WOMAD NZ 2022 Festival - World of Words Lineup Announced

The WOMAD NZ team have shared a third knockout announcement for 2022, bolstering the three day festival's diverse musical bill with an impressive lineup of guest speakers for the World of Words programme, including new Book Club and Poetry Slam info. A series of spoken sessions featuring novelists, poets, critical thinkers and more from around Aotearoa, World of Words in 2022 will include Kurdish-Iranian journalist / novelist Behrouz Boochani, funeral directors / Netflix stars The Casketeers (Frances and Kaiora Tipene), iconic kiwi painter Dick Frizzell, internet funnyman / television personality Tom Sainsbury, comedian James Nokise, writers Anna Fifield, Jacqueline Bublitz and Rose Carlyle, and poets Te Karere Whitiao Scarborough and Ken Arkind.

Bublitz and Carlyle will also share perspectives on their respective works Before You Knew My Name and The Girl in the Mirror as part of WOMAD's new Book Club, Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2021 Dr Siouxsie Wiles is appearing as part of the OMV STEAM Lab programme, and poet Penny Ashton is helming the WOMAD 2022 Poetry Slam. That's plenty of illuminating options to take in when you're not shaking your stuff in the Kunming Gardens at Ngāmotu's Brooklands Park and the Bowl of Brooklands — cast your eyes upon the full updated lineup details below...

“I love how books can transport you across the globe, with the turn of a page, taking you on a journey, just like the music and worldly vibe of WOMAD. Book Club adds to the discovery, with the WOMAD audience sharing their perspectives of the books and exploring themes with the authors. This year's books will transport you from New York, across the Indian Ocean, and right back to Aotearoa and WOMAD NZ." - Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) CEO, Suzanne Porter

WOMAD NZ 2022

Friday 18th March to Sunday 20th March - New Plymouth, TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Pukekura Park

Musical lineup featuring... Shades of Shakti, Fat Freddy's Drop, Deva Mahal, Avantdale Bowling Club, Topp Twins, Salmonella Dub, Ria Hall, Hollie Smith, Fly My Pretties, Acopollinations, Bobby Mukai (DJ), Carnivorous Plant Society, IPU Kodama Japanese Drum Team, Latinaotearoa, Lord Echo (DJ), Niko Ne Zna, SWÂMP THÏNG, Weird Together, Yaw Asumadu and Ozi Ozaa + more to be announced

OMV STEAM Lab & World of Words speakers include... Anna Fifield, Behrouz Boochani, Dick Frizzell, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Jacqueline Bublitz, James Nokise, Ken Arkind, Rose Carlyle, Te Karere Whitiao Scarborough, The Casketeers (Frances & Kaiora Tipene), Tom Sainsbury

Earlybird tickets are on sale now at womad.co.nz