Features

Adam Dudding's personal and moving account of his brilliant, driven and sometimes cruel father is a stunning start to the renaissance of the Nine to Noon book readings.

The prime minister's outgoing chief science advisor says he raised concerns over methamphetamine testing standards with the previous government but was pushed back. Audio

Video - Watch Witi Ihimaera discuss his long and distinguished literary career with Wallace Chapman. Audio, Gallery

Nick Bollinger celebrates the 50th anniversary of Music From Big Pink - the debut album of The Band - by taking a deep look at its influences and its influence on subsequent musicians. Video, Audio

Kim Hill talks to famously reticent interviewee, and half of New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo, Jemaine Clement about his new TV show Wellington Paranormal. Video, Audio

Welsh classical harpist Catrin Finch and virtuosic Senegalese Kora player Seckou Keita have 69 strings between them on the new collaboration Soar. Audio

New Zealanders are drowning in comment. Universities, think tanks and sector groups churn out op-eds, and many others do too. But do they change minds? Mediawatch investigates. Audio

Bettina Romano's father-in-law Tony taught her the tricks of the trade and she's continuing the family's 77-year tradition of tomato-growing. She grows and sells an heirloom variety at the Nelson farmers market. Audio, Gallery

A Waikato University music graduate is putting her music degree to good use by serenading mistreated rescued elephants in a Thai sanctuary with Mozart and Māori waiata.

Activist and reggae icon Tigilau Ness shares some of his favourite songs and stories about his life. Audio

Joan Wasser, aka Joan as Police Woman, writes arresting music. For William Dart, there's no point resisting - he goes along quietly with her new album Damned Devotion. Video, Audio

Timothy Brown heads to the most unaffordable place to live in NZ – Queenstown – to explore the effects of the government's ban on overseas house buyers. Audio

Verdi's epic grand opera set in Egypt is this week's opera from San Francisco. Listen out for a small role sung by our own Pene Pati!  Opera on Sunday at 6.00pm on RNZ Concert.

Edward Castelow has been making music under the name Dictaphone Blues for around a decade now. He and his all-star band play us a few songs. Video, Audio

On a Friday night in central Auckland, Mark Franklin was strolling down an alley sharing a joint with some friends, when they bumped into some police officers. Franklin knew these cops. After all, he was a senior officer himself. Video

Everyone can learn from the assertiveness of the Football Ferns addressing alleged intimidation and bullying in their team environment, says sports psychologist Karen Nimmo in this month's episode of Fair Play. Audio

This week in Pick and Mix Eva features the impressive new album of original songs by former Fur Patrol front-woman Julia Deans, called We Light Fire.

Christian pacifists established the Riverside Community near Nelson to support the families of men imprisoned for refusing to go to World War II. Seventy seven years on, its residents still live by the core values of peace and sharing. Audio, Gallery

Kim Hill was nervous to meet Jemaine Clement as he famously doesn't like interviews. They meet for a sometimes excruciating, sometimes funny conversation about, among other things, his new TV show Wellington Paranormal. Video, Audio

Gruff Rhys's hungover baritone works well with the 72-piece BBC National Orchestra of Wales, says Nick Bollinger. Audio

Last year chef Niki Bezzant shared with us how to make the perfect roast potato. Now she leaves her "Healthy Food Guide hat" at home to talk about the perfect mash. Audio

Young New Zealand pianists bring their best performances to this 2017 competition in Auckland.

This week, the football World Cup in Russia – Who is in? Who is out? And who are the ones to watch from here? We also catch up with cyclist George Bennett and sailor Blair Tuke. Audio

Victoria University lecturer John Randal is part of Team NZ - a group of Kiwi cyclists taking on the full Tour de France circuit to raise awareness and money for the Mental Health Foundation. Audio, Gallery