Features

The setting and cast of The Bookshop are enough to attract interest - who doesn’t like Bill Nighy and Emily Mortimer? Simon Morris looks at whether it delivers on its promise. Video, Audio

Imani Winds bring energy and originality to their stage performances. RNZ Concert recorded them at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington.

On today's show we celebrate Samoan Language Week with Otara hip-hoppers Tha Movement & Anonymouz; we've live sessions from Katchafire and a trio of bands: Soaked Oats, Being and Ha The Unclear; and we review Tami Nielson's new album.

Chances are you've heard of NZ Music Month - it's been happening every May for 17 years. Alex Behan asks the people who were there from the start to tell its story. Video, Audio

Kimberley Harrington writes dark, moving - and hilarious - essays about the challenges of motherhood, marriage, ambition, and raising kids. Audio

You'll find two current classical downloads here for your listening pleasure. Great when you're on the go - out walking, commuting, or watching the kids' sport.

Nick Bollinger lends an ear to the first solo set in seven years from former Fur Patrol frontwoman Julia Deans. Audio

Meet Katharine Birbalsingh, the controversial New Zealand born teacher running "the strictest school in Britain." Audio

Choco the cat has shot to fame on Twitter after his un-fur-getable reaction to the fourth mew-vment of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.

A letter on spending habits of elderly and single women prompted Mary Holm to ponder the differences in now women and men deal with their finances. Audio

Solo: A Star Wars Story gives Han Solo an origin picture, but will it be enough for the fans, asks Simon Morris. Video, Audio

The Samoan community is still reeling from last weekend's unrest on the island of Savaii.

Some Māori and Pasifika rugby players' names routinely get butchered by commentators and fans, but RugbyZ is stepping up its game, writes [*Jamie Wall*] . Video

Researchers believe quiet classical music can induce relaxation and help influence positive decision making, including choosing healthier food options. Tune in now to test it out!

It’s been a year of unusual fish species turning up around New Zealand’s coast – some of them from parts of the globe where the sea is a lot warmer. Audio

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Starting day care can be a daunting and emotional time for children, and their parents. Early childcare education teacher Heather McRobbie has some tips. Audio

Your new classical podcast for June is here! Michael Houstoun plays Preludes and Fugues by JS Bach.

Gareth Farr's powerful cello concerto Chemin des Dames marks the centenary of a bloody WWI battle, and also acknowledges the effect of war on women and their families. #NZMM Video, Audio

One of the key aims of Samoan Language Week in New Zealand is instilling a sense of identity and pride in young Samoans living here.

Analysis - Labour is happy to call it a "housing crisis" but it doesn't seem to want to act like it's one, writes Guyon Espiner.  

An "empowering" Pacific experience led Fiji's Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa into a top international security role in South Sedan, she says.

Pain au chocolat or chocolatine? In France's equivalent of the trans-Tasman pavlova stoush, the impassioned and longstanding debate over the pastry's name has reached the French parliament. Audio

Swedish soprano Lisa Larsson joins the APO for this concert featuring Berg's lush Seven Early Songs and Mahler's Fourth Symphony, where the last movement depicts a child's vision of heaven.

New Zealand Music Month has been running for 17 years. Alex Behan asks the people who were there from the start to tell its story: how it began, what it's achieved and where it's going next. Video, Audio