Author Interview

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey is a mother, a teacher in a drug and alcohol centre for adolescents, and a recovering alcoholic with a strong family history of addiction. Jessica… Audio

In her former life, Martinborough-based author Rosy Fenwicke was a doctor who wrote books on the side. She's been a fulltime writer for a year now and won't be going back anytime soon. Her latest… Audio

Annette Lees has long had a love affair with the night time. As a child she found it both scary and enchanting, and as an adult she revels in the sense of wonderment found in swimming under the stars… Audio

A well-known critic of the neoliberal world order, economist Yanis Varoufakis believes capitalism has become 'techno-feudalism' - with tech companies and Covid making the rich even richer and the poor… Audio

The programme for November's Verb Reader's and Writer's Festival has been released today - and this year the festival comes with a special theme.  Audio

Tim Heath has taken his 47 years as a teacher - the ideals, mistakes, joys and frustrations - and turned into a funny and compelling read in his new book. Audio, Gallery

The horror of the September 11 attacks unfolded as Elias Kanaris was flying halfway across the Atlantic Ocean on his way from London to Chicago. Air space across the US was hurriedly shutdown - and… Audio

There are some dishes that are ubiquitous around the globe. Every culture taking its own spin. Portland chef and activist Jenn Louis has spent several years exploring our relationship with chicken… Audio

Hong Kong-raised businessman, Desmond Shum's book Red Roulette is a no holds barred account of the life he lived as a wealthy businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist in China in the 1990's and… Audio

For many people, jobs have become little more than a completely relentless, unsatisfying toil. Especially since Covid-19 came along. So why then does work ethic still hold so much sway? Jamie McCallum… Audio

The history and uses - benign and sinister - for 26 prickly, stinky, tricky, troublesome fruit are told in a new book by American essayist and poet Kate Lebo. The Book of Difficult Fruit is the title… Audio

After being the victim of relentless trolling by people who objected to his last book, Irish writer John Boyne has turned the tables on them in his new satirical novel, The Echo Chamber. Audio

Kate Macdougall's memoir London's No. 1 Dog Walking Agency is an entertaining perspective on a left-field profession and a coming of age story. Armed with a degree in Art History, and eschewing a back… Audio

World-leading addiction expert Professor Anna Lembke says our smartphones are turning us into dopamine addicts. As chief of Stanford University's dual diagnosis addiction clinic, Lembke has treated… Audio

Deputy editor of The Economist Tom Standage's new book is A Brief History of Motion: From the Wheel, to the Car, to What Comes Next. It is in fact, five and a half thousand years of the history of… Audio

Cody Keenan, a speechwriter for former US president Barack Obama helped craft speeches for the UN but says his most important contribution focused closer to home, in South Carolina. He tells Jesse… Video, Audio

Catherine Raven lives in a remote mountain valley in Montana. She has lived more or less alone since leaving a troubled home aged 15. She was a National Park ranger for 20 years, and gained a PhD in… Audio

Lyttleton writer and artist, Lily Duval has just been given a research grant to develop her project Six-legged Ghosts: Stories of the Insects of Aotearoa. Audio

Angler Dougal Rillstone and surfer Derek Morrison talk to fellow explorer Bruce Ansley about their love for the wild places of Aotearoa.  Audio