Kim Hill
N.K. Jemisin: how sci-fi illuminates humanity's biggest themes
In 2018, N.K. Jemisin became the first author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel in three consecutive years, each award going to a book in her widely-heralded Broken Earth series. As a child the New… Audio
Jennifer Higgie: the astonishing re-emergence of Hilma af Klint
When Swedish artist and mystic Hilma af Klint died in 1944, she left behind more than 1300 works, only seen by a handful of people. The discovery of her paintings decades later has turned art history… Audio, Gallery
Dr Jane Rigby: Nasa’s biggest ever telescope set to launch
Later this month the James Webb Space Telescope will be shot into space, and when it reaches its destination - approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth - the massive telescope will slowly… Audio, Gallery
Marcus Du Sautoy: the art of the shortcut in math and life
Oxford mathematician Marcus du Sautoy says humankind's laziness might just be its saving grace. Despite being frowned upon, du Sautoy says our inherent reluctance for hard work can often lead us to… Audio
Prof Mohan Dutta: the worrying rise of right-wing Hindutva thinking
A strain of Hindu nationalism, Hindutva, has grown in global prominence since 2014 under Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's BJP party. Now tensions are rising in the Indian community, both here and… Audio
Jo Guy: searching for your lighthouse person
When Scott Guy was shot dead at the gate of his family farm in Feilding 11 years ago, and his brother-in-law was charged with his murder (later acquitted), six of Jo Guy's grandchildren were made… Audio
Hamish McDouall: Whanganui an international city of design
It's only small, but as a city Whanganui is rich in design. This month the city was announced as New Zealand's only UNESCO City of Design, one of 40 such cities worldwide. Hamish McDouall has been… Audio, Gallery
Christopher Boyle: the rise of green hydrogen
How viable is hydrogen as a major power alternative? Is it the key to a lower carbon economy and this country being more energy self-sufficient? Christopher Boyle believes so. He's the co-founder and… Audio
Ann Patchett: a much loved writer asks what matters most
She's a bestselling, prizewinning author with her own bookshop in native Nashville, Tennessee, but in her new collection of essays This Precious Life Ann Patchett reveals that below the surface of any… Audio
Steven Pinker: 'We've always been vulnerable to irrationality'
How do we determine and stand up for what is rational in 2021? Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker tackles this question in his new book Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters. Video, Audio
Nowroz Ali: escaping the Taliban to make a new home in NZ
When the Taliban took over Kabul, Afghanistan in August, Nowroz Ali feared for his life. A wanted man for many years for his work with the New Zealand Defence Force, he was supposed to be on a… Audio
Chris Smith: new Covid variant Omicron has been detected
A new heavily mutated Covid variant is causing global alarm. Our regular commentator, Cambridge University consultant clinical virologist Dr Chris Smith joins us to discuss. Audio
Fergus Barrowman: Giving writers a sporting chance
Preeminent literary magazine Sport was founded by writers Damien Wilkins, Elizabeth Knox, Nigel Cox and their Victoria University Press (VUP) publisher Fergus Barrowman in 1988. Sport folded in 2020… Audio
Listener Feedback: Saturday Morning with Kim Hill - 20 November 2021
Listener feedback from the Saturday Morning programme. Audio
Sophie Roberts: taking destiny into her own hands
Sophie Roberts is working on an ambitious Silo commission called Break Bread which broadcasts the rambunctious hidden lives of all of us. Working under the constraints of the pandemic, the production… Audio
James Cridland: what does the future hold for radio?
All this week RNZ has been celebrating 100 years of broadcasting in New Zealand, the first broadcast having been made on the 17th of November 1921 by Professor Robert Jack from Otago University's… Audio
Prof Franca Ronchese: why skin is ground zero for allergies
Groundbreaking new research at the Malaghan Institute in Wellington has found that immune cells in the skin behave differently than their counterparts found elsewhere in the body, suggesting they play… Audio
Aroha Novak: sewing shadows of our native plant past
When Christchurch's Hagley Park was created in the late 19th century native plants such as ferns, cabbage trees and flax were replaced by English plants like beech, elm and oak. As part of the Scape… Audio, Gallery
Alina Chan: finding the origins of Covid-19
The origin of Covid-19 still remains a mystery that may never be solved. Was it the result of a spillover from animals to humans, or the result of a lab leak? The idea that the SARS-CoV-2 virus could… Audio