Afternoons for Wednesday 9 February 2022

1:15 First song: The Beths new single out today

The Beths have dropped a new single today to coincide with the announcement they have signed up with Ivy League Records.

Lead singer Liz Stokes talks to Jesse about the move to Ivy League Records, their upcoming international tour and share their new single, A Real Thing.

1:20 Oscar nominations out, Dom Corry shares his thoughts

The contenders for this year's Oscars have been revealed this morning. Jane Campion's Power of the Dog has bagged a whopping 12 nods.

We talk to regular reviewer and editor-at-large for Letterboxd, Dom Corry about his take on the 2022 nominations.

1:30 Home kills on the rise

Home kill butchers have noticed an increase in people growing their own meat. 

Southland Butcher Craig Hamilton is spending more time on the road than you'd expect for a man in white gumboots.

He says he's noticing more people are taking great care to grow their own beef with the type of nurturing akin to pruninig prized roses. He talks to Jesse about what he's seeing in his line of work.

1:40 Life on Quarantine Island Kamau Taurua

Meghan Hughes has been the keeper of Quarantine Island Kamau Taurua for the past two years.

Her tenure comes to an end next month, she talks to Jesse about being the only family living on the island in Otago harbour, the challenges she's faced with a daily school commute in a dinghy as well as the fun they have had.

1:55 Afternoons Book Quiz

Our regular book quiz master, Robert Kelly, is away this week, so Jesse is having a go at putting out three book titles which all a common thread. If you can guess it correctly and are first in with your answer we'll send you a prize from our book cupboard.

2.12 Podcast Critic: Paul Bushnell

Podcasts tackling a single question is the theme of today's podcast review. Paul Bushnell talks about two different approaches to investigative podcasts, one two years old, one just released last Thursday. Each tackles a single question - "Where is she?" and "Who wrote it?".

2:25 Bookmarks with Gemma Gracewood

If you're into movies, you have probably heard of the very popular film review site, Letterboxd.  Today's Bookmarks guest is its editor-in-chief. Gemma Gracewood is very well known as a TV producer and director, arts fanatic, podcast host comedian, producer, mentor, film reviewer and ukelele player. You can read her Letterboxd page here.

3:10 What life is like for a girl living under Taliban rule

For five years, Shabana Basij-Rasihk dressed as a boy so she could attend a secret school in Kabul under the Taliban rule in 90's. She was able to leave Afghanistan to go to high school in America, but could never leave behind the knowledge that so many other girls could not get even the most basic education in her home country. So she returned to start SOLA, a boarding school for Afghan girls.  We'll talk to her about the power of education and why she risks everything so girls in Afghanistan can learn.

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

Coming up on Our Changing World: How New Zealand plants might help in the fight against soil contamination

Katy Gosset meets a scientist who's studying the anti-microbial qualities of our native species.

3:45 The Panel with Leonie Freeman and Mark Sainsbury