Book Town Devonport Te Hau Kapua.
‘A book town is a universally recognised term for a small town or village with an abundance of bookstores and other literary resources, typically with a distinct literary culture and community. The idea has been formalised by the International Organization of Book Towns, which launched in 1998 based on the model of Hay-on-Wye, Wales, but book towns have also been around in various forms for much longer than that.’
Devonport Te Hau Kapua has, for decades, been a literary treasure house/pataka with writers, past and present growing up, making their homes here or finding work to support their literary pursuits. As former Devonport resident and children’s author Tessa Duder puts it, ‘This area, through Rex Fairburn, Kevin Ireland and others, values writers as eminent additions to our cultural identity and is proud of them.’ (quoted in North Shore Literary Walks)
This appreciation of writers is also reflected in the resources developed to both support and showcase their work, including the newly refurbished Athfield-designed Devonport Library, The Michael King Writers’ Centre, the provision by the Devonport Library Associates of a Devonport Writers’ Collection and regular talks by writers, the bookshops that promote and sell books by local writers and the recent book pop-ups in disused bus stops and other local repositories.
Devonport Literary Resources:
- Michael King Writers Centre, Mt Victoria Takarunga off Kerr St The Michael King Writers Centre is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national writers’ facility and literary centre. We support New Zealand writers and promote the development of high-quality New Zealand writing. writerscentre.org.nz
- Paradox Books, 26 Victoria Rd https://paradoxbooks.co.nz/
- Book Mark, 7 Victoria Rd https://www.bookmark.co.nz/#/
- Devonport Library, 2 Victoria Road
- Devonport Library Associates C/- DLA davidbailey95@gmail.com
- Devonport’s literary walking map, part of the North Shore Literary Walks brochure researched and compiled by local literary icon, Graeme Lay for the North Shore City Council (1989 – 2010). Included in this walk are some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best-known and loved writers. It is by no means an exhaustive list as Devonport continues to attract and inspire both new and established writers in all genres.
The Michael King Writers Centre is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national writers’ facility and literary centre. We support New Zealand writers and promote the development of high-quality New Zealand writing.
The centre is based in the historic Signalman’s House on the slopes of Takarunga Mt Victoria in Devonport, Auckland.
We have a programme of supported residencies for New Zealand writers and offer low-cost accommodation for visiting writers. We also offer specialist workshops and occasional literary events.
The centre will host 18 supported writers’ residencies in 2023. To date over 120 New Zealand writers have held residencies at the centre since it opened in 2005 and up to 30 visiting writers stay each year. We welcome and encourage applications from both emerging and established writers from throughout Aotearoa.
The centre is run by a charitable trust registered with the Charities Commission.
