Author Interview
Author Max Brooks on zombies, Yeti and disaster preparedness
Max Brooks has published three zombie-themed books, including the hugely successful World War Z - where a highly infectious virus breaks out in China and sweeps the globe, turning humans into… Audio
Colonial Mastermind: the story of Edward Gibbon Wakefield (part 1)
Edward Gibbon Wakefield used to be known as “The Father of New Zealand.” But modern historians have pointed to the disastrous impact of his colonial policies on indigenous people, his misleading… Audio
‘Racism has been found throughout NZ history, and it must be confronted for change to occur’
12 months after the Christchurch terror attacks, Guled Mire chairs an NZ Festival discussion with Alison Whittaker and Nyadol Nyuon from Australia, and Anahera Gildea and Jack McDonald from Aotearoa.
…Deborah Challinor remembers Les Girls in King's Cross
An insight into the lives of transgender performers and exotic dancers working in Sydney's notorious Kings Cross in the 1960s is offered in the latest novel by best-selling Hamilton-based writer… Audio
The science of staying alive longer
Dr Kate Gregorevic's new book, Staying Alive: the Science of Living Healthier, Happier and Longer, applies the science of longevity to everyday life, offering tips on how the small daily decisions we… Audio
Hobbit star's Scottish road trip with a difference
Graham McTavish is known for portraying Dwalin the dwarf in the Hobbit, but his latest project Clanlands has seen him team up with fellow Outlander star Sam Heughan to document the people, places and… Video, Audio
"Into The Wild" author Jon Krakauer on adventure and risk
American mountaineer and writer Jon Krakauer was a member of a fateful 1996 Mount Everest expedition that got caught in a blizzard that claimed eight lives, including New Zealanders Rob Hall and… Audio, Gallery
Endurance - Louis Rudd's journey across Antarctica
Captain Louis Rudd knows what it's like to truly tough it out. He joined the Royal Marines at age 16, spent 25 years in the SAS and served in Northern Ireland, The Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. Audio
Kevin Kwan - Crazy Rich Asians author
Seven years ago Kevin Kwan's first novel Crazy Rich Asians became an instant New York Times number one best seller, translated into thirty languages, and then made into a hugely successful movie. Audio
How has the World changed for LGBTQ+ People?
We talk to South African author, Mark Gevisser about his latest book The Pink Line: The World's Queer Frontiers which documents how LGBTQ+ Rights have become one of the world's new human rights… Audio
Pathologist writes about how many varied and unusual ways people die
Palmerston North pathologist, Dr Cynric Temple-Camp, has seen it all when it comes to dying. His latest book, The Quick and The Dead, looks at some of the unlikely, extraordinary and tragic way humans… Audio
Octogenarian Rachel McAlpine's poetry about ageing
Rachel McAlpine has a novel way to celebrate turning 80, the release of her book of poetry - How to be old. Audio
A Physio in Ethiopia - Julie Sprigg
West Australian physiotherapist Julie Sprigg has captured her experiences working as a physio in the slums of Ethiopia in an extraordinary work of narrative non-fiction. Audio
William Sitwell reflects on the history and future of eating out
Food critic William Sitwell reflects on the long tradition of this culinary experience and its future in a Covid 19 world in his new book, The Restaurant: A History of Eating Out. Audio
Nicky Pellegrino - the arguments for being a donor
Second chances don't come any bigger than a life saving organ transplant. This is the theme in her latest novel, Tiny Pieces of Us. Audio
Raider: the story of Felix von Luckner
Felix von Luckner was a child aristocrat who ran away to sea, he captained the last square-rigged sailing ship ever to serve in combat, he sailed three thousand kilometres across the Pacific in a… Audio
David Coventry's new novel Dance Prone
Wellington writer David Coventry's second novel was inspired by the Eighties post-punk hardcore movement - bands like Husker Du, Dead Kennedies and Black Flag. Audio
New book highlights Beatles' sadness and tragedy
Craig Brown's new book, 1, 2, 3, 4: The Beatles In Time is not your bog-standard Beatles' bio. Brown has come up with a fresh take on the Fab Four - and a unearthed a few previously unknown gems… Video, Audio
Anand Giridharadas: Beware of billionaire 'do-gooders'
Described by a Guardian reviewer as "superb hate-reading", writer and columnist Anand Giridharadas's latest book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World investigates the hypocrisy of… Audio
Novelist David Mitchell on his new book Utopia Avenue
The author of Cloud Atlas, Black Swan Green, and number9dream, David Mitchell, has just released a new novel: his first in five years. Utopia Avenue, is a magical, musical story about '...the… Audio