Staff

Marianne Hargreaves (Executive Director) has managed WORD Christchurch (previously Christchurch Writers Festival) since 2009. She has been involved in arts and events for 20 years. She has held various positions within the Christchurch Arts Festival, the New Zealand International Arts Festival, the New Zealand Jazz and Blues Festival, the Friends of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū and was Arts Advisor to the Arts Centre of Christchurch. She coordinated the advisory panel that chose the quotes for the Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct walkway.

Rachael King (Programme Director) has been the programme director of WORD Christchurch since 2013, and has a long association with the New Zealand literary scene. Her father was historian Michael King, and her mother and stepfather worked in publishing. Rachael is the author of two books for adults, and one for children. The Sound of Butterflies (2006) was published in nine languages and won the Hubert Church Award for Best First Novel. Magpie Hall (2009) was long-listed for the Dublin IMPAC award, and Red Rocks, for junior readers, won the Esther Glen Medal, New Zealand’s longest-running literary award. In 2008 Rachael held the Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence position at Canterbury University, which brought her to Christchurch for one year. She never left.

Magda Lorenzo (Administration and Production Assistant, Volunteer Co-ordinator) is the founder of The Commuting Book and a self-proclaimed WORD Christchurch No1 fan. She studied Sociology and has worked in different industries, but reading books and getting people interested in literature are her priorities, and her reason for approaching WORD in 2016 to ask for a job, any job! As well as being office administrator and production wizard she also co-ordinates our volunteers.

Festival Team

Ray Shipley
Guest Programmer

Zara Potts 
Digital Marketing and PR Manager

Vanessa Reed
Production Manager 

Annie de Senna
Artist Liaison 

Kate Fielder
Ticketing Co-ordinator

Joseph Veale 
Technical Advisor 

Fiona Brooker
Financial Advisor 

Sionainn Byrnes
Youth and Community Co-ordinator