Books
School Holidays fun: bringing a famous storybook alive
Much loved children’s book The Gruffalo, is being brought to life by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra this weekend. The story, which has been turned into two short films, follows a mouse and his… Video, Audio
Book review - People from the Pit Stand Up by Sam Duckor-Jones
Harry Broad reviews People from the Pit Stand Up by Sam Duckor-Jones, published by VUP. Audio
Upbeat for Thursday 19 July
We go on a school holiday adventure with The Gruffalo and the APO, we continue celebrating interesting variations, and Kiwi pianist Rebekah Stewart performs in Poland at a music festival for people…
Book review - Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding
Lisa Finucane reviews Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding, published by Simon & Schuster. Audio
Book critic Elizabeth Heritage
Elizabeth talks about comics. You can check Alex Cara's comics here. Audio
Book review - So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Bernieres
Quentin Johnson reviews So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Bernieres, published by Penguin Random House. Audio
Book review - Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
Phil Vine reviews Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton, published by HarperCollins. Audio
Fishing for Maui deals with depression, fatigue - and good food
Isa Pearl Ritchie writes about a family in crisis in her novel, Fishing for Maui, drawing on her own experiences as a young person who's struggled with depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue. Audio
Stig Wemyss - he's the Voice
Irreverent Australian children's writers like Paul Jennings and Andy Griffiths have a huge following over here, and an expert at reading their works out loud is heading to New Zealand libraries. Stig… Audio
Hellholes of the World: David Brown's intrepid adventures
David Brown was the ultimate traveller. His outlook was shaped by the places many of us wouldn't dare to visit. From Belarus to Rwanda, Damascus to Transnistria and the Syrian city of Palmyra before… Audio, Gallery
Book review - Florida by Lauren Groff
Bronwyn Wylie-Gibb from University Book Shop, Otago reviews Florida by Lauren Groff, published by: Penguin. Audio
Book review - The Nine-Chambered Heart by Janice Pariat
Jessie Bray Sharpin reviews The Nine-Chambered Heart by Janice Pariat, published by HarperCollins. Audio
NZ Books review - The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney
Louise O'Brien from quarterly review periodical New Zealand Books, reviews The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney, published by HarperCollins. Audio
Book critic Jo Cribb
Jo Cribb from the NZ Book Council tells us about efforts to get people to read more New Zealand writing. Audio
The highs and lows of wedding photography
We trust photographers to capture the most important days of lives. Weddings! But what do they deal with? It's not just bad lighting and unruly ring-bearers. It's drunken uncles, tears from the mother… Audio
Book review - Crudo by Olivia Laing
Kiran Dass from Timeout book store reviews Crudo by Olivia Laing, published by Picador. Audio
Book review - The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Jane Westaway reviews The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer, published by: Chatto & Windus. Audio
Amy Head's new novel Rotoroa is set in a Fifties rehab centre
Rotoroa Island in the Hauraki Gulf is a wildlife sanctuary these days, but from 1911 to 2005 the isolated spot was home to a Salvation Army alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre. Audio
Kate Camp reviews Roth’s The Plot Against America
Kate Camp is the author of six collections of poetry published by Victoria University Press, the most recent of which is The internet of things (2017). She's won the New Zealand Book Award for The… Audio
Unity Books review - The Pisces by Melissa Broder
Melanie O'Loughlin from Unity Books reviews The Pisces by Melissa Broder, which is published by Bloomsbury. Circus Audio
