Books
The reign of business bullshit
What happened to reading in NZ?
New Zealand came 30th out of 50 OECD countries in a recent study of childhood reading comprehension. The NZ Book Council's Jo Cribb says we're letting Kiwi kids down if we don't take action. Audio
The desperation of India's scammers
The scammers trying to convince you your computer has a problem may well have been conned themselves, Delhi journalist Snigdha Poonam says. Audio
Nabakov's future dreams
What if your dreams could tell the future?
Famed Russian-American author Vladimir Nabakov tested just that theory by keeping a dream diary documenting 64 dreams over 80 days and ordering them with… Audio
When is dubbed better than subbed?
Overdubbed films have a bad reputation in the English-speaking world, but if done well can be superior to subtitled films, says a former Studio Ghibli producer. Video, Audio
Entertainment: Books with Pip Adams
Book critic Pip Adams joins Megan in the studio to talk about the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas eve and why the longstanding exchange was cemented during World War Two. She then… Audio
Translating the darkness
The NZ Festival's Reader and Writer's section is a chance to see some of your favourite authors and find many new ones. A very new author - at least to English language fiction - is Indonesian writer… Audio
'Fire and Fury' is released - Trump book makes waves
Another bombshell this week for the Trump administration, an explosive new tell-all book which has thrown the White House into a frenzy.
Lawyers for Donald Trump moved to stop publication of the book… Audio
Dr. Seuss/Star Trek mashup heads to the courts
Star Trek and Dr. Seuss - a laughable pairing surely? Well maybe not. In the US a judge is allowing Dr. Seuss Enterprises to proceed with a lawsuit against the tiny ComicMix company. They're behind a… Audio
Chris Turney - Race to the South Pole
Extreme weather events are being across the world now, as global warming makes its impact felt on the climate.
But new research has shown there was extreme weather in the Antarctic in the early 20th… Audio
Joy Cowley awarded the Order of New Zealand
You'll know her name, whether from your own bookcase or from the library - Joy Cowley is one of the country's most prolific and successful writers. She's best known for the incredible "Mrs… Audio
Hannah Jewell: 100 nasty women of history
Hannah Jewell's 100 Nasty Women of History includes aviator Jean Batten, WWII secret agent Nancy Wake and Māori leaders Te Puea Herangi and Dame Whina Cooper. Audio
Emily Perkins on writing
Award-winning writer Emily Perkins chats about the process of writing, what makes good writing and the value of fiction. Audio
Best books of 2017
We talk with RNZ journalist Charlotte Graham about 2017 in literature. Audio
Book review - Bright Ideas for Young Minds by BestStart
Reviewed by Niki Ward of Ekor Books, published by Mary Egan Publishing. Audio
NZ Books review - Tinderbox by Megan Dunn
Harry Ricketts reviews Tinderbox by Megan Dunn, published by Galley Beggar Press. Audio
Book critic - Elizabeth Heritage
Our book critic Elizabeth Heritage, a writer and book reviewer based in Wellington. Today Elizabeth is talking us through self-publishing - the good and the bad. Audio
Top 10 moments in NZ literature
Sarah Barnett is a Wellington based poet, editor and creative writing teacher and she's done a list of the top 10 best moments in literature in New Zealand this year. So we thought we'd get her on to… Audio
Book review - Land's Edge: A Coastal Memoir by Tim Winton,
Quentin Johnson reviews Land's Edge: A Coastal Memoir by Tim Winton, published by Penguin. Audio
Selina Tusitala Marsh: the force behind Pasifika poetry
Auckland-based poet and scholar, Selina Tusitala Marsh is New Zealand's first female Pasifika Poet Laureate. She currently lectures at Auckland University, specialising in Māori and Pacific… Audio