Author Interview
How technology blurs the lines of right and wrong
Ethics evolve over time and technology is accelerating that change says Juan Enriquez. He's a cofounder and investor in companies on the cutting edge of biology and technology. He explains how the… Audio
I Love Mondays: The guide to enjoying your job
As the warm rays of your summer holiday start to fade and the neon light of your working reality flickers before you, it's possible you might find yourself wondering if you're in the right job. My… Audio
Poet Ruby Solly - inspired by ancestors
Wellington PhD student Ruby Solly is a poet, musician and music therapist. Her first book of poetry, Tōku Pāpā speaks to Māori growing up outside of their papakāika. Ruby's poems embrace knowledge… Audio
Andrew Steele - The pursuit of agelessness
For our species' time on the planet getting older has just been a fact of life. But biologist and author Dr Andrew Steele thinks that is all about to change. In his new book Ageless: the new science… Audio
The path of the new US Vice President
Kamala Harris's path to being America's first black woman elected Vice President is examined in a new biography Kamala's Way. Audio
“Her words are stepping stones, and some are under water” – Elizabeth Knox and other writers meditate on courage
Hosted by John Campbell, some of Word Christchurch's most distinguished writers respond to the theme of courage: Elizabeth Knox, Mohamed Hassan and Becky Manawatu. The first of two hours. Audio
Julia Gillard: women and leadership
Julia Gillard was the 27th Prime Minister of Australia. She is currently the inaugural Chair of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at Kings College London, which seeks to address women's… Audio
Girl A author Abigail Dean
Former bookseller Abigail Dean now works as a lawyer for Google. But last year she took some time off before turning 30 to write her debut novel. Girl A is already being tipped as one of the books of… Audio
William Tullett: pongs of the past
The smell of freshly roasted coffee is now seen by many as an enticing aroma, but that wasn't the case in early 18th century London. It was described as smelling of "fresh urine" and old boots and the… Audio
Hope and hype: the mixed history of stem cell science
Is stem cell treatment the holy grail of regenerative medicine or a over-hyped fakery? Stem cells have been called the body's raw materials - or the master builders generating all our tissues and… Audio
The world of honey bees
Victoria University professor of Ecology and Entomology, Phil Lester, has just written a book about the incredible honey bee. Audio
Tangaroa Walker: life on the farm
By the time Tangaroa Walker was six, he'd lived in 16 different places, been to six primary schools, and had been adopted twice. As an 11 year old he met a dairy farmer, driving a pretty nice car, who… Video, Audio
'It's a hell of a way to make a living... if it doesn't kill you'
Having started working as a roadie at the tender age of 17, Tana Douglas was offered a job with an up-and-coming band called AC/DC in 1975, thus starting her life as a roadie for some of the world's… Audio
Four adventurous women describe lives which are different, but all extraordinary
Four adventurous women discuss their lives with Miriama Kamo in the opener to the 2020 WORD Christchurch writers' festival Audio
Danyl McLauchlan: exploring life's big questions
Protein scientist and writer Danyl McLauchlan is following his two 'esoteric cult' novels Unspeakable Secrets of the Aro Valley and Mysterious Mysteries of the Aro Valley with a collection of essays… Audio
Ruth Coker Burks: caring for AIDS patients
As a young single mother in Arkansas with no medical training, Ruth Coker Burks cared for around 1000 men dying from AIDS through their final days. This was in the 1980s and 90s when the disease… Audio
Laura Jean McKay: winning Australia's richest literary prize
Palmerston North-based writer Laura Jean McKay recently won $125,000 at the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, taking out the Victorian Prize for Literature and the Fiction award for her novel The… Audio
Positive ageing in fiction and in life
Not many people get to see the full gamut of the human experience as local GPs do. From cradle to the grave they hold our hands and listen to us. It's the listening that's especially important. Sydney… Audio
Why getting moving is 'The Miracle Pill' - Peter Walker
It's estimated that 1.5 billion people around the world are so inactive that they are at greater risk of everything from heart disease to diabetes, cancer, arthritis, depression and even dementia… Audio
New Zealand Disasters Helping Children Understand.
Maria Gill's latest book, New Zealand Disasters: Our response, resilience and recovery is a resource for children which details the Inspiring stories of courage, resilience and determination in the… Audio