Smart Talk

A wide variety of conversations with expert guests recorded in front of audiences around Aotearoa.

Various RNZ presenters talk to smart people about their big ideas.

A podcast cover for "Smart Talk" with a black and white picture in the background featuring a lot of people sitting in a room and listening to someone.

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A panel discussion at the Word Christchurch festival involving four adventurous women

Four adventurous women discuss their lives with Miriama Kamo in the opener to the 2020 WORD Christchurch writers' festival
Selina Tusitala Marsh

Ben Brown delivers the 2020 Read NZ Pānui on youth justice and the power of words

In a powerful address, Lyttelton poet Ben Brown explores the impact of deprivation and cultural estrangement on generations of our boys, as well as the redemptive power of words.
Ben Brown

Karyn Hay looks at both the challenges and rewards for a New Zealand musician in her 2020 Lilburn Lecture

The 2020 Lilburn Lecture is delivered by RNZ presenter and New Zealand music figure Karyn Hay exploring the reality of life for local musicians and songwriters. Recorded at the National Library.
Karyn Hay

Three experts discuss the role of photonics in measuring climate change

Kim Hill chairs panel discussion about the measurement of climate change with Prof. Donna Strickland, Dr Thomas Baer and Prof. David Hutchinson.
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National, Labour, Greens candidates discuss arts policies for the 2020 General Election

An Election 2020 debate on the arts, with MPs from National, Labour and the Greens exploring their policy differences and similiarities. Miriama Kamo is in the chair.
The designer Gillian Saunders has for the first time been named the Supreme Award Winner of the World of Wearable Art competition with her design 'Supernova'.

Julia Roberts presents a world-wide media event – Nations United – on the UN’s development goals

Nations United explores the significance of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. In the midst of a pandemic radically transforming our world, it sets out what must be done.
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John Bluck explores a life-long love of the movies in New Zealand

Writer John Bluck shares a very personal perspective on how moviegoing in New Zealand reflects our character, history and preoccupations.
Interior of Wairoa's Gaiety Theatre today

John Bluck reads his series of essays about the pleasures of mowing the lawn

John Bluck explores the past, future, and current state of lawnmowing in a light-hearted but informative talk in six closely-cropped chapters.
lawn mower

Assoc. Prof Siouxsie Wiles on how glowing superbugs can help develop new medicines to fight infection

The University of Auckland's Assoc. Prof. Siouxsie Wiles explains how glowing superbugs help in the development of new medicines to fight infection. From Raising the Bar 2020.
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Prof. Darl Kolb considers the impact of working from home during the Covid-19 lockdown

An informal talk from Prof. Darl Kolb about the experience of working from home, recorded during 2020's online version of the University of Auckland's Raising the Bar series.
Talei Anderson working from her parents' garage during the Covid-19 lockdown

An Atlas of Aotearoa is discussed by a panel at the 2020 NZ Festival of the Arts

Meng Foon talks with author Chris McDowall, and contributors Nadine Anne Hura and Veronika Meduna about an Atlas of Aotearoa in this highlight from the 2020 New Zealand Festival Writers' programme.
Detail of book cover

A year after the Christchurch terror attacks, a panel discussion considers the state of racism in NZ

12 months after the Christchurch terror attacks, Guled Mire chairs an NZ Festival discussion with Alison Whittaker and Nyadol Nyuon from Australia, and Anahera Gildea and Jack McDonald from Aotearoa.
A woman sits quietly across the road from the Masjid Al Noor mosque.

Cardiac surgeon Samer Nashef discusses The Angina Monologues at the 2020 New Zealand Arts Festival

Cardiac surgeon Samer Nashef talks with Carl Shuker about risk, mistakes and how heart surgery has changed in this highlight from the 2020 New Zealand Festival writers' programme.
The Angina Monologues book cover detail

How we count women’s work is discussed at the 2020 New Zealand Arts Festival

Kristen Ghodsee and Marilyn Waring talk to Kathryn Ryan about the fight for valuing women's economic contribution to society - at the 2020 New Zealand Festival writers' programme.
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Serhii Plokhy discusses his book Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy at the 2020 New Zealand Arts Festival

Serhii Plokhy argues that the catastrophe at Chernobyl was a nuclear disaster waiting to happen. He talks to Toby Manhire.
Comrades Legasov and Schcherbina watch as helicopters drop sand and boron on reactor four.