Language
Tongan hip hop artist keeps the language alive
Rizvan Tu'itahi's first introduction to music was through the Tongan songs his parents would sing to him as a child - now he promotes the language in his own music. Video, Audio
Tongan MC keeps the language alive
Celebrating Tongan Language Week, Kiwi-Tongan MC Rizván Tu’itahi introduces his track 'Phoenix'. Video, Audio
A Vanuatu language adapts to social change
Social change in the form of increased mobility and advances in telecommunications aren't neccessarily detrimental to the survival of endangered languages, according to a linguistics expert who has… Audio
History - and the hardest word to say
Professor Giselle Byrnes, Massey University professor of History, on asking questions of the past and when and how we say sorry. Audio
Poetry with Gregory O'Brien: Hera Lindsay Bird
Kim Hill talks to painter, poet, curator and writer Gregory O'Brien, whose latest book (with Nick Bevin) is Futuna: Life of a Building. He will discuss the debut poetry collection by Hera Lindsay… Audio
Jack Lasenby: children, the bush, and writing
Kim Hill talks to Jack Lasenby, the author of many books, most notably the Uncle Trev and Harry Wakatipu stories for children. His new book, illustrated by Bob Kerr, is Grandad's Wheelies (Puffin)… Audio
Mohamed Hassan: slam poetics
Kim Hill talks to Mohamed Hassan, an Auckland journalist for RNZ, and co-founder of Waxed Poetic Revival, a member of the South Auckland Poets Collective, and the 2015 National Poetry Slam Champion… Audio
Elizabeth Hay: Canada and nostalgia
Kim Hill talks to Canadian writer Elizabeth Hay, a former radio broadcaster, and the author of many short story collections and novels, most recently, His Whole Life. She speaks at two WORD… Audio
Sheila Watt-Cloutier: Arctic and Inuit
Sheila Watt-Cloutier is an environmental and human rights advocate who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for her work on how global climate change is affecting human rights, especially… Audio
Kate's Klassic: Infinite Jest
Kim Hill talks to Kate Camp about Infinite Jest, the 1996 novel by the late David Foster Wallace. Audio
Shakespeare with David Lawrence: The Winter's Tale
Kim Hill talks to David Lawrence, director of Wellington theatre company The Bacchanals, and research and development consultant for the Popup Globe. He discusses the Shakespeare play The Winter's… Audio
Ryan Griffen: Aboriginal superheroes
Kim Hill talks to indigenous Australian director Ryan Griffen, creator of the Australia/New Zealand produced television series Cleverman, a futuristic drama with roots in Aboriginal mythology. Double… Audio
Jacinta Ruru: law from a Maori perspective
Kim Hill talks to Professor Jacinta Ruru (Raukawa), who has been the only Maori Law Faculty staff member at the University of Otago since 1999. She has designed a new experience of learning law that… Audio
Leonard Marcus: children's literature history
Kim Hill talks to renowned historian, critic, and exhibition curator Leonard Marcus, one of the children's book world's liveliest writers and speakers. His books about children's literature and its… Audio
David Levithan on LGBTQ fiction for young adults
Kim Hill talks to New York writer, editor and publisher David Levithan who is a guest at the WORD Christchurch Writers & Readers Festival 2016. Audio
In Praise of @#$%!
English professor Michael Adams believes dirty words have been given a bad rap over the centuries, yet they are a rich source of creativity. Adams comes to the defence of swear words in his book, In… Audio
Abbr's to get the chop
Many Latin abbreviations are to be retired from UK government websites. Audio
Akala: Shall I compare thee to Eminem?
Poet, writer, historian and activist Akala started the Hip Hop Shakespeare company in 2009 as a way to bring the work of Shakespeare to younger audiences, and to highlight the linguistic parallels… Audio
Forget the fear with the reo...it's Cook Islands language week
Cook Island Maori in New Zealand should take every opportunity to embrace their language says the country's high commissioner to New Zealand. Audio
Food - cooking up language skills with immersion classes
Bronwyn Wilson's venture Musica Linguae invites people who want to learn a new language - or practice one they are already familiar with - into an activity where the language is spoken such as making… Audio
