Listen to author interviews, reviews, and book news. Plus, read reviews about audiobooks by authors from Aotearoa.
Whakarongo ki ngā uiui kaituhi, ngā arotakenga, me ngā kawepūrongo pukapuka. Waihoki, pānuihia ngā arotakenga mō ngā pūpānui nā ngā kaituhi nō Aotearoa.
SHORT | POTO, edited by Michelle Elvy and Kiri Piahana-Wong, is a new fully bilingual anthology of 100 flash fiction pieces in both English and te reo Māori, from New Zealand authors. The editors join Emile Donovan to talk about the project.
Otago Medical School is 150 years old this year and women make up 50% of their graduates. Between the 1890s - 1967, this was not the case. Michaela Solway and Cynthia Farquhar talk to Kathryn Ryan about their new book, AGAINST THE ODDS, which profiles the determined women who fought for a medical career in this time.
Catherine Robertson recommends three new feel-good reads from New Zealand authors.
Naomi Arnold talks to Jim Mora about her experience of the Te Araroa trail.
The author of Three Dogs, Two Murders and a Cat joins chats with RNZ's Jim Mora.
Louise O'Brien reviews Wonderland by Tracy Farr published by The Cuba Press.
Jacinta Ruru talks to RNZ about bringing together some of Aotearoa's most renowned Māori thinkers in a wide-ranging kōrero about the influence and empowerment of Māori writing in Books of Mana.
Graci Kim, award-winning author of the Last Fallen Star and Dreamslinger series, talks Korean resilience and Kiwi optimism, and why her book tour to the US has been cancelled.
Chair of the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Nicola Legat joins Emile Donovan of RNZ to celebrate the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlist.
Denniston Rose author Jenny Pattrick discusses writing for stage with RNZ.
Health writer Niki Bezzant joins Jim Mora of RNZ to discuss her new book The Everything Guide: Hormones, Health and Happiness in Menopause, Midlife and Beyond.
Pip Adam discusses some personal recommendations around books and writing that she found useful when formulating her thoughts around the debate around the bill.
Hana Tapiata discusses her book Atua Wāhine: The Ancient Wisdom of Māori Goddesses which explores the 17 female Māori goddesses who make up the world around us.
Gavin Strawhan’s The Call is a challenging listen for newbie audiobook listener Shaun Bamber.
Christchurch-based tramper Hannah-Rose Watt talks about her book Wild Walks Aotearoa: A Guide to Tramping in New Zealand on RNZ Nights programme.
Anna Rankin reviews the latest NZ history book she says is going to become a classic. She talks to Jesse Mulligan on RNZ.
Adrienne Jansen, publisher at Landing Press, reads some of the cutest poems from anthology Now and Then to Susie Ferguson of RNZ.
Actress, journalist author and playwright Elisabeth Easther might be a familiar face from her role as Carla Crozier on Shortland Street. She'll also be a familiar voice to audiobook lovers, narrating dozens of New Zealand books. She takes Kete behind the scenes recording The Seasonwife by Saige England.
Nat Baker reviews the audiobook of Make it Make Sense, a conversational book written and narrated by Lucy Blakiston and Bel Hawkins, famous for the podcast 'Shit You Should Care About'.
Fresh from her 8th Olympic gold medal win, Dame Lisa Carrington chats with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ's Afternoons about her new book for children.
Kate Coughlan is gripped by the audiobook adaption of Because All Fades by Freddie Gillies.
Award-winning New Zealand author Shilo Kino talks about writing her first novel for adults, All that We Know, on RNZ's Saturday Morning programme.
Claire Mabey talks to RNZ about publishing her first book, a gripping, fantasy quest set in a parallel medieval inspired world.
Gareth and Louise Ward, booksellers and co-authors of new crime fiction The Bookshop Detectives join Kathryn Ryan of RNZ to talk about the fun they had writing their new novel.
Jessica Grace Smith doesn't beat around the bush when narrating audiobook version of Danielle Hawkins' bestselling Take Two writes Emma Rawson.
Kate 'not a sports fan' Coughlan tackles the audiobook of Straight Up by Ruby Tui and finds herself falling in love with the NZ rugby star's words and her narration abilities.
Audiobook and true crime lover Kate Coughlan gets chills while reviewing The Quick and the Dead by NZ pathologist Dr Cynric Temple-Camp.
It was almost a relief when his cancer diagnosis was classed as incurable, comedian Dai Henwood says. Dai speaks with RNZ's Susie Ferguson.
Wellington writer Emily Perkins is the country's latest literary darling, taking out the top prize at the recent Ockham Awards for her novel Lioness. She talks with Paddy Gower for RNZ.
A "miserable" moment on the banks of Lake Wakatipu was the initial inspiration for Matt Heath's new book A Life Less Punishing: 13 Ways To Love the Life You've Got. Matt speaks with RNZ's Suzie Ferguson.
RNZ's Kathryn Ryan talks to Harry Broad about BBQ Economics by Liam Dann, published by Penguin Random House NZ.
RNZ’s Mark Amery invited award-winning author of fiction, poetry and essays, Tracey Slaughter, to play Fast Favourites. Tracey picks out some favourite poems, cultural initiatives and music.
Doctor turned young adult writer and now adult fiction writer, Eileen Merriman, has a new book out, 'The Night She Fell'. The story follows the death of a clever law student from a wealthy family who fell from three stories up in her Dunedin student flat. Whodunnit, or whodunwhat? And why? Eileen, who is a clinical director of haematology and lead thrombosis clinician at North Shore Hospital, speaks with RNZ.
Sheryl Beaumont's latest novel weaves together two pivotal points in 20th century history: efforts to crack the enigma code during World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The War Photographers introduces readers to Mae, a young woman recruited from Cambridge to work at Bletchley Park and her granddaughter Rachel, who's working as a photojournalist as the Cold War is drawing to a close. She speaks with Katyhryn Ryan of RNZ
Paul Cleave is a crime writer and three-time Ngaio Marsh Award winner whose books have been translated into 20 languages. His first novel, The Cleane has been turned into a six part TV series called Dark City: The Cleaner (from March 4 on Neon/Sky Go/SoHo) and Paul has been intricately involved in the process - as the production's screenwriter. He joins Kathryn to talk about bringing his characters to life on screen.
Desmond Bovey lived in France for thirty years, predominantly working as an art director. Upon returning home to Whanganui he was in search of a project to reconnect with Aotearoa - and worked on some environmental projects for DOC and Forest and Bird. The result is his book - Tongariro National Park - an artists field guide. He speaks to Kathryn Ryan of RNZ.
Flavio Manzoni is a high flying Italian architect and automobile designer - currently Chief Design Officer at Ferrari. He's a big deal, and has an unlikely connection to a self published book by a small New Zealand charity, Bread. Bread’s founder talks to RNZ afternoons.
Patricia Grace is one of Aotearoa's most celebrated Maori fiction authors. She won the New Zealand Book Award for Fiction for Potiki in 1987, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2001 with Dogside Story. She has a new collection of short stories, Bird Child and Other Stories, which spans mythology and contemporary Māori life and reimagines ancient tales. The cover art is courtesy of granddaughter Miriama Grace-Smith. Susie and Miriama talk to RNZ’s Susie Ferguson.
Nita Joseph and her late husband Tim opened Treasure Island Caravan Park in Patua, Northland, in 1985 and put a lifetime's worth of hard yakka into creating the perfect summer holiday destination. Nita and author Elaine Webster join Susana Lei'ataua on RNZ’s The Weekend to discuss the book.
RNZ’s Anna Thomas caught up with poet and artist Terry Fitzgibbon about his new book 'Salt: Coastal Connections' published by White Cloud Books.