Foraging favourite Helen Lehndorf shares her personal festival experience as a guest author here in Ōtepoti for the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival.

Ati Teepa was here in Ōtepoti for his maiden festival voyage. A week after conflict broke in Palestine, he wrote these words within a storm that is still raging for the people of Gaza.

Erupting minds and fiery tongues burn scorching sentences into my memories. Every word is a spark, igniting the hearts of the hopeful, keeping the masses huddled close enough together to feel some kind of comfort in the warmth of their numbers. Manaia gets the crowds to click their fingers – it reminds me of the crackling fires we sit around to tell pūrākau.

Our Festival comes full circle as we begin to hear from some of our Key Listeners. These were people drawn to the festival in various ways-audience, participants, fans, writers and of course readers.

We have few words left to express the highs and lows of this weekend.

A massive mihi of sincere gratitude to the great many who contributed to the collective energy of our festival. All the authors, chairs, musicians, children, volunteers, poets, event creatives, dogs, venues, artists, our curator Māori, our board, our bookshop, our kaimahi, sponsors and funders.