Books & Authors

An insight into the lives of transgender performers and exotic dancers working in Sydney's notorious Kings Cross in the 1960s is offered in the latest novel by best-selling Hamilton-based writer… Audio

Historically, those who read sci-fi and fantasy have been stigmatised as nerds, but research by Professor Esther Jones shows sci-fi and fantasy may help young people cope, especially with the stress… Audio

Dr Kate Gregorevic's new book, Staying Alive: the Science of Living Healthier, Happier and Longer, applies the science of longevity to everyday life, offering tips on how the small daily decisions we… Audio

Graham McTavish is known for portraying Dwalin the dwarf in the Hobbit, but his latest project Clanlands has seen him team up with fellow Outlander star Sam Heughan to document the people, places and… Video, Audio

American mountaineer and writer Jon Krakauer was a member of a fateful 1996 Mount Everest expedition that got caught in a blizzard that claimed eight lives, including New Zealanders Rob Hall and… Audio, Gallery

Bronwyn Wylie-Gibb of University Book Shop, Dunedin, reviews The Gospel of the Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World by Patrik Svensson. Published by… Audio

Captain Louis Rudd knows what it's like to truly tough it out. He joined the Royal Marines at age 16, spent 25 years in the SAS and served in Northern Ireland, The Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. Audio

Seven years ago Kevin Kwan's first novel Crazy Rich Asians became an instant New York Times number one best seller, translated into thirty languages, and then made into a hugely successful movie. Audio

We talk to South African author, Mark Gevisser about his latest book The Pink Line: The World's Queer Frontiers which documents how LGBTQ+ Rights have become one of the world's new human rights… Audio

Palmerston North pathologist, Dr Cynric Temple-Camp, has seen it all when it comes to dying. His latest book, The Quick and The Dead, looks at some of the unlikely, extraordinary and tragic way humans… Audio

Rachel McAlpine has a novel way to celebrate turning 80, the release of her book of poetry - How to be old. Audio

Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews Awatea and the Kawa Gang by Fraser Smith, published by Huia. Audio

West Australian physiotherapist Julie Sprigg has captured her experiences working as a physio in the slums of Ethiopia in an extraordinary work of narrative non-fiction. Audio

Food critic William Sitwell reflects on the long tradition of this culinary experience and its future in a Covid 19 world in his new book, The Restaurant: A History of Eating Out. Audio

Harry Ricketts reviews James Brown's Selected Poems, published by Victoria University Press. Audio

Second chances don't come any bigger than a life saving organ transplant. This is the theme in  her latest novel, Tiny Pieces of Us.  Audio

Anna Daniell reviews Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran, published by The O'Brien Press. Audio