Bookmark this!

What do bikes have to do with a book festival? Well, held up and down the spine of the Coast on the 9^th and 10^th of August, Bookmark Kāpiti celebrates the people and places of the region – and the stories found therein. Stories, the organisers realised, that aren’t only told in books…

Part of the inaugural festival, which features more than 25 events dreamed up in just a few short months, is the interactive CycleStory. Here, walkers and cyclists can explore the expressway shared path (Coast 35, a new trail connecting Paekākāriki and Ōtaki) and learn about local colonial history, quirky happenings, book settings, and places of environmental interest, as well as take another look at the cultural history that is already documented in the pou along the way. With prizes plus opportunities to send in your own writing and throw your hat in the online quiz ring, CycleStory will be open for several weeks in and around the festival.

Bookmark that! Let’s jump onto the offerings taking place across Paekākāriki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, and Ōtaki. From Author Alley, the festival’s very own book market, to Queer Rangatahi Ruri Rongoā, a youth workshop with Hinemoana Baker, there will be something for everyone and every interest. Think gardening and historical fiction, memoir and script writing, open-mic sessions and spoken-word performances, library talks and kōrero about sport, literary quizzes and t-shirt printing, and so much more.

Peruse the programme and get on the same page at www.bookmarkapiti.nz