Author Interview
There are 800 Māori with PhDs, so why are there only five Māori HoDs other than in Māori Studies?
Prof. Jacinta Ruru talks with fellow Māori academics about being Māori in a university. A highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Audio
Lying blind: hiding vision loss in plain sight
James Tate Hill lost nearly all his sight as a teenager to a rare condition called Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. By the time he was 16, he was legally blind. But he could still pass for… Audio
Mary Trump: Healing after an era of division in the US
The morning after Mary Trump's uncle Donald Trump became president of the United States. She wrote down these words: “Demeaned, diminished, debased.” Audio
Ian Rankin on finishing his literary hero's book
Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin speaks about using manuscripts left by his literary hero to finish 'The Dark Remains'. Audio
David Peace on murder of head of Japan's rail service in 1949
It was a case that gripped Japan. Shimoyama Sadanori, head of Japan National Railways, was found dead on the tracks of a commuter rail line one July morning in 1949. The day before he disappeared he'd… Audio
Steve Braunias: 'Neither writing nor reading crime stories is a trivial or sordid exchange'
Jared Savage and Steve Braunias explore the art of crime writing in Aotearoa. Rob Kidd chairs this highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Audio
Patricia Donovan - The Madison Gap
Aotearoa author Patricia Donovan is having a very busy 2021. Earlier this year she released her debut novel The Remarkable Miss Digby and she's following it up a few months later with a second novel… Audio
From escaping the Taliban to Kiwi academic excellence
Abbas Nazari's new book, After the Tampa: From Afghanistan to New Zealand is the story of escaping the Taliban as a young child. He joins the show from Christchurch to discuss the book and the current… Audio, Gallery
How Elon Musk's 'bet of the century' is paying off
Wall Street Journal reporter Tim Higgins' new book, Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk and the Bet of the Century, examines the history of the world's most famous electric car company. He joins Jim to… Audio
Megan Dunn: Things I Learned At Art School
Following on from her critically acclaimed 2018 debut Tinderbox, Wellington-based author Megan Dunn has returned with new book Things I Learned At Art School. Billed as part-memoir and part essay… Audio
Felix Marquardt: will re-embracing nomadism save humanity?
Felix Marquardt is a French author, former PR consultant and senior advisor to world leaders and CEOs, some he admits shady. His first book The New Nomads boldly proposes the future of humanity and… Audio
Lost in translation: how translators have shaped world history
Would Hiroshima have been bombed if the Japanese language contained a phrase meaning 'no comment'? Did a mistaken translation of the Italian "canali" -- or channels -- shape the space race to Mars… Audio
Deadlines and the power of positive decision making
Deadlines can actually be lifelines for perfectionists and procrastinators who never think good is good enough. Christopher Cox is a former chief editor of Harper’s Magazine and former executive… Audio
Helping kids and parents get through lockdown
Lockdowns are not easy, and in some households they're terribly difficult. Clinical Psychologist Jacqui Maguire has written a children's book with effective tools for helping children through scary… Audio
How to approach writing a memoir
If you are a budding author, or would like some advice on how get started putting pen to paper, author and teacher, Diane Brown has some handy tips. She is the founder of Creative Writing Dunedin and… Audio
The Big Bike Trip: from Bali to Buckingham Palace
What's the biggest bike trip you've done? Whether it's a few hours or a few days, it likely doesn't compare to the epic bike ride of Freddie Gillies. Alongside his brother and two friends, they cycled… Audio, Gallery
The dark side of Facebook and its bid for domination
The price and consequences of being Facebook are actually design choices according to New York Times writers Cecilia Kang and Sheera Frenkel. They talk to Jesse about their book, An Ugly Truth: Inside… Audio
Matt Chisholm: my battle with the booze and depression
To the outside world, Matt Chisholm had it all: a successful career as a TV journalist and host of the popular reality TV programmes Survivor and Celebrity Treasure Island. He had loads of friends, a… Video, Audio
Hope for headache sufferers?
It may not feel like it when you have recurring pounding pain inside your head or migraines, but there's probably never been a better time to have headaches. More money and time is finally going into… Audio
138 Dates: an epic journey to finding true love
New Zealander Rebekah Campbell seemingly had it all; But she didn't have love. So Rebekah set out on an adventure that would see her date 138 different men. She explains the process of writing the… Audio