Our kaupapa
The Auckland Writers Festival established the Mātātuhi Foundation to support the growth and development of New Zealand's literary landscape.
We fund activities that support and promote the work of New Zealand writers and/or materially increase the levels of engagement and appreciation for New Zealand literature among New Zealand readers.
Find out more about us
Our Trustees
The Foundation is independent of the Auckland Writers Festival Trust, with a Committee comprised of three independent members, the Festival Trust Board Chair and the Festival Director.
The current Committee members are:
Paula Morris
Paula Morris (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whatua) is an award-winning fiction writer and essayist, and the 2019 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow. She teaches creative writing at the University of Auckland, and at schools and in community programmes. Paula is the founder of the Academy of New Zealand Literature, sits on the Māori Literature Trust, New Zealand Book Awards Trust, and the Coalition for Books and was appointed an MZNM in the 2019 New Year Honours.
Peter Vial
Peter Vial is NZ Country Head of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). Earlier in his career he was an Associate Professor in Commercial Law at Auckland University, a director at PwC and NZ’s Trade Commissioner to Germany. Peter is passionate about the power of reading and writing to improve our lives. He is a member of the Board of Read NZ Te Pou Muramura.
Kathleen Drumm
Kathleen Dumm is Chief Executive of the internationally renowned Auckland Writers Festival I Waituhi o Tāmaki.
Kathleen Drumm has a background in arts leadership, strategic planning, marketing and revenue generation, and has led global strategies on behalf of New Zealand and Australian government agencies, as well as for a major Canadian film festival.
Anne Blackburn
Throughout a twenty-year career in governance, Anne has been involved in financial services, infrastructure, media property, and the creative sector; including past Chair of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Her own passing acquaintance with writing came from an early period as a journalist. Other starter careers included diplomacy and economic policy advice before turning to banking in New York, London and on return to New Zealand.
Leigh Melville
Leigh Melville is a trustee of the Matatuhi Foundation and the Chair of the Auckland Writers Festival, having been a trustee of the Festival since 2020. She has also been Chair of the New Zealand at Venice Biennale Charitable Trust since 2013. Leigh is currently Chair of the Board of Trustees, St Cuthbert’s College and is Managing Director of Auckland auction house Art+Object.