About Bookmark Kāpiti
Bookmark Kāpiti celebrates the people, stories and places of the Kāpiti region. We aim to showcase our rich creative diversity and include stories and writing for all kinds of readers, writers and storytellers.
We run a few bookish events every year alongside our major festival weekend every second year.
Our 2025 festival featured workshops, talks and performances for children, young people and adults – from sunny Ōtaki to wild Paekākāriki. From gardening to kōrero about the environment to workshops on writing songs or your life story, there were topics for everyone to explore or inspire.
Upcoming Events
Fri, 20 FebBaker Lodge, El RanchoJoin us for a weekend of focused writing and conversation with award-winning author Pip Adam and other writerly types.
6 June 2025Location is TBDIt's back. Last year's Author Alley with add-ons. Bigger and better.
October, 2026Location is TBDIt's back! CycleStory 2026. Stay tuned for further details.
Participant Feedback
An amazing inaugural event with huge variety, very kind and helpful volunteers and outstanding speakers.
Fabulous programme, I wanted to attend so much more than I could make.
Well organised with a good atmosphere
Very honest and authentically Kāpiti
Everything I went to felt relaxed and anchored to and organic to place. Locals seemed proud to be hosting too! I think Bookmark Kāpiti brings together readers, writers, publishers, and other bookish groups.
I really loved the local and community feel of this festival, that every main centre had events and that local authors and local adjacent authors and writing about the area featured strongly throughout, with storytellers gathering at various points along the way like Author Alley and the open mic, and lots of good conversations and excellent networking going on.
Image gallery
Mocean at the Big Night Out which also featured Jess Deacon and Te Kahu Rolleston
CycleStory - travellers along the route read poems, memories of a colonial war battle and little-known facts about the expressway
Apirana Taylor performs at Storyland Adventures at St Peter's Hall in Paekākāriki
Author Sacha Cotter and illustrator Josh Morgan performing at Storyland Adventures along with Apirana Taylor
Kupu t-shirt printing at the Hori Gallery in Ōtaki Beach
Children enjoy Storyland Adventures in Paekākāriki
Children's writer Philippa Werry at the Paraparaumu Library
Putting up the signs in Ōtaki
Thanks to
