Damien Wilkins in conversation with Kiran Dass

Damien Wilkins is a celebrated novelist and writer, widely recognised for his contribution to New Zealand literature. His debut novel, The Miserables, won the 1994 New Zealand Book Award for Fiction. Since then, he has published over ten novels, along with plays, poems, short stories, and songs. In 2025, Damien won the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for his novel Delirious. He was awarded the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship in 2008 and became an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2014. Damien is currently the Director of the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, where he has mentored acclaimed authors including Eleanor Catton, Pip Adam, and Catherine Chidgey.

Kiran Dass is the Programme Director for WORD Christchurch. A writer and critic, she has written about books, music, and culture for a variety of prestigious publications. Kiran currently lives in Lyttelton.

Damien's appearance at Lit 2025 is proudly supported by our friends at Paige's Book Gallery.

You may also like the following events from Lit. Whanganui Booklovers Festival:

• Next Sunday, 7th September, 06:00 am, The Alphabet Project — Te Arapū Māori in Wanganui
• Next month, 19th September, 09:30 am, Dame Anne Salmond - Opening Kōrero in Wanganui
• Next month, 20th September, 12:00 am, Louise Wallace & Airini Beautrais in conversation in Wanganui

Also check out other Arts events in Wanganui, Literary Art events in Wanganui.