Author Interview
Author Gareth Ward on his hilarious new book about Ta
Gareth Ward has held a diverse number of jobs. Among them: police officer, royal marine commando, magician, hypnotist...and zombie. The fantasy writer's first novel The Traitor and Thief netted him… Audio
Jennifer Beck on her life as a children's book author and a collector
Library shelves and school journals have, for years, been stacked with Jennifer Beck's work. She's an award-winning New Zealand author who's penned more than 50 children's books. Her picture book The… Audio
Andrew Leland: 'Blind people are, in fact, just people'
Due to a degenerative retinal disease, American writer Andrew Leland is slowly losing his sight completely. He shares his experience in the new memoir The Country of the Blind. Audio
Booker prize winning Irish novelist Anne Enright
Anne Enright is the multi award winning Irish author of seven novels, collections of short stories, a non-fiction work about the birth of her two children, and she was the inaugural Laureate for Irish… Audio
The mystery origins of the COVID-19 virus, an ongoing search
The pandemic is officially over, but the virus that causes COVID-19 is not done with us yet. To keep up with treatments and public health policies, we need to understand the source of it says author… Audio
The Vintner's Tale: Peter Hubscher on helping to build NZ's wine industry
Peter Hubscher was a pivotal figure in the fledgling New Zealand wine market after dipping his toes in winemaking waters in Hawke's Bay in the 1960s. He's now written a memoir of his time at the top… Audio
Why 'butts' have become a fashion feature focus for women
Everyone has one and everyone seems to have an opinion about them too. Kim Kardashian has built an empire on hers. Bums are cultural obsession says Heather Radke, an essayist, journalist, and… Audio
Richard Osman: The Last Devil To Die
Richard Osman has now joined the ranks of those people in the United Kingdom who are referred to as a 'national treasure'. Even if you don't read his books and know his name you will almost certainly… Audio
Richard Ford: closing the book on Frank Bascombe
American writer Richard Ford talks to Kim Hill about dyslexia, death, writing and Be Mine - the final book in his award-winning Frank Bascombe series. Audio
New novel explores the complexity of how men commit mass violence
A question central to the new novel from author Nicholas Sheppard is this: are monsters born or bred? His new work, How to Disappear Completely, is a psychological portrait of a young college dropout… Audio
How Amelia the bluefin tuna is helping to save her species
Journalist Karen Pinchin looks at the science and politics of ocean-travelling tuna and the humans trying to save the species from extinction in her new book, Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna… Audio
Music feature: Songs from Songs from The Front Lawn
Before Harry Sinclair moved onto a successful film career and Don McGlashan formed The Mutton Birds, the two founded the iconic Kiwi band The Front Lawn. Musician and writer Matthew Bannister has… Audio
Relationships with Hannah Korrel
Today Hannah talks to Susie about a spring clean of relationships and how to give any a bit of a spruce up as we head into the summer months. Audio
Crypto currency 'all fun and games until you run out of fools', says actor
While Matt Damon, Larry David and Kim Kardashian were touting Crypto currency in TV commercials and on social media, former teen idol Ben McKenzie from the TV Show The O.C. started running in the… Audio
The inside story of the world's most famous studio
The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Abba; so many artists who recorded at Abbey Road have had their stories told. Now it's Abbey Road's turn. Legendary music journalist David Hepworth documents the 90 plus… Audio
New novel details the history of an unsavory trade
Author Saige England has taken on a rather uncomfortable subject in her new book about the early days of colonial New Zealand. During research for Ngai Tahu's land and fisheries claim before the… Audio
Marlborough celebrates 50 years since starting as a wine region
50 years ago the first commercial wine grapes were planted in Marlborough. Local journalist and wine writer Tessa Anderson has written a historical account of the Marlborough wine region. She speaks… Audio
Scottish author David Keenan on his ecstatic novels and love of Kiwi music
David Keenan turned from music journalism to writing relatively late in his career - but did something unusual with his first book. After completing it, David Keenan fulfilled a vow he'd made to… Audio
Don't feel bad if you get scammed and why
Psychology Professor Daniel Simons and co-author Christopher Chabris say we shouldn't feel bad about getting taken in and explain how to avoid it in their book "Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and… Audio
Relationships with Hannah Korrel
Hannah Korrel is a neuropsychologist and author. She's written a book: How to Break Up with Friends as well as spent over a decade becoming an expert in why the brain makes us do the things we do (and… Audio