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Books & Authors
Book Critic: Pip Adam
Today Pip talks to Jesse about author Thomasin Sleigh, who Pip is talking to for the Aotearoa New Zealand Arts Festival. Audio
Book review: Masquerade: The Lives of Noel Coward
Ralph McAllister reviews Masquerade: The Lives of Noel Coward by Oliver Soden published by Orion Publishing. Audio
Chris Tse curates a reading list for Chinese New Year
Poet Laureate Chris Tse curates a selection of recent books by Aotearoa’s East and South East Asian writers to mark Lunar New Year.
Coming up
Should New Zealand books be 'Americanised' for an overseas readership?
When Rebecca K Reilly wanted to get her novel published overseas, editors raised questions around the relatability of some of the book's New Zealand quirks. Audio
End of an era: City's last specialist magazine shop to close
Mainly Magazines & Lotto - which once carried more than 1200 titles - is putting a full stop on business, saying the numbers just do not add up.
Book review: Te Tiriti o Waitangi by Claudia Orange
Paul Diamond reviews Introducing Te Tiriti o Waitangi by Claudia Orange; Edited by Jared Davidson published by Bridget Williams Books. Audio
Book review: Tremor by Teju Cole
Melanie O'Loughlin of Lamplight Books reviews Tremor by Teju Cole published by Faber & Faber. Audio
Brian Klaas: how we control nothing but influence everything
Social scientist Brian Klaas finds it uplifting to recognise how much of his own life is the result of random chance. "It liberates me to say maybe there's no cosmic purpose to my life and what I'm… Audio
Expert Feature: The Slow Cooker
Forget about the fashionable, flashy air fryer is the humble slow cooker or crock pot has outlasted many a kitchen gadget and has lasted the distance. Today we speak to Sally Wise, she's authored… Audio
Book review: Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
Laura Caygill reviews Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood published by Allen and Unwin Audio
Ros Atkins: The Art of Explanation
It ain't hard to tell when you don't communicate well so worth paying attention when you do, says English journalist Ros Atkins. Video, Audio
Patricia Grace: Bird Child
Patricia Grace is one of Aotearoa's most celebrated Maori fiction authors. She won the New Zealand Book Award for Fiction for Potiki in 1987, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2001 with… Audio
2024 Ockham Book Awards - the long list cheat sheet
Have you seen the 2024 Ockhams Books Awards longlist? It’s a great big juicy list full of Aotearoa New Zealand writing. Here’s what the experts have to say about longlisted titles in the fiction and…
Ockham Awards longlist celebrates best in Kiwi books
New Zealand greats Catherine Chidgey, Damon Salesa and Tusiata Avia have all made the cut - with some exciting newcomers in the mix, too. Audio
Why the noughties were toxic for famous women
When it came to women in the early 2000's, nothing was off limits says writer Sarah Ditum. Her new book reflects on the way 9 women, including Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, were subjected to… Audio
Uncertainty is a necessity
There are few things as comforting as being absolutely sure the bus will be there on time, you ticked the right box on the exam. Uncertainty is uncomfortable, but necessary says author and journalist… Audio
Book Critic: Catherine Robertson
Today Catherine talks to Jesse about Sam Low's cookbook, Modern Chinese, The Seven by Australian crime writer Chris Hammer and Clanlands in New Zealand by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish. Audio
Book review: Three of the best from 2023
David Hill reviews three of his favourite books from last year: Iris and Me by Philippa Werry, published by Ahoy! Cuba Press, Te Wehenga, by Mat Tait, published by Allen and Unwin Children's NZ, and… Audio
Anne Michaels on her new novel Held
Best known for Fugitive Pieces, Canadian novelist and poet Anne Michaels talks to Susie about her new novel Held. With a cast of characters spanning over a century, in Held Michaels explores favourite… Audio
Sam Parish's ice cube pesto pasta
Chef and author Sam Parish is back with us after having her second baby in September last year. This week she's sharing a great recipe for a pesto you can make and store in the freezer, all ready to… Audio