Author Interview

New York Times bestselling author and Twitter sensation Jenny Lawson suffers from depression and anxiety - not to mention coming from a family with a history of dementia. But instead of hiding her… Audio

Sometimes it's hard to understand the way other people behave - especially when you're all cooped up together. To the rescue comes a quick quiz about behaviour preferences. Business coach Lynne… Audio

There are carrots and sticks to motivate someone to do something they should. And then there's the nudge. Behavioural economist Richard Thaler tells Jesse that people can be nudged in the right… Audio

Prof. Jacinta Ruru talks with fellow Māori academics about being Māori in a university. A highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Audio

The morning after Mary Trump's uncle Donald Trump became president of the United States. She wrote down these words: “Demeaned, diminished, debased.” Audio

Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin speaks about using manuscripts left by his literary hero to finish 'The Dark Remains'. Audio

It was a case that gripped Japan. Shimoyama Sadanori, head of Japan National Railways, was found dead on the tracks of a commuter rail line one July morning in 1949. The day before he disappeared he'd… Audio

Jared Savage and Steve Braunias explore the art of crime writing in Aotearoa. Rob Kidd chairs this highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Audio

Aotearoa author Patricia Donovan is having a very busy 2021. Earlier this year she released her debut novel The Remarkable Miss Digby and she's following it up a few months later with a second novel… Audio

Abbas Nazari's new book, After the Tampa: From Afghanistan to New Zealand is the story of escaping the Taliban as a young child. He joins the show from Christchurch to discuss the book and the current… Audio, Gallery

Wall Street Journal reporter Tim Higgins' new book, Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk and the Bet of the Century, examines the history of the world's most famous electric car company. He joins Jim to… Audio

Following on from her critically acclaimed 2018 debut Tinderbox, Wellington-based author Megan Dunn has returned with new book Things I Learned At Art School. Billed as part-memoir and part essay… Audio

Felix Marquardt is a French author, former PR consultant and senior advisor to world leaders and CEOs, some he admits shady. His first book The New Nomads boldly proposes the future of humanity and… Audio

Would Hiroshima have been bombed if the Japanese language contained a phrase meaning 'no comment'? Did a mistaken translation of the Italian "canali" -- or channels -- shape the space race to Mars… Audio

Deadlines can actually be lifelines for perfectionists and procrastinators who never think good is good enough. Christopher Cox is a former chief editor of Harper’s Magazine and former executive… Audio

Lockdowns are not easy, and in some households they're terribly difficult. Clinical Psychologist Jacqui Maguire has written a children's book with effective tools for helping children through scary… Audio

If you are a budding author, or would like some advice on how get started putting pen to paper, author and teacher, Diane Brown has some handy tips. She is the founder of Creative Writing Dunedin and… Audio

What's the biggest bike trip you've done? Whether it's a few hours or a few days, it likely doesn't compare to the epic bike ride of Freddie Gillies. Alongside his brother and two friends, they cycled… Audio, Gallery

The price and consequences of being Facebook are actually design choices according to New York Times writers Cecilia Kang and Sheera Frenkel. They talk to Jesse about their book, An Ugly Truth: Inside… Audio