Mātātuhi Foundation Champions Next-Gen Literary Initiatives with New Partnerships

The Mātātuhi Foundation is delighted to announce the recipients of its Literary Sector Partnership RFP, for ambitious, collaborative projects with the power to deliver sector-wide benefit and lasting impact.

Following a robust selection process, the Foundation has awarded funding to two sector-building initiatives:

• Read NZ Te Pou Muramura and Partners: New Zealand Children’s Book Week—A nationwide, annual, cross-industry campaign launching in 2026 to celebrate and champion children’s books and reading. The initiative will unite sector organisations, schools, libraries, early learning centres, and communities, raising the profile of New Zealand children’s books and fostering reading habits among young people.

• The Coalition for Books: New Voices of Aotearoa—An annual multi-platform promotion focused on emerging local authors of adult fiction and non-fiction. By increasing visibility, nurturing new talent, and forging industry connections, the project will strengthen the careers of up-and-coming writers, stimulate readership, and diversify the literary landscape.

“These sector-wide initiatives demonstrate the extraordinary value of collaboration in building a resilient, relevant, and diverse literary landscape,” said Anne Blackburn, Chair, Mātātuhi Foundation. “We are proud to support projects that elevate new voices, champion reading for young people, and inspire creative partnerships across the literary ecosystem.”

"Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki established the Mātātuhi Foundation to support the growth and development of New Zealand's literary landscape, and we're delighted with how the sector responded to the RFP for initiatives that were collaborative, ambitious and of wide-reaching and long-term benefit to the industry," said AWF co-directors Lyndsey Fineran and Catriona Ferguson. "The two successful initiatives embody this, and we're excited to see the impact they have."

Funding of up to $25,000 per annum for two consecutive years will support the development and delivery of each selected project, ensuring they have the resources and runway to build a lasting legacy.

Established in 2018 by the Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki to support the local literary community with funding for new literature-related initiatives, the Foundation has now invested more than $600,000 into Aotearoa’s literary sector.

For more about the Mātātuhi Foundation and its vision for Aotearoa New Zealand’s literary sector, visit www.matatuhifoundation.co.nz.