WORD Christchurch

A portrait of Alice Oseman, a young curly, red haired woman wearing a rainbow t-shirt. Her book, Heartstopper Volume 6, is digitally next to her.

THU 22 OCTOBER

Alice Oseman: Heartstopper (UK) View event details

A young white woman smiles at Noelle McCarthy as she gets her book signed. A queue of people are waiting for the same.

"Well done, WORD. One of the best yet." - Claire Mabey via The Spinoff

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Two people hug. The person in the foreground is smiling. There is a warm hazy feeling to the image.

A group of women crowd around a bookshop table. They smile and point at the books.

Thanks for attending WORD Festival 2026!

WORD Christchurch is all about words, stories and ideas.

We spark connections between writers and readers, ideas and action, communities and cultures across Ōtautahi Christchurch and Waitaha Canterbury to create a space where people meet, deepen understanding and collectively explore the power of stories. We bring together community, creativity, ideas and conversation to present meaningful events. We are facilitators of experiences: feeding minds, shifting perspectives, and bridging the stories that shape us and the worlds we’re yet to imagine. We can't wait to see you at one of our dynamic events!

News & Upcoming Events

Alice Oseman:

Heartstopper (UK)

Thursday, 22 October — 7:00pm

The award-winning author and illustrator of the bestselling Heartstopper series here in Ōtautahi

View event details

Ā Mua

Tuesday, 1 September — 7:00pm – 8:15pm

Multi-instrumentalist Riki Pirihi (Ngāti Wai, Patuharakeke, Ngaati Maahanga) and award-winning writer Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore, Pākehā) weave together sound and story, taonga pūoro and strings, in this special performance.