Books
Book review: The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin
Kiran Dass reviews The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin, published by Daunt. Audio
The real life story behind Winnie-the-Pooh
Broadcaster and former politician Gyles Brandreth explores that complicated story in his new book Somewhere, A Boy and a Bear: A Biography of A. A. Milne and Winnie-the-Pooh - he joins Emile Donovan… Audio
Book review: What to Wear by Jenny Bornholdt
Airini Beautrais reviews What to Wear by Jenny Bornholdt by Te Herenga Waka University Press. Audio
Aussie farmer who swam his way out of depression
After decades of self-medicating with beer, Brendan Cullen is now an open-water swimmer and a "sounding board" for rural people who are struggling.
Charlotte Grimshaw: The Black Monk
A part psychological thriller and part family saga that examines themes of shame, addiction, truth and the stories we tell to survive. Audio
Kevin Toolis: You Never Forget Your First Corpse, Do You?
Bafta award-winning filmmaker Kevin Toolis grew up on a remote Irish island where death and dying were an everyday part of life. Audio
Wellington Central Library Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui to reopen
Wellington Central Library Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui will reopen its doors for the first time in seven years later this month. Krystal Gibbens had a preview. Audio
Ardern on list as Ockham Book Awards finalists revealed
Jacinda Ardern is up for a prize for her memoir, while author Catherine Chidgey could be the first person to win three prizes for fiction in the Ockhams.
Cop It Write - a killer handbook for crime writers
Retired police detective now author, Angus McLean joins Emile Donovan. Audio
Book Critic: A Selection of Crime Novels
Afternoons book critic Catherine Robertson has been binge reading crime novels and joins Jesse to share her thoughts on: City of Vengeance by D.V. Bishop (Pan McMillan) Dead Man's Axe by Bing Turkby… Audio
Book review: Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven, published by Macmillan. Audio
Book review: Kin by Tayari Jones
Gina Rogers reviews Kin by Tayari Jones, published by Penguin Random House. Audio
Book review: Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns
Roger Christensen of Unity Books Auckland reviews Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns, published by Farshore. Audio
Book review: Three of the best from 2025
Kiran Dass reviews three of her favourite books from last year. Audio
Book review: My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney
Elisabeth Easther reviews My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney, published by Macmillan. Audio
Sita Walker - life's lessons can be learned at lunchtime
Sita's insight comes from spending 20 years as a high school teacher herself. She says in her view: "Most people, most kids are good kids - most of the time. And even the bad kids are good kids… Audio
Book review: The Art of Colonisation by Paul Moon
Harry Ricketts reviews The Art of Colonisation by Paul Moon Audio
M Gessen on Putin, Trump and making sense of the world
Author M Gessen has written extensively about the Trump administration and the regime of Vladimir Putin and the impact of autocracy and totalitarianism.
Audio
Book review: Clawmarks Down the Jetty by Jill Harris
Sally Battson of The Next Chapter Bookshop in Wanaka on what she's been reading. Audio
The post-war world where humans are on an equal footing with AI
Two Iranian-born brothers who now live in Palmerston North and the United States have written a novel about the future artificial intelligence. Audio
