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Marlborough celebrates 50 years since starting as a wine region
50 years ago the first commercial wine grapes were planted in Marlborough. Local journalist and wine writer Tessa Anderson has written a historical account of the Marlborough wine region. She speaks… Audio
Book review: The Waters by Carl Nixon
Louise Ward reviews The Waters by Carl Nixon published by Penguin Random House NZ. Audio
A secret child of the Catholic Church
When Brendan Watkins was a child, he was told he had been adopted through a catholic welfare agency in Melbourne in the 1960s. As an adult, he eventually tracked down his biological mother, and was… Audio
Colin Monteath: Erebus, ice and fire
Mount Erebus is an ultra mountain and the planet's southernmost volcano. Sheathed in ice, with hundreds of ice caves and a lava lake, its name is synonymous with the tragic 1979 air accident. Polar… Audio, Gallery
Book review: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Elisabeth Easther reviews Tom Lake by Ann Patchett published by Bloomsbury Audio
Scottish author David Keenan on his ecstatic novels and love of Kiwi music
David Keenan turned from music journalism to writing relatively late in his career - but did something unusual with his first book. After completing it, David Keenan fulfilled a vow he'd made to… Audio
Book review: Te Kooti’s Last Foray by Ron Crosby
Paul Diamond reviews Te Kooti's Last Foray by Ron Crosby published by Oratia Audio
Don't feel bad if you get scammed and why
Psychology Professor Daniel Simons and co-author Christopher Chabris say we shouldn't feel bad about getting taken in and explain how to avoid it in their book "Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and… Audio
Book Critic: Catherine Ross
Today Mt Roskill Grammar library manager, Catherine Ross, talks to Jesse about books for youngsters to read with the theme of 'conflict stories. She's reviewing the following: For 10/11+ War Stories… Audio
Relationships with Hannah Korrel
Hannah Korrel is a neuropsychologist and author. She's written a book: How to Break Up with Friends as well as spent over a decade becoming an expert in why the brain makes us do the things we do (and… Audio
Vogueish virtues weaken democracy, says author
Humility, authenticity and vulnerability sound great, but these qualities have turned too many people into virtue signaling, self-absorbed narcissists says Lucinda Holdforth. Audio
Book review: Good Vibes by Alby Hailes
Harry Broad reviews Good Vibes by Alby Hailes published by HarperCollins NZ. Audio
How to talk to kids about fatphobia
The word 'fat' has been weaponised against people living in bigger bodies and it's time we stripped away its negative connotations, says American journalist Virginia Sole-Smith. She helps parents… Audio
Richard von Sturmer: a year walking and dreaming in the Waikato
A travel guide like no other, combining poetry, photos and history, Walking with Rocks - Dreaming with Rivers - My Year in the Waikato is the result of Richard von Sturmer's year as writer in… Audio
From cage fighter to writer: Airana Ngarewa
Airana Ngarewa left school to become a cage fighter. He hated English. Now a teacher, he's being described as a major new literary talent. His first novel is The Bone Tree. Born and raised in Patea… Audio
Book review: Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi
Eden Denyer from Unity Books Wellington reviews Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi published by Bloomsbury Audio
A Memoir : Dawn Mauldon on being raised by deaf parents
In her book Unheard Voices, Dawn Mauldon reflects on her own experience as a CODA - child of deaf adults, growing up in post war Melbourne. She also delves into the experiences of her mother's… Audio
Book review: Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
Ralph McAllister reviews Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead published by Hachette. Audio
Taken hostage and negotiating her release: Dr Alia Bojilova
Within minutes of the compound windows breaking, Dr Alia Bojilova and her two UN colleagues, were staring down the barrels of multiple guns ... and into the faces of the Syrian Free Army. It was 2013… Audio
Hannah & Huia: A novel aimed at demystifying mental health
Author Charlotte Lobb's debut novel details life in a mental health unit - and the impact a stranger can have on someone's life. Audio