Features

Australian early instrument ensemble Van Diemen's Band explore music by a variety of 17th-century composers who worked as borders shifted beneath their feet, as well as new works for baroque instruments from Iceland and New Zealand.

Mstyslav Chernov is part of a small team of Associated Press Ukrainian journalists who last week won a Pulitzer Prize for their fearless reporting from Mariupol last year, he spoke to Kim Hill about his experiences. Audio

At 57, it's hard to believe the voice behind synthpop duo Goldfrapp is only just now dropping her first solo album. Video, Audio

Recipe relics from New Zealand’s food past might be unpalatable to modern tastes, but we should be grateful to the cooks who created them says comedian and vintage cookbook collector Te Radar.

Mahler’s Fourth symphony - a picture of the perfect childhood - is paired with Gabriella Smith's Tumblebird Contrails, a hauntingly evocative work inspired by the Pacific Ocean. The soprano is Madeleine Pierard, conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya.  

Cairo Conspiracy is a thriller set in Al-Azhar university, the centre of Sunni Islam. An innocent young student finds himself being used as a spy to manipulate the election of a new leader. Video, Audio

Known for his contemporary takes on Shakespeare, Aotearoa theatre director and scholar David Lawrence believes the Bard’s intentions have been long compromised by being organised into the genres of comedy, history and tragedy.  Audio

Teremoana Rapley, Lou'ana, Erny Belle and others share the song they'd most love to have their name on.

Books are where people find themselves, and banning them is ultimately counterproductive because it tends to draw further attention to these controversial texts, argues a professor at Oxford University. Audio

Mahe Pofele and his dad Tui share a heartfelt conversation in the final episode of Conversations With My Immigrant Parents. Video, Audio

Some in the media made a concerted effort to take last week’s severe weather warnings seriously - others, not so much.  Audio

New Zealand Music Month is in full swing and to celebrate it, William Dart features the music of Douglas Lilburn (courtesy of guitarist Gunter Herbig), along with Seth Haapu, Lips, Robbie Ellis and that dauntless ukulele trio, The Nukes. Audio

Westport writer and mum Becky Manawatu hasn't been able to do as much as she's wanted to for her kids, herself or anyone else for some time.

Traditionally, the total parliamentary votes for each side of a question are counted by an MP - but it turns out they just aren’t that good at counting. Audio

Botox and fillers are increasingly popular with Kiwis, but there are concerns that our regulations are too lax.

A New Plymouth woman trying to check in for a flight discovered her ex and his new partner were on the same flight - and had used her name to check in. (Originally published on Stuff)

Waikato sculptor Adrian Worsley creates giant animals from scrap metal with a soundtrack of "really heavy and loud" music. Audio

Folk songwriter Mel Parsons gets real about the highs and lows of raising four kids in her new song 'Tiny Days'. Video, Audio

Bic Runga has been awarded just about every musical honour that Aotearoa has to offer. Later this year, she's embarking on a four-date tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her second album, Beautiful Collision. Audio

After a couple of quiet years, Bic Runga is keen to reconnect with audiences on her upcoming Beautiful Collision anniversary tour. Audio

Scottish comedian Ray Bradshaw – who was raised by two hearing-impaired parents – is delivering laughs to the deaf community at his NZ Comedy Festival shows. Video, Audio

Chef Julie Biuso reckons this tasty side dish will tempt even the vegetable-phobic.

The coastal town of Timaru – home to little blue penguins and a young volcano – has been known by several Māori names. Audio

Anna Burns-Francis has exposed how greedy corporations have mistreated Kiwi workers. Audio