Author Interview
Tracey Spicer: how AI backs up gender biases
Australian journalist Tracey Spicer speaks out against the use of sexist and racist stereotypes by artificial intelligence technology in her new book Man-Made. Audio
The Rule of Jenny Pen adapted for the big screen
In 2021 the famous New Zealand short story Coming Home in the Dark by Owen Marshall was carefully adapted for the big screen actor and director James Ashcroft. Audio
Taking up the baton: British conductor Alice Farnham
British conductor Alice Farnham was once told by a male conductor that women couldn't do the job because their breasts get in the way. She's now been a conductor for three decades, and her newly… Audio
War correspondent on the unforgettable survivors of conflict
Martin Fletcher spent five decades covering war, revolution and natural disasters all over the world, most as the Middle East Correspondent and Tel Aviv Bureau Chief for NBC News. Audio
'Aotearoa and Bharat' - new manuscript on historical Indian-Maori links
In this episode, we look back at the historical ties between tangata whenua and Indian settlers in New Zealand, through NZOM Professor Edwina Pio's latest research. Audio
Clare Cock-Starkey: How much is a dollop?
When they say in recipes to add a dash of salt or a pinch of salt; how much is that, exactly? How about a dollop, a drizzle of olive oil or a smidgeon? Claire Cock-Starkey, author of 'The Curious… Audio
Sure to Rise: The story of Edmonds
A Kiwi kitchen isn't really complete without a copy of the timeless Edmonds Cookbook. The family behind the iconic Christchurch baking powder company Edmonds lovingly shares its history in the new… Audio, Gallery
Chidgey wins fiction prize again at NZ Book Awards
New Zealand writer Catherine Chidgey has taken out the top fiction award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Announced at the Aotea Centre last night, she won for her novel The Axeman's Carnival… Audio
To Distant Shores: New maritime novel's roots in post-Treaty NZ
When William C Hammond moved to New Zealand six years ago, he felt he had to bring his nautical fiction series with him too. After 30 years in publishing, Bill embarked on his own writing career in… Audio
Science eavesdropping on the sounds of the natural world
The remarkable world of nature's hidden sounds and the way species communicate are being revealed by scientists using digital bioacoustics. Canadian scientist, Professor Karen Bakker, is an author and… Audio
The new space race is on!
Space is no longer the final frontier, a noble quest to satisfy humankind's destiny. There's a new space race, one between start up companies trying to be the next Fed-ex to the stars. Audio
Does book banning have the opposite effect?
One woman who knows all about banned books, and the attention they inadvertently draw, is Dr Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare studies at Oxford University. She's the author of Portable Magic: A… Audio
Cliff Taylor: The Spanish Garden
Set on a single day in 2016, Cliff Taylor's novel, The Spanish Garden tells a story of memory and loss, the fatal history shared between two families, Pakeha and Maori, and a man's enduring obsession… Audio
Kiwi horror writers featuring at Featherston Book festival
The popular Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival is back this weekend. One of this weekend's events is called 'Campfire Tales', an event that show cases Kiwi horror writers. Audio
The science of Neuroaesthetics
Professor Susan Magsamen is the founder of the International Arts + Mind Lab at the Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She and Ivy Ross, he VP of design for… Audio
What a shipwreck can tell us about truth and disinformation
More than 280 years ago, 250 men would set sail aboard the HMS Wager on a doomed secret mission to capture Spanish silver and gold off the coast of South America. Audio
Megan Dunn: the kinky and the kooky lurking in public art
Author and art writer Megan Dunn joins Kim to talk about two current shows with very different approaches to displaying public art collections. Audio, Gallery
Jonathan Kennedy: how germs made history
In his new book Pathogenesis Dr Jonathan Kennedy offers a radical new frame to view human history. He argues that infectious diseases have been a decisive force in shaping humanity, from the… Audio
Emma Espiner: a life less ordinary
Award-winning writer Dr Emma Espiner (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Porou) talks to Kim Hill about her unconventional upbringing, ditching her recruitment job for med school and how New Zealand can improve… Audio
Waikato Midwife turned author
A Waikato midwife has drawn on a 33-year career, and even deeper family ties, to publish a novel about the profession's challenging New Zealand history. Marie-ann Quin talks to Jesse. Audio