parliament A More Humane & Positive Place
Episode 4
The hostile culture of Parliament has broken people and careers. Is there a better way to conduct the politics of the nation? Can our adversarial political system be changed? Former MPs will debate the motion:
Kiri Allan (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Rarawa), Marilyn Waring... -
2:02:25Episode 5Ten Out Of Ten
Episode 5
For 10 years Featherston Booktown has featured the best of this country’s literary talent. Our gala night birthday party will gather 10 of the hundreds of writers who’ve yarned and shared with us so generously. And now we’ve asked them to bring one
more gift to the table. Each one will ... -
Rogernomics: 40 Years On Through The Lens Of A Wairarapa Community
Episode 6
The radical economic reforms of the fourth Labour Government 40 years ago, known as Rogernomics, had a devastating impact on rural communities, including Wairarapa. The dollar was floated, agricultural subsidies removed, GST introduced, forests sold and state-owned
enterprises corporatised. The ... -
Colonisation And Decolonisation: Facing Them Head On
Episode 7
A small book called Imagining Decolonisation has been a notable bestseller in New Zealand. People want to know more about decolonisation and colonisation but often don't know where to start. Join our expert panel in a fascinating kōrero: Papawai
Marae Kaumātua Paora Ammunson (Ngāti Moe, Ngāti K... -
Yeah, It’s All Good: Men Keeping Themselves Well
Episode 8
Why do men, especially in rural areas, struggle to talk about their problems? What’s standing in the way? Are the men of today okay and how do they keep themselves well? Join us for a candid conversation about masculinity, society, health, wealth, life, death
and everything in between, featuring... -
2:41:45Episode 9Invasion! The Waikato War
Episode 9
Historian Vincent O’Malley writes that the nine months’ of fighting in the Waikato between July 1863 and April 1864 is a tragic tale that ‘goes to the very core of who we are as a nation’. The Mangatāwhiri River was the declared boundary between Kīngitanga
territory and areas controlled by the C...
