Afternoons for Tuesday 25 July 2017

This week's Short Story Club story is Once Had Me by Tracy Farr

Let us know your thoughts! the writer of the best email wins a copy of Tracy's latest novel, The Hope Fault.

1:10 First Song : LANY  

First song today is LA three-piece band LANY. The band is made up of Paul Klein, Jake Goss and Les Priest. And they'll be playing their first New Zealand show at the Powerstation in Auckland tomorrow night.

1:15 Surrey Hotel writers residency award 2017

Ten finalists have been chosen in the 2017 Surrey Hotel Steve Braunias Memorial Writers Residency. And the winners will be announced today. Spinoff Review of Books literary editor is Steve Braunias.

1:20 Albatross Rescue

Orphaned albatross chicks at Dunedin's Taiaroa Heads have been left on their own for five days, cut off by slips caused by Friday's storm. Department of Conservation staff haven't been able to feed the hungry chicks because of slips on the road to the colony. Taiaroa Heads operations' manager, Hoani Langsbury atttempted to reach the colony this morning, and assess the damage first hand

1:25 Joel McHale

Joel McHale has made his living from taking the mickey out of reality tv and celebrity culture. And as a celebrity himself, he also targets himself with his barbed humour.

He rose to prominence as host of the show, The Soup on the cable channel E, and went on to play Jeff Winger on the sitcom, Community, alongside Chevy Chase.

He is coming to New Zealand in September for a one off stand up show, details here.

1:40 Great Musical Album: Mamma Mia

This week we are playing songs from musicals in our great album segment. Today, soundtrack to the 2008 musical film, Mamma Mia.

2:10 Book critic

Our book critic today is one of the organisers of Hamilton Book month, Catherine Wallace

2:20 Protest Songs of 50's and 60's

In our music feature this week we look at the history of protest songs in New Zealand, and why the anti-nuclear theme reigned supreme in this genre.

Music historian, Michael Brown from Alexander Turnbull Library takes us back through the music.

3:10 Sailing through the ocean of plastic

What better way to highlight the issue of too much plastic in the ocean, than setting sail on the ocean in a boat made of more than 200,000 plastic bottles?  Dr Marcus Eriksen is the director of research for the 5 Gyres Institute, an environmental science and advocacy  group. His boat, made of plastic soda bottles, an airplane fuselage and old fishing nets and straps set sail in 2008  from California to Hawaii to highlight the problem.

He talks about that eventful voyage and a recent meeting  with the New Zealand ambassador to the United States about what we can do to prevent more plastic from finding its way to the sea.

3:30 Science and environment stories

Stories from Our Changing World.

3:45 The Pre-Panel Story of the Day and One Quick Question

4:05 The Panel with Amanda Millar and John Barnett