Record crowd for Auckland Writers Festival

Writer Helen MacDonald pictured with David Walliams. Photo / Twitter / @HelenJMacdonald

More than 60,000 seats were filled at this year's Auckland Writers Festival, breaking crowd records, organisers say.

The festival, in its 15th year, saw more than 150 novelists, playwrights, song writers, scientists, historians, children's writers, critics, editors, illustrators and poets from New Zealand and around the world.

Auckland Writers Festival director Anne O'Brien said there was no greater sign of the health of this country's books and writing culture.

"More people came to more sessions and there were thousands of new faces.

"This has been the most astonishing five days. The laughter, energy, ideas, conversations, tears and joy from the audience and the writers has been remarkable."

People travelled from as far away as the US and Australia to see Haruki Murakami's only Southern Hemisphere festival appearance, Ms O'Brien said.

Among the artists to perform at the festival were Scottish actor, playwright, cabaret artist and writer Alan Cumming, Anthony Horowitz - who will write the next James Bond work, Sir Peter Williams QC who shared his life's work as a lawyer and satirists David Slack and Steve Braunias.

Festival associate director Eleanor Congreve said the schools programme increased in popularity each year.

"Next year we hope to expand the programme, offering even more students an opportunity to see their literary heroes on stage."

Write C.K. Stead was honoured for his life's work in writing with a pounamu paper knife created by Coromandel artist Chris Charteris.

Stephanie de Montalk and Steve Braunias were presented with the 2015 Nigel Cox Awards and this year's Sarah Broom Poetry Prize went to Diana Bridge.

The Royal Society of NZ Science Prize winners were Atholl Anderson and Aroha Harris for their work Tangata Whenua.