Author Interview
Jake Adelstein: A unique view into Japan's seedy underbelly
Having grown up in Missouri, Jake Adelstein moved to Japan at age 19 to study Japanese literature. A few years later, he became the first non-Japanese staff writer at Yomiuri Shimbun, one of the… Audio
How borders have shaped the modern world
From ancient Roman attempts to define the edge of civilisation to European powers drawing straight lines on maps, borders have shaped the modern world, writes British journalist Jonn Elledge. Audio
The Age of Grievance, why everyone is complaining
Everyone has a complaint about something. Being a victim and feeling resentful has become a form of social currency says New York Times opinion writer Frank Bruni. It's driving political division and… Audio
Serj Tankian: Learning to deal with your own mind
Serj Tankian is the frontman of System of a Down, a band of Armenian-Americans that started in the mid-nineties, who play an incredible clash of growling aggressive metal and Armenian folk melodies… Audio
Vincent Deary: Why rest is vital to beat burnout
When recovering from burnout it's essential to prioritise rest. says clinical fatigue specialist Vincent Deary. Audio
Connie Walker: Stolen, murdered and ignored, Indigenous women
Award-winning Canadian investigative journalist Connie Walker had been telling stories about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls for years, and wondering why they received so little… Audio
Jonathan Rauch: Allowing free speech
American author Jonathan Rauch argues free speech and robust criticism should be encouraged and defended, even when it's racist, sexist or causes hurt. A gay, Jewish writer and thinker Rauch admits… Audio
The life and times of a Kiwi soldier
Dario Nustrini has written a memoir on his six years in the New Zealand Army, including a stint in Iraq supporting the fight against terror group ISIS, before leaving it all behind in 2017. Audio
Damon Salesa takes out top book prize for 'An Indigenous Ocean'
Scholar Damon Salesa has pipped the hotly contested General Non-Fiction category at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2024 with a book of essays exploring the history and influence of the Pacific. Audio
Stephen Cave: Why living forever would be a curse
Longevity expert Stephen Cave explains to Guyon how living to 150 years old could soon be a reality, and why the consequences of immortality would be horrific for all aspects of our world. Video, Audio
Whakataukī of the Week with Robert Sullivan
Robert Sullivan is a poet and an associate professor in creative writing at Massey University who has just published his latest book of poems, Hopurangi: Songcatcher, with Auckland University Press. Audio
Harlan Coben's latest novel lands after an eight year hiatus
Harlan Coben is an accidental novelist whose success is no accident. It comes from hard work, deep empathy and unreserved respect for the joy of reading. Audio
Why our authors should write stories set in New Zealand
When Lauren Keenan (Te Ati Awa ki Taranaki) first started writing, she was told to set her stories overseas otherwise they wouldn't get published. Audio
Framing a life: Ans Westra
Over almost sixty years, Dutch-Kiwi photographer Ans Westra took hundreds of thousands of pictures of life in New Zealand. A new illustrated biography Ans Westra - A life in photography interrogates… Audio, Gallery
India's elections and the cost of colonialism: Dr Sashi Tharoor
In a crucial year for India, millions of voters are going to the polls in the mammoth six-week election in the most populous country on earth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to secure a rare… Audio
Climate change from a wild animal's point of view: Adam Welz
Promising a new kind of environmental journalism, Cape Town-based conservation writer Adam Welz's book The End of Eden: Wild Nature in the Age of Climate Breakdown explores climate change from the… Audio
Rātana, revised: New edition of book capturing the influential priest
Nearly 85 years since the death of its founder, the Rātana movement still carries a significant amount of mana in Aotearoa's political and social spheres. But that is only one side to the story of… Audio
Hemingway's life reimagined in Auckland lawyer's new novel
It's nearly 63 years since American novelist Ernest Hemingway died, yet his work - and his life - continue to fascinate. It's the subject of Dermot Ross's debut novel Hemingway's Goblet, - about a… Audio
Ballerina, author & comedian Sacha Jones on The Fatter Sex
Ballerina-turned-author and comedian Sacha Jones on her book The Fatter Sex - looking at women's battles with diet, weight and body confidence. Audio
Book on step-parenting to help blended families
Despite how common blended families are, step mothers still often get portrayed in a negative light. Here to change some of that narrative is Gina Bartlett, with her new children's book. Audio