Books & Authors

Elisabeth Easther reviews Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain, published by Penguin Random House. Audio

Co-housing advocate Robin Allison has envisioned and built an alternative way of living. Individuals and families live in a kind of curated community, enjoying the perks that come with pooling… Audio, Gallery

Miriam Lancewood's first book, Woman in the Wilderness, told her story of living for seven years in the NZ bush with her husband. Her gripping sequel to the international bestseller, Wild at Heart… Audio

Australian author and screenwriter Craig Silvey's second novel Jasper Jones, released in 2009 sold more than 600,000 copies and was adapted for screen and stage. 11 years on he's just released a new… Audio

Dana Thompson and her family are living off the land in South Otago and helping others who want to do the same. She shares what she has learned in a weekly blog and a vlog. She's also penned several… Video, Audio

Jessie Bray Sharpin reviews Summerwater by Sarah Moss, published by Macmillan. Audio

Changing minds is not an art, it's science. Chemistry to be exact says Professor Jonah Berger from the prestigious Wharton School of Business at the University of Pensylvannia. He talks to Jesse about… Audio, Gallery

Māori-led journal and reading club Kei te pai press is asking for book donations for the library at the Christchurch Women's Prison. Jesse speaks to Morgan Godfery who is part of the initiative. Audio

In a world where robots are replacing people and you can rent a friend, economist and author Noreena Hertz talks to Kathryn Ryan about loneliness. She has been named as "one of the world's leading… Audio

Journalist and anthropologist Sarah Kendzior talks to Jesse about the Trump type presidency and the fragility of American democracy in her new book Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump… Audio

Louise O'Brien reviews Just Like You by Nick Hornby, published by Penguin Random House. Audio

Sydney based writer and film-maker Miro Bilborough has written a memoir about her time as a teenager living in a tiny hippie community in the outer reaches of the Marlborough Sounds in the 1970s. Audio

Michael Kodas, author of 'Megafire: The Race to Extinguish a Deadly Epidemic of Flame', talks to Kathryn Ryan about "megafires" as unprecedented blazes wreak havoc across the western United States. Audio

Mary Fawcett, Schrödinger's Books reviews The Rise of the Remarkables: Brasswitch and Bot by Gareth Ward. Published by Walker Books. Audio

A new book shines a light on a previously untold history, that of homosexual New Zealand soldiers serving during World War II. Brent Coutts' book, called Crossing the Lines, focuses predominantly on… Audio, Gallery

Literary Festivals are back - but not as we knew them. The pandemic hasn't put a stop to traditionally popular writers festivals with three happening in the next few weeks. But a big line up of… Audio