All roads lead to Hamilton newsroom.co.nz/2025/01/21/all… Elizabeth Easther on growing up in the literary hotspot of Hamilton and curating HamLit with Bridget Van Der Zijpp as part of Hamilton Arts Festival Toi Ora ki Kirikiriroa.

Great to have Catherine Chidgey's THE BOOK OF GUILT arrive from the courier this morning in time for long weekend reading. Many thanks Te Herenga Waka University Press !

The Ockham NZ Book Awards have released their longlist this morning (ahead of the shortlist on 5 March and winner announcement at Auckland Writers Festival on 5 May). Well done to these authors and their publishers!

We're supporting the fabulous Ages of Pages event at Claudelands on Sat 26 April rather than running our own authors' showcase event in August. Authors wanting to sell books, here's the info & you can contact event organiser Johanna Rae [email protected] with any questions.

Thrilled to hear Nikki Crutchley's crime novel NOTHING BAD HAPPENS HERE of High Spot Literary has received development funding so Caravan Carpark Films can start bringing her work to the screen thanks to NZ On Screen and Te Māngai Pāho.

We've invited Melbourne based crime writer Geoff Parkes to be in conversation about his novel WHEN THE DEEP DARK BUSH SWALLOWS YOU WHOLE with High Spot Literary agent Catherine Wallace on Sat 15 March at Poppies Hamilton. Free event with refreshments, RSVP to Poppies by 13 March.

Life and Death and How We Talk About It with Kathryn Mannix Palliative Care Doctor, Psychotherapist and best selling British author of With the End in Mind and Listen: How to find the Words for Tender Conversations Rototuna Library, Thurs 20 March 6.30pm, free event.

You loved them so we invited Gareth & Louise Ward back! They're talking about their 2nd book "The Bookshop Detectives: Tea and Cake and Death" at Poppies Hamilton on Fri April 25 (Anzac Day) 4pm. One of our free "Out of August" Hamilton Book Month Autumn series events running March-May

We have one of the largest ever Ngaio Marsh Awards Murder In the Library event line-ups with Deborah Challinor, Jared Savage, Chook Henwood, Jenny Harrison & Lee Murray Author chaired by Hamilton Book Month co-director Gail Pittaway! Come to Rototuna Library 29 May at 6pm, free event.

Our Hamilton Book Month Out of August Autumn series kicks off tomorrow Sat 3pm at Poppies Hamilton. Meet Melbourne author Geoff Parkes and his rural noir debut crime novel WHEN THE DEEP DARK BUSH SWALLOWS YOU WHOLE. Free event with generous refreshments supplied by Penguin Books NZ

Peter Dornauf’s book I REMEMBER, I FORGET launches at Poppies Hamilton Thurs 20 March 5.30 pm and is the second in our Autumn series. Peter's a prominent Waikato artist & writer; author of 4 novels, 4 poetry collections & several non-fiction works. Free event, light refreshments

Physician, psychotherapist & trainer Dr Kathryn Mannix presents stories illustrating how we can better understand & prepare for death (our own or somebody else’s) in her bestselling books WITH THE END IN MIND and LISTEN this Thurs 27 March 6.30pm at Rototuna Library, free event.

Ages of Pages is coming to GLOBOX Arena & Events Centre, Claudelands on Saturday 26 August 9.30-4pm. This fantastic free event will have 90+ authors agesofpages.weebly.com

Meet The Bookshop Detectives at Poppies Hamilton on Friday 25 April 4pm talking about their new book. Free event, all welcome.

Fun event this afternoon at Poppies Hamilton with The Bookshop Detectives talking about their writing process, Australian four city tour and plans for the next book. Great turnout with fifty people along including fabulous Nicky Pellegrino author and Stacy Gregg Author.

Ages of Pages free book fair Claudelands till 4pm action, chn's bks, mystery, crime, dystopian, erotica, fantasy, graphic novels, historical, horror, LGBTQ+, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, romance, romantasy, science fiction, self-improvement, spec fiction, travel, urban fantasy, YA

Peter Dornauf's poetry book launch "I remember, I forget" was part of our Out of August Autumn series. His paintings, including images from the book, are being exhibited at Morrinsville Gallery with the opening event on Saturday 31 May at 11am. All welcome, free.

Amber Bremner of Quite Good Food was on Jesse Mulligan RNZ Afternoons talking about her plant-based cookbook SIMPLY VEG. Listen here rnz.co.nz/.../food-leek-… and try her delicious recipe rnz.co.nz/.../leek-and-s… Meet her & sample recipes Thurs 6.30pm at Rototuna Library.

We had baby farming, crimes against Asian women, funeral rights, profiling of rapists & lost children at Bodies Among the Books: Rototuna Mystery in the Library last night. Brilliant readings & discussion with Lee Murray, Deborah Challinor, Jenny Harrison & Chook Henwood.