Books
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
Kiwi author Steffanie Holmes on paying the bills with romance novels
Former archaeologist Steffanie Holmes taps out three or four books a year from her solar-and-battery-powered home in the Kaipara Harbour.
Nic Scanlan-Dyas on his new novel 'Remodelling Murder'
Remodelling Murder is a locked-room mystery set in an English country mansion, with a cozy tone that nods to the stylistic voice of authors like Richard Osman, Bob Mortimer and Lucy Foley. Audio
Vampire love stories with blind author Steffanie Holmes
Stepping into the world of medieval sword collections and vampire love stories, Steffanie Holmes is the author of over 50 books and she's legally blind. Audio
Percival Everett: Reimagining Huckleberry Finn with Taika Waititi
When Stephen Spielberg adapts your novel for the big screen you know it's the big time! Audio
This Weekend: The Regent Theatre 24 hour book sale
Convenor of the Regent Theatre 24 Hour Book Sale in Dunedin, Kathleen Wallace joins Emile Donovan. Audio
What to do when grief throws a 'wrecking ball' through your life
Lucy Hone lost her 12-year-old daughter Abi in a car crash. Here's what she learnt.
Book review: Good People by Patmeena Sabit
Carole Beu of The Women's Bookshop in Auckland reviews Good People by Patmeena Sabit, published by Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand. Audio
Book review: Gunk by Saba Sams
Lucy Black reviews Gunk by Saba Sams, published by Bloomsbury. Audio
Ian Kemish: From diplomat to storyteller
After a career in diplomacy Australian Ian Kemish has turned his hand to writing novels - this month publishing his debut non-fiction title. Audio
Feature: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Son?
Spymaster George Smiley was at the breakfast-table for Nick Harkaway growing up. His father, John le Carré, born David Cornwell, would draft the Circus's latest intrigues on scraps of paper at dawn… Audio
Book Critic: New poetry from one of NZ's Greatess
Claire Mabey joins Jesse to review the following books: Stepping Up by David Hill Lyrical Ballads by Bill Manhire What to Wear by Jenny Bornholdt Audio
Summer Reading for Music Fans
For some people, a good summer means kicking back with a big pile of books, which is exactly what our resident music historians Nick Bollinger and Elliott Childs have been doing. They got together… Audio
'It's appalling' - the Auckland academic who appears in the Epstein files
Although there's no suggestion Brian Boyd was involved in any wrongdoing, in 2012 he received an offer from Jeffrey Epstein to fund a book about the 1955 novel Lolita.
Lolita: A Complicated Legacy
Brian Boyd joined Emile Donovan to talk about being named in the files and to reflect on the legacy of Lolita and the sharply differing readings the novel still provokes. Audio
Much-loved secondhand bookshop lives to write another chapter
Hard to Find Books in Auckland was struggling to find a new location after the Catholic Church decided to sell the former convent where the shop had traded for eight years.
Long-running Auckland bookshop saves itself from closure
A much-loved and long-running Auckland secondhand bookshop will live to write another chapter, having saved itself from closure. Hard to Find Books was struggling to find a new location for its… Audio
A year of coping with the grief of losing a daughter
Kirsten O'Connor lost her 24-year-old daughter to suicide. She started making notes to process the grief, which have become a memoir.
