Signum University, along with members of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Tolkien fan community, invites you to join us for our first Kiwi Moot.
It is a Moot in three parts:
- Kiwi Moot, a three-day conference which will take place in Wellington from Saturday 6 February to Monday 8 February, 2027.
A pre-Moot roadtrip in the North Island from Monday 1 Feb to Friday 5 Feb.SOLD OUTA post-Moot roadtrip in the South Island from Weds 10 Feb to Sun 14 Feb.SOLD OUT
Tickets can now be booked through the Moot registration page for in-person and online attendance for the Kiwi Moot conference, and to register and pay a deposit for either or both of the roadtrip elements.
The conference event is at the Thistle Hall on Cuba Street. We look forward to welcoming you. As the locals say: You can’t beat Wellington on a good day.
Kiwi Moot conference theme: Stars and signs
Our conference theme is Stars and Signs, and we are open for submissions for workshops, discussions, presentations, performances, and academic papers. Please consider whether you wish to contribute – no prior experience is necessary and this will be a warm and welcoming community experience.
Our moot theme is intentionally expansive!
Ideas for submissions include (but are not limited to):
- considerations of prophecy and foresight
- decision-making, fate and free will
- astronomy
- signs and heraldry
- maps and mapmaking
- myths and mythmaking
- losing and finding your way
- symbols and alphabets
- art and storytelling
- It is also a reference to film stars and the making of the iconically New Zealand Peter Jackson film trilogies, plus other adaptations of Tolkien’s work.
In Tolkien’s world, stars and signs are guides that offer hope and truth to a world in decline. While the stars, created by the Varda, act as an untouchable “high beauty” that leads the Elves and rightful Kings, the Enemy uses darker omens to mimic this power. Where stars provide a steady, objective light, symbols like the Red Eye or the White Hand are intrusive signs of domination and despair, designed to make evil feel … inevitable.
It is not a requirement that your submission fits this theme, but we hope to centre our thinking around it and in so doing, illuminate this concept in new ways through juxtaposing different ideas and interpretations.
A full moot schedule will be available later in 2026, including our two (optional) evening excursions.
- Register for the Moot
- Submit a Moot contribution early – First call for papers closes 30 April
- Second call for papers closes 30 June
- Final moot schedule announced ~September
FAQ
I have questions, questions that need answering!
We are here to answer All Your Questions. Kiwimoot2027@gmail.com