Features

Carol Wales describes herself as a 'companion to the dying'. She's part of the death positive movement that is shaking up the way we die.

A daughter of the great American blues and roots musician Taj Mahal, Deva lived for a long time in New Zealand where she sang with Wellington groups Recloose and Fat Freddy’s Drop. Now New York based, this is the first album she has made solely under her own name. Audio

Dame Products is a female-run, crowdfunded sex toy company that makes highly engineered and appealing sex toys for women. Audio

Her voyage round the Antarctic turned into a life-threatening nightmare as she battled a broken mast amid giant waves – but she still made history. Audio

Don McGlashan has today announced an extensive 17-date nationwide tour, where he'll perform a series of intimate shows in some of the NZ’s favourite venues.

Get ready for the ultimate heat-and-eat. University of Otago researchers are developing an edible bioplastic food wrap made from corn and shellfish waste. Audio

When Ben Ryan took a job coaching the Fijian rugby sevens team in 2013, wondered at first whether he'd made the worst mistake of his life. He tells Kim Hill why it turned out to be the best decision he'd ever made. Audio

Macaroni cheese was the first thing Kelly Gibney learnt to cook as a kid. Her gluten-free mac & cheese is "a more wholesome spin on a comfort food classic" made with cauliflower puree instead of béchamel sauce. Audio

He says he admires Trump and that slavery ‘sounds like a choice’. Does Kanye West’s new album shed any light on his controversial stances? Nick Bollinger has a listen to Ye.

At the Adam Chamber Music Festival in Nelson, clarinettist James Campbell and the Goldner Quartet evoke memories with music by Borodin and Françaix.

These miniature works of art are a Topp tribute to the beloved alter-egos of New Zealand's famous folk-singing/yodelling/comedy Dames. Audio

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Disappointment, despair and dejection are wrapped up in an ironically gorgeous package on Jonathan Bree's new solo album Sleepwalking, says William Dart. Video, Audio

Hadyn Green enjoyed the latest NZSO Shed Series concert. Well, most of it anyway. Not so sure about the jazz breakout but he liked Jonny Greenwood’s suite from There Will Be Blood. Audio

He says he admires Trump and that slavery ‘sounds like a choice’. Does Kanye West’s new album shed any light on his controversial stances? Nick Bollinger has a listen to Ye.

The first years of life “wire up” our brain and affect our health over a lifetime, says neonatologist Simon Rowley, author of ‘Mind That Child: A Medical Memoir’. Audio

After touring together in January the father and son duo have today released single 'Back to Life' and announced they'll be releasing their first album together – Lightsleeper, in August.

A charity focused on providing eye care in the Pacific hopes collaboration will help to combat the broader threat of non-communicable diseases in the region. Video, Audio

"They tell a story about wool, about craft, they’re about fandom, they’re about dolls. And of course they’re about the Topp Twins, Lynda and Jools Topp, and their fantastic impact on popular culture in this country." Audio

The Dorper sheep sheds its own wool, which eliminates the cost of shearing. Canterbury vet Jim McPhee breeds the sheep on his small farm near Darfield. Audio

Do our eyebrows exist to stop sweat from getting in our eyes or is there something else going on? Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews a brassy, gaudy - and at times surprisingly restrained - set from Tami Neilson. Video, Audio

The next election is a long way off, but already TV news networks and their political pundits are predicting what will happen next based on the opinion polls they pay for.  Audio

English musician and author Dave Randall talks to Trevor Reekie about the political power of music. Audio

IT pioneer and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley on charity, flexible working, and overcoming life's obstacles. Audio