Author Interview
Swapping medicine for writing
Sarah Powell is an emerging Wellington author. At 23, she's just written her first book Alyssa:Welcome to New York a young adult dystopian adventure novel set in New York, the first in series. It's a… Audio
Adam Andrusier: autograph hunter
As a child growing up in the suburbs of London in the 1980s, Adam Andrusier became obsessed with collecting autographs of the rich and famous - Ray Charles, Elizabeth Taylor, Neil Armstrong, Nelson… Audio
We need more hard conversations about death, sex and money
Anna Sale started talking about hard things by accident but now she's made a career out of helping people do it. The Death, Sex and Money podcast host shares some advice from her new book Let's Talk… Audio
The battle for post-war Berlin
Many tales have been told of the fight over Berlin and rest of Germany after the fall of the Nazis at the end of World War 2. The allied forces of Britain, the United States, France and the Soviet… Audio
Jessica Bruder: the real story behind Nomadland
In 2013, journalist Jessica Bruder hit the road to document the growing subculture of Americans who have given up traditional housing to move into 'wheel estate' — many because of economic or personal… Audio
Celebrating kiwi athletes: Dreydon Sobanja
Dreydon Sobanja's aim is to spark kiwi kids by writing stories about inspirational athletes. His latest book is the Kiwi Runners' Family Tree - Volume Two. It's a history of athletes and their coaches… Audio
Explaining the Lindy Effect
Sometimes learning to live in the modern world that's constantly changing requires us to look for guidance from the ancient world. Paul Skallas is an evangelist for something called The Lindy effect… Audio
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
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
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
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
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
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
The incredible master navigators of Pacific voyaging
New Zealand author Jeff Evans' latest book, Reawakened: Traditional navigators of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa tells the stories of 10 master navigators who are leading figures in the renaissance of Pacific… Audio
Richard Thompson-Ford: How we define ourselves through fashion
Stanford Law School professor and author Richard Thompson-Ford details the importance of fashion throughout the centuries in his new book Dress Codes - How the Laws of Fashion Made History. Audio
999 - The hidden story of the women on the first Jewish transport to Auschwitz
On March 25, 1942, 997 young, mainly middle class women boarded a train in Slovakia. They'd been told to report to central locations in the country's east to sign up for what was described as… Audio
Why 30 is not the new 20
Does it really matter how you spend your 20s? If you treat the decade as "developmental downtime" you're missing an opportunity to get a head start at life, argues Dr Meg Jay, author of the… Video, Audio