Writing
Taking The High Ground
Taking the High Ground tells the stories of the first woman to scale Aoraki/Mount Cook in 1910 - Australian Freda du Faur, and of Kiwi Lydia Bradey who was the first woman to scale Mount Everest solo… Audio, Gallery
The Beat of The Pendulum
Media headlines, social media posts, snatches of conversations - they're all part of the mix in the latest novel by writer Catherine Chidgey. The Beat of the Pendulum she describes as a "Found Novel."… Audio
Dr Helen Sword on writing
Dr Helen Sword runs academic writing workshops around the world. She's also the woman behind the website The Writer's Diet and has recently published a book of the same name. Audio
The gap between New Zealand and Australian writers
Australia may be our nearest neighbour and traditional sporting rival, but while sports teams regularly cross the Tasman, that's less the case with our writers. So why the literary gulf between our… Audio
Phonics fan: Professor Rhona Stainthorp
Leading British educator Professor Rhona Stainthorp is visiting New Zealand to talk about the use of phonics in teaching reading, writing and spelling. She and associate professor Daisy Powell from… Audio
Harold Evans: zombie nouns and flesh-eating words
We're writing more than ever; emails, blogs, even tweets. But we are doing it badly according to Sir Harold Evans, the former editor of The Sunday Times of London and editor at large of Reuters. Audio
Maggie Doherty - Defending Kate Millett
This week, the woman credited with launching the second wave of the feminist movement, Kate Millett, died aged 82. Her 1970 book Sexual Politics sought to analyse patriarchal power in many ways… Audio
One dark night outside Masterton...
A man in a flash car stops to offer a drenched young woman a lift in the dark, on the outskirts of Masterton, and Tess, though wary, takes up the offer. But her decision has consequences - for… Audio
Nick Malmholt - Soap Star
Nick Malmholt is script producer on Shortland Street. Since he kissed goodbye to his career in journalism, Malmholt has worked as a writer, executive producer and creator on productions around the… Audio
Going West with words
The Going West Books and Writers Festival is characterized by friendliness, intimacy, hospitality, accessibility and good food. Director Nicola Strawbridge talks about getting the right balance… Audio
Emily Perkins - Ibsen and The Fuse Box
Emily Perkins holds a Master of Creative Writing from The University of Auckland and is a graduate of Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Drama School. Her first book, Not Her Real Name and Other Stories… Audio
Comedy and the art of selling out
Te Radar talks to Sonia Sly about the most memorable show of his career, the art of comedy, why he would call himself a feminist if he was a woman, and the reason he's kept a special item of women's… Audio
Debut Novel from Eileen Merriman
Troubled teenager Rebecca is lonely after her family moves from Dunedin to Auckland...that's until she meets Corey. Writer Eileen Merriman's stories have been published in national and international… Audio
Russ Rymer: When a language goes silent
Author, freelance journalist and former Guggenheim Fellow Russ Rymer talks to Kathryn Ryan about his award winning National Geographic investigation into the death of tribal languages. In his Auckland… Audio
George Saunders - Lincoln in the Bardo
Considered one of America's foremost contemporary writers, George Saunders has just published his first novel Lincoln in the Bardo to critical acclaim. Audio
Quintessential Lauris Edmond
As a tribute to her mother, respected writer Lauris Edmond, her daughter Frances has co-edited a new anthology of favourite poetry and prose. She and Sue Fitchett approached family, friends and other… Audio
Sci-fi novel Star Sailors - Love! Revolution! Aliens! Hokitika!
It's 2045 and as climate change wreaks havoc around the world, New Zealand becomes a sanctuary for the mega rich, who live in gated communities to keep the poor well away. This is the near future as… Audio
Armando Iannucci - satirising political spin
Armando Iannucci is a critically acclaimed British comedy writer and producer. He's best known for creating the TV shows The Thick of It and Veep. Audio
Novelist Elspeth Sandys' Magnificent Obsession
Writer Elspeth Sandys offers us an view of a writer's life in her ninth novel, Obsession. The title refers to both several intense relationships in the book, and also the obsession that goes into… Audio
$230,000 secret prize for Wellington writer
The first Ashleigh Young knew of the Windham-Campbell prize was the call to say she had won it. Audio
