Navigation for Sections
Books & Authors
Book Critic: Pip Adam
Today Pip talks about Jane Austen books which have been turned into films. She gives her take on Fire Island, Pride and Prejudice and Emma. She also has a special mention of Pride and Prejudice and… Audio
Book review: You Probably Think This Song Is About You by Kate Camp
Ash Davida Jane reviews You Probably Think This Song Is About You by Kate Camp, published by Te Herenga Waka University Press Audio
'If you don’t get your head out of a book, my girl, you’ll end up on Queer Street'
In a personal address tracing a lifetime of reading, the renowned playwright Renée explores the power of literature, and its role in shaping her own professional and imaginative worlds. Audio
Celebrating Matariki around the world
Maori astronomer Professor Rangi Matamua and journalist Miriama Kamo have come together to create a new book, Matariki Around the World, which explores the origins of the Matariki cluster through nine… Audio
The story of the birth of pop music
In his new book, Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop, Bob Stanley, who is a member of English indie/dance crossover band Saint Etienne, tells the definitive story of the birth of Pop music, from 1900… Audio
Mary Gaitskill: the writer unafraid of unpopular opinions
American writer Mary Gaitskill traverses a lot of ground in her new collection of provocative essays, Oppositions. Compelling and oddly cohesive, the essays see Gaitskill put her sharp writing style… Audio
Queenie author Candice Carty-Williams on her new novel
Candice Carty-Williams had a smash hit with her first novel, Queenie, which she decribed as the black Briget Jone's Diary. She was 26 when she wrote it, and it sold more than 500,000 copies, winning… Audio
Bilingual book series continued to encourage more te reo among tamariki
If you've been looking for ways to bring te reo Maori into the home, you'll like this. A new book for tamariki is out now, "Ko wai kei te papa takaro?" Who is at the playground? by Te Ataakura… Audio
Book review: Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Louise O'Brien reviews Horse by Geraldine Brooks, published by Hachette NZ. Audio
Book review: Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris
Elisabeth Easther reviews Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris, published by Hachette NZ. Audio
Wendy Davis: Why make a fuss
When Wendy Davis was attacked at work the incident wasn't taken seriously. Like so many women of her generation, she'd been told never to make a fuss. Her attacker, Bradley Robert Edwards, would go on… Audio
New Zealand and the World - Nina Hall
Nina Hall, Assistant Professor in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University joins us once again to chat about her new book, Transnational Advocacy in the Digital Era, and give us her take on… Audio
The secret power of secrets
Dr Michael Slepianstudies secrets at Columbia University. Hiding secrets is hard work, living with a secret is even harder. His book is called The Secret Power of Secrets. Audio
Book Critic: Catherine Robertson
This week author Catherine Robertson talks to Jesse about three recent books from New Zealand authors, who she feels deserve more attention than they are currently getting. Audio
Reading the signs: Why literacy rates are falling
We've got vast amounts of knowledge and information available to us at our fingertips - so why are literacy rates steadily declining? Audio
How we cope with change, what happens in our brains
Dr Maya Shankar's life took an unexpected turn after becoming a violin prodiy as a child. She's now a cognitive scientist who studies how we cope with change. Audio
Book review: Bad Actors by Mick Herron
Ralph McAllister reviews Bad Actors by Mick Herron, published by Hachette NZ Audio
Hazel Phillips: the joys of tramping solo
In 2016, Auckland-based journalist Hazel Phillips found herself disillusioned with life in the big smoke. She packed up her all her belongings, except for a tramping pack, boots, and ski gear and… Audio
Book review: Matariki by Rangi Matamua and Miriama Kamo
Rebecca Jones of Scorpio Books in Christchurch reviews Matariki by Rangi Matamua and Miriama Kamo, published by Scholastic Audio
Book review: Death at the Belvedere by Sue Williams
Lisa Finucane reviews Death at the Belvedere by Sue Williams, published by Text Publishing. Audio