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Books & Authors
Does book banning have the opposite effect?
One woman who knows all about banned books, and the attention they inadvertently draw, is Dr Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare studies at Oxford University. She's the author of Portable Magic: A… Audio
Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett's weekly column is a delight. In a media world dominated by opinion pieces, influencers, pompous "reckons' and trivial drivel, Joe seems happy to provide short , funny - often thoughtful -… Audio
Cliff Taylor: The Spanish Garden
Set on a single day in 2016, Cliff Taylor's novel, The Spanish Garden tells a story of memory and loss, the fatal history shared between two families, Pakeha and Maori, and a man's enduring obsession… Audio
Long-awaited Blenheim Library opens
It's been ten years in the making, but Blenheim's new library will open its doors to the public for the first time today. The building, which cost $20 million, will also be home to the region's art… Audio
Featherston book festival kicks off this weekend
The Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival kicks off this evening with fish and chips in the town's ANZAC Hall.
With 101 presenters and 51 events, the festival will feature tributes to Katherine… Audio
New Blenheim library and art gallery 'an all ages space'
Ten years in the making, Blenheim's new library will open its doors to the public for the first time today.
Kiwi horror writers featuring at Featherston Book festival
The popular Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival is back this weekend. One of this weekend's events is called 'Campfire Tales', an event that show cases Kiwi horror writers. Audio
Children's stories tackle the loneliness of trauma
Māori academic Linda Tuhiwai Smith tells Kathryn Ryan she often cried while writing her new series of therapeutic storybooks for kids. Audio
Book review: Dream Girl by Joy Holley
Emma Hislop reviews Dream Girl by Joy Holley, published by Te Herenga Waka University Press Audio
The science of Neuroaesthetics
Professor Susan Magsamen is the founder of the International Arts + Mind Lab at the Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She and Ivy Ross, he VP of design for… Audio
Book review: Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson
Lynn Freeman reviews Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson, published by Penguin Random House NZ Audio
What a shipwreck can tell us about truth and disinformation
More than 280 years ago, 250 men would set sail aboard the HMS Wager on a doomed secret mission to capture Spanish silver and gold off the coast of South America. Audio
Book Critic: Catherine Ross
This week Library Manager at Mt Roskill Grammar School, Catherine Ross, is talking about non-fiction for younger readers. Her list follows: For 8 and up: Horrible Histories by Terry Deary and Case… Audio
A new book to help children with bullying and how not to become the bully!
Children's author Lisa Hamilton-Gibbs has a new book out today - The Gubyllub. It's a story about Rose, who learns to stand up to bullying. Lisa talks to Jesse about the book and the interactive cards… Audio
Megan Dunn: the kinky and the kooky lurking in public art
Author and art writer Megan Dunn joins Kim to talk about two current shows with very different approaches to displaying public art collections. Audio, Gallery
Jonathan Kennedy: how germs made history
In his new book Pathogenesis Dr Jonathan Kennedy offers a radical new frame to view human history. He argues that infectious diseases have been a decisive force in shaping humanity, from the… Audio
Emma Espiner: a life less ordinary
Award-winning writer Dr Emma Espiner (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Porou) talks to Kim Hill about her unconventional upbringing, ditching her recruitment job for med school and how New Zealand can improve… Audio
Book review: How To Get Fired by Evana Belich
Carole Beu from The Women's Bookshop in Ponsonby reviews How To Get Fired by Evana Belich, published by Penguin. Audio
Book review: Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Melanie O'Loughlin reviews Big Swiss by Jen Beagin, published by Faber & Faber. Audio
Book review: Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham
Ray Shipley from Scorpio Books in Christchurch reviews Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham, published by Penguin Audio