Harry Potter
Making bookworms of boys
A new partnership between bookworms and Hogwarts launches tomorrow, promising to cast a spell on young men to get them to read. The New Zealand Book Council has partnered with UK publishers of Harry… Audio
Disgust discussed: How food in kids' books teaches boundaries
Children’s literature - from fairy tales to Harry Potter - has used food and disgust to teach children about cultural acceptability, pop culture professor Lorna Piatti-Farnell says. Audio
Warner Bros emulating Voldemort
An organiser of a Quidditch tournament in the US thinks movie company Warner Bros has been taken over by the Harry Potter villain Voldemorte. The company is cracking down on fan festivals. The… Audio
Meet Lusius malfoyi, a parasitoid wasp
Tom Saunders has named a native parasitoid wasp after a Harry Potter character, in a bid to improve the reputation of these 'good' wasps. Audio
Our Changing World for 22 March 2018
Among New Zealand's many species of parasitoid wasps is one named after a Harry Potter character, and information from a smart buoy in Wellington harbour is now freely available online. Audio
NZSO’s Dynamic 2018 season
Big blockbusters dominate the 2018 season from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Core repertoire, crossover and cinematic sounds are in store for fans - there’s something to whet everyone’s… Audio
Winner crowned in UK quidditch comp
With poles instead of broomsticks between their legs, competitors have battled it out in the British Cup of the witches and wizards' sport of quidditch.
All spun out: spinoffs - the good, the bad and the blah
What makes a spinoff good, bad, or just blah? Can you build something new and glorious around a fan favourite character or will they lose what makes them special, if they take a starring role? Audio
Leonard Marcus: children's literature history
Kim Hill talks to renowned historian, critic, and exhibition curator Leonard Marcus, one of the children's book world's liveliest writers and speakers. His books about children's literature and its… Audio
Nights' Sport - Quiddich
Muggle Emma Humphrey explains the magical but very real sport of Quiddich. Audio
Tim Crouch: living Shakespeare
Award winning UK actor and playwright who is visiting Auckland in partnership with the British Council to present his solo show, I, Peaseblossom, the story of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream… Audio
Harry Potter strikes again
The author JK Rowling has thrown fans into a spin, tweeting that today would be the first day of school for Harry Potter's oldest son, James Sirius Potter. Audio
Harry Potter coming back for Christmas
Harry Potter is doing a re-appearing act this Christmas. The author of the popular children's books, JK Rowling, has announced she'll release 12 new Harry Potter-based short stories in the run-up to… Audio
Internet virality expert Emerson Spartz
Entrepeneur Emerson Spartz is, at 26 years of age, a world expert in internet virality. As CEO of Spartz Inc, he runs one of the fastest-growing digital media publishers with 160 million page views… Audio