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Books & Authors
Daniel Howell: dealing with depression on YouTube
Daniel Howell was a huge YouTube star with millions of followers, when, in 2017 he uploaded a video called 'Daniel and Depression'. It's since been watched 3.7 million times. The former BBC Radio 1… Audio
Book Critic - Pip Adam
Today reviewer Pip Adam looks at some books she says are short and weird! She reviews A Greater Music by Bae Suah, The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat and The Cenus Taker by China Miéville. Audio
Knock Knock - confessions of a Kiwi interviewer
We've all been there. The frying pan's on the stove and the baby's crying and there's a knock on the door from someone holding a clip board. Kathryn speaks with market research interviewer Trish… Audio
Book review: Still Life by Sarah Winman
Jessie Bray Sharpin reviews Still Life by Sarah Winman, published by HarperCollins. Audio
Book review - Ways of Thinking About Trees edited by Susette Goldsmith
Murray Williams reviews Tree Sense: Ways of Thinking About Trees edited by Susette Goldsmith, published by Massey University Press. Audio
Rob McDonald's second novel, The Nancy Business
The intense bullying of a young boy by schoolmates over his love of My Little Pony motivated expat Kiwi Rob McDonald to write his award winning book The Nancys that took out last year's Ngaio Marsh… Audio
The thriller writer who called the Covid-19 pandemic
British thriller writer Adam Hamdy's new novel Red Wolves has seen the writer go deep behind the scenes in the name of research. He joins the show to discuss Red Wolves and how his own life… Audio
The death-defying 'aerial queen' of flying trapeze
Author Catherine Clarke's new book, The Only Living Lady Parachutist, tells the story of mysterious daredevil Lillian, an unmarried mother of two who risked her life for fame and fortune. Catherine is… Audio
Edmund Richardson: finding the lost city of Alexandria
Founded by Alexander the Great, the city of Alexandria sat at an important junction of the southern foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains. And then it vanished. Alexandria, the new book by Dr Edmund… Audio
Francis and Kaiora Tipene: The traditions of tikanga
The beloved stars of The Casketeers, Francis and Kaiora Tipene, show how the traditions of tikanga shape their lives while juggling five sons, three businesses, and a television show in their new book… Audio
Alan Merry: making our medical system safer
Professor Alan Merry is a world leading anaesthetist, and deep thinker about safe surgery on a macro and micro level. Professor Merry says that while New Zealand's health system is pretty safe, it… Audio
Book review: Languages of Truth by Salman Rushdie
Louise O'Brien reviews Languages of Truth by Salman Rushdie, published by Penguin Random House. Audio
Nic Low: tracing Māori mountaineers through the Southern Alps
Nic Low is an author of Ngāi Tahu and European descent, born in Christchurch, he writes fiction, essays and criticism. Nic Low's new book Uprising takes the reader on fifteen treks through "ancestor… Audio, Gallery
Life in a cold climate: a journey with nomads
A Chinese woman joins a family of Kazakh nomads in a bid to understand how they live and survive.
Book review - Diary of a Film by Niven Govinden
Ralph McAllister reviews Diary of a Film by Niven Govinden, published by Dialogue Books. Audio
Australia & China's deteriorating relationship
Kathryn Ryan discusses Australia and China's increasingly fractious and deteriorating relationship with Peter Hartcher political editor and international editor for the Sydney Morning Herald and The… Audio
The fragility of science and how it can quickly go wrong
In a very short space of time, humans have found a way to live longer lives. We've doubled our life expectancy with scientific and medical innovations. Science writer Steven Johnson talks to Jesse. Audio
Book review: Cardboard Cowboys by Brian Conaghan
Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews Cardboard Cowboys by Brian Conaghan, published by Bloomsbury. Audio
Why some people push themselves to the limit
Jenny Valentish was researching a book about addiction and substance abuse she noticed something curious. Some people who treated drug taking like an Olympic sport, would, upon getting sober, hurl… Audio
Chasing The Thrill - a look at a real life treasure hunt
Ten years ago, a rich, eccentric art dealer hid a treasure chest full of gold and precious gems and wrote a poem with clues about how to find it. Audio