Festival of Stories

In the library, we try to expand the space for expression, planning activities that offer a relaxing break and meaningful creative outlets. Often we can feel disconnected from critical issues outside our door, so our annual Festival of Stories strives to provide a programme where people can grapple with diverse, interesting and relevant topics.

Our Festival of Stories is being held during Banned Books Week, so we have an opportunity to connect with a large body of people who are concerned about freedom of expression.

Stories are things that people, as social animals, have always shared and used to communicate deeper meaning. The sharing of stories has a powerful ability to bring people from all backgrounds, together, help them understand each other’s perspectives and find common ground.

The Festival of Stories this year explores the right to share our stories and the stories of those who work to uphold free expression.

Keynote speakers include Tammam Tamim, former Syrian refugee and now president of the Manawatu Refugee Voice; internationally touring performance poet RikTheMost; author and investigative journalist Nicky Hager, and pioneering Human rights activist Georgina Beyer.

Freedom of expression is a complex subject. Many people from different communities talk of how the opinions and statements they routinely see and hear on social media and other public platforms make them feel threatened, unwelcome and alienated. Sometimes freedom of expression is restricted in the name of safety or special interest and if so what are the parameters of these restrictions and who authorises them?

Erica Brookes from the Office of the Classification of Film and Literature will be discussing this during the Festival of Stories.

For details of our full programme of events, pick up a brochure from your local library or go to our website page www.tetakere.org.nz/festivalofstories.