Podcasts about auckland writers festival

Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time has been regarded as one of the of successful books of 2024 - and it's got quite a history attached to it. The book was initially written as a fanfiction project intended for a small group of friends over the Covid-19 lockdowns, but it went on to become an instant hit. Ahead of her appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, Bradley opened up about her creative process - and the journey that led to the creation of the book. "It's been a real pleasure to see that there are people out there that have connected with it and who care about it - when I started writing is, I didn't expect it to get beyond the original 15 readers. It really is very thrilling." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Nicholls is a critically acclaimed author and BAFTA-winning screenwriter - and he's set to make an appearance at this year's upcoming Auckland Writers Festival. His bestselling book One Day sold millions of copies and went on to become a successful hit series on Netflix. Off the back of his latest hit novel, You Are Here, Nicholls plans to address Kiwi fans - and open up about the pressures of success. "I've written a lot of books set in the past and a lot of books with quite a large time scale - and this is like a little delicate chamber piece, even though it takes place against all these mountains and lakes and rivers. It's a character study." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Epic thriller All the Colours of Dark was one of the must-read books of 2024 - but author Chris Whitaker's road to success was a long one. Whitaker has suffered his share of trauma - childhood abuse, stabbing, and losing millions of pounds as a stockbroker. He turned to writing - a move he credits with saving his life. Ahead of his upcoming appearance at Auckland Writers Festival, Whitaker says it was a 'vulnerable' place putting his creative work out for audience approval. "It felt like I didn't have anything else to offer - that was then, obviously, but now I've started writing a new book and I'm in love with that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager, host Jenny Li Fowler sits down with Samuel Harriman and Olivia Finch from Oxford University to unpack the inner workings of their incredibly unique roles as a two-person university-wide campaigns team. Titled “How Oxford University Built a Campaigns Team to Reshape Their Global Brand,” this conversation dives deep into the hows and whys of Oxford's centralized campaign strategy—one that touches all 57 departments and positions the institution as a forward-thinking, globally connected research powerhouse. If you're curious about higher education content marketing, centralized campaign models, or the strategic integration of social media in research comms, this one's for you.Guest Names: Samuel Harriman, Campaigns Project Manager, University of Oxford Olivia Finch, Campaign Producer, University of OxfordGuest Socials: Samuel: LinkedIn, InstagramOlivia: LinkedInGuest Bios: Samuel Harriman (He/him) is responsible for the delivery of large scale multimedia campaigns as Campaigns Project Manager at the University of Oxford. He has previously worked in digital media management at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, student recruitment and marketing at the University of Leicester and in stakeholder engagement at the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Olivia Finch (She/her) plays a pivotal role in delivering campaigns in her role as Campaigns Producer at the University Oxford. She has previously been responsible for marketing languages and library content at Oxford University Press and worked as a marketing executive at Auckland Writers Festival. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Jenny Li Fowlerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/https://twitter.com/TheJennyLiAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

On Various Artists i tēnei wiki... Beth had a kōrero with Tāmaki Makaurau-based poet Amy Marguerite about her debut poetry collection, over under fed, out now via Auckland University Press.  She also spoke with Pōneke-based poet Gregory Kan about his new poetry collection, Clay Eaters, out now via Auckland University Press, also. Sofia had a kōrero with Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum's Wikimedian in Residence, Anjuli Selvadurai, about the Wiki 101 Edit-a-thon tomorrow.  And Beth also had a kōrero with the Artistic Director of the Auckland Writers Festival for 2025, Lyndsey Fineran, about the programme this year. And for Stage Direction this week, Ngahiriwa Rauhina joined Alice Canton in the studio to speak about ration the Queens veges currently on at Te Pou Theatre. Whakarongo mai!

Last year the Auckland Writers Festival smashed all previous attendance records - this year looks to be even bigger. 

American novelist David Baldacci is well-regarded as a prolific writer, having sold over 150 million books worldwide and inspired film and TV adaptations afterwards. He's best known for writing legal thrillers and suspense novels - and he's no stranger to tapping into controversial topics, having been subject to death threats in recent years. He explained limiting himself to safe topics would have negatively impacted his writing output. "Books can inspire people in many different ways - both for the good and for the bad. I've always felt that if people were angry enough at something I wrote and would threaten to take my life, I'd gotten to them a little bit." Baldacci is set to speak at the Auckland Writers Festival on January 30th in his first-ever public event in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the final episode of the summer edition of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, we hear from author, podcaster and former late night talk show host Chelsea Handler joined the show before her tour to New Zealand. Gemma Arterton, of Quantum of Solace and The King's Man fame, talked her latest movie, The Critic. And award winning author Abraham Verghese spoke to Francesca before his appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival. Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin brings you the best interviews from Newstalk ZB's The Sunday Session. Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the sixth episode of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, one of Ireland's bestselling authors Marian Keyes talks Francesca through her 16th novel and why people crave love stories. And Australian author Trent Dalton visited New Zealand for the Auckland Writers Festival - and popped in to studio for an interview. Hollywood star Diane Kruger starred in Kiwi film Joika - and joined Francesca for a chat. Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin brings you the best interviews from Newstalk ZB's The Sunday Session. Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode of GBL, recorded before a sell-out audience at the Auckland Writers Festival on May 18, Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire haul the KPIs out of the cabinet and assess the first six months of the National-led government, the performances of Prime Minister Chris Luxon, Winston Peters and David Seymour, along with the efforts from the parties of opposition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a crucial year for India, millions of voters are going to the polls in the mammoth six-week election in the most populous country on earth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to secure a rare third term as the poll hits the mid point. Internationally acclaimed author of twenty-five books, Dr Shashi Tharoor is a third-term Member of Parliament for the Congress and former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dr Tharoor is appearing in conversation with Linda Clark in 'The Year the World Votes' at the Auckland Writers Festival.

Grave New World: Writing Dystopia Today is an Auckland Writers Festival event that is happening on Saturday 18th May. Among the speaker is author of Ockham NZ Book Awards longlisted Turncoat Tīhema Baker (Raukawa te Au ki te Tonga, Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira). From the AWF website: With wars raging, censorship on the rise and all manner of accepted human rights under threat both close to home and across the globe, how do fiction writers approach the dystopian genre when the line between fictional dystopias and our lived reality seems increasingly blurred? Beth caught up with Tīhema Baker about the panel and the dystopia genre. They also spoke about another event Tīhema is chairing, We Can Be on Other Planets: Māori Speculative Fiction.

The 2024 Auckland Writers Festival is kicking off next week, offering 200 events exploring literature, arts and culture and bringing together creatives from both Aotearoa and across the globe. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Festival Co-Curator Michael Bennett about this year's programme, discussing incorporation of Te Reo and Te Ao Māori, alongside the importance of intergenerational relationships in this creative space.  To learn more about programme events, head to www.writersfestival.co.nz

Claudia Jardine is a poet from Ōtautahi. She released her collection of poems Biter last year, which has been met with positive reception around the country. Beth caught up with Claudia about all things poetry as well as what she's up to at the moment, including curating the event Should I Have Read That? at Auckland Writers Festival annual fringe event, Streetside.

Streetside is Auckland Writers Festival's annual fringe event that showcases literature and the arts outside of conventional spaces. It's a free event in which writers, musicians and artists take to the streets of Britomart for a night of creativity. This year it takes place on Friday 17th May from 6-8pm. Beth caught up with Programme Manager for Auckland Writers Festival Jennifer Cheuk about Streetside and began by asking her how it all works.

Best-selling author and Stanford University medical school professor Abraham Verghese has a new novel - a sweeping epic following three generations of a family in South West India across the 20th Century. The Covenant of Water will delight fans of his 2012 novel Cutting for Stone, which sold over 1 million copies and remained on the New York Times best-seller list for over two years. The story centres on a young Christian girl in Kerala, who is married to a 40 year old widower, and follows as she become matriarch of the family over decades in which India changes enormously. Abraham Verghese was born and grew up in Ethiopia - the son of expatriate Indian parents. He began medical school in Ethiopia, but his studies were interrupted by the civil war in 1974, and he continued in India before moving to the United States. He will appear live at the Auckland Writers Festival next month.

Writer Viet Thanh Nguyen remembers watching Apocalypse Now for the first time and not knowing whether to sympathize with the Americans or with the Vietnamese. Growing up as a refugee in America, having fled Vietnam as a child, resulted in a unique but unsteady identity with which to view American culture and politics. He won the Pulitzer Prize fiction award for his debut novel The Sympathizer which takes place in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. His other books are the sequel to The Sympathizer; The Committed; a short story collection, The Refugees; Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War, and Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian America. His most recent publication is a memoir: A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial. Viet Thanh Nguyen is coming to the Auckland Writers Festival in May.

Chris Riddell is a world-renowned illustrator and author of children's books and the political cartoonist for the Observer newspaper. He has collaborated with artists and writers such as Neil Gaiman, Phoebe Bridgers and Frances Hardinge. In 2018 he travelled to Aotearoa to speak at the Auckland Writers Festival. Most recently, Chris has released I Can't Remember What We Talked About, a slim volume of 24 poems. Beth and Chris chat about the creative process of art-making and poetry writing, love of nature, designing pop-up books for the backdrop of Phoebe Bridgers' tour and magical pear tree staffs. Chris reads some poems and they also speak about what it's like being a political cartoonist in the current political climate.

Jennifer Cheuk (Programme Manager) is in the studio to talk about the launch of the Auckland Writers Festival programme, which runs in May. Whakarongo mai nei!

Welcome to Wednesday! On What's Up with Chris Hipkins Rachel speaks with the leader of the opposition about road user charges, the government's decisions regarding Kāinga Ora and the fast track consenting bill. Rob Bollix discusses electronic music's impact on the brain on The Mind Trench. Litia Tuiburelevu is in the studio to talk about her new short documentary series on The Spinoff, K-Polys. Jennifer Cheuk (Programme Manager) is in the studio to talk about the launch of the Auckland Writers Festival programme, which runs in May. Whakarongo mai nei!

Welcome to Wednesday! On What's Up with Chris Hipkins Rachel speaks with the leader of the opposition about road user charges, the government's decisions regarding Kāinga Ora and the fast track consenting bill. Rob Bollix discusses electronic music's impact on the brain on The Mind Trench. Litia Tuiburelevu is in the studio to talk about her new short documentary series on The Spinoff, K-Polys. Jennifer Cheuk (Programme Manager) is in the studio to talk about the launch of the Auckland Writers Festival programme, which runs in May. Whakarongo mai nei!

E. H. Gombrich's 1950 book The Story Of Art is one of art history's seminal texts. Now on it's 16th edition, it has sold over eight million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. But it has one major flaw. The first edition didn't include any women artists, whilst subsequent editions feature just one; Käthe Kollwitz. Art historian Katy Hessel is on a mission to correct that. Her book The Story of Art Without Men re-examines art movements from the Renaissance to today, focusing on the achievements of women artists. Artists who have often been overshadowed by their male counterparts. Hessel's book challenges the traditional narrative and celebrates the artistic genius of women. Katy is also the curator behind popular Instagram account The Great Woman Artists. She joins Nine To Noon ahead of her May 18th appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival.

The Auckland Writers Festival is returning this May for its 24th year, with more than 40 international authors and over 200 events planned for the city of sails. Artistic director Lyndsey Fineran spoke to Emile Donovan.

For our latest episode, Natasha Beckman - Director British Council New Zealand and the Pacific - talks to acclaimed author Bernardine Evaristo. While in town for the Auckland Writers Festival, she talked about returning to New Zealand, winning the Booker Prize, and her advice for budding young writers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hardly a week goes by without ChatGPT mentioned in a news article about its use or potential use in many different areas of our lives, like education. It's very 2023.But AI is not new - it's been talked about and pondered for decades. The term artificial intelligence was coined in 1956 when the creators of The Logic Theorist presented their program designed to mimic the problem solving skills of a human at the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence – a summer workshop widely considered to be the founding event of artificial intelligence as a field.  But like a lot of technical advancements made over the last 70 years, we often don't understand until too late the consequences, or question their value, to our lives, or work places or the future of industries. We just leave it to the futurists to guide what we think - until it directly impacts us.The music industry is beginning to understand the impact and threat of fake songs. They can't move fast enough on this issue. AI has the potential to be the biggest disruptor of the industry since Napster.Last October, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) warned that AI companies were violating copyrights by using artist's music to train their machines. But what use is a warning?In April this year, a song called Heart on my Sleeve featuring AI-generated vocals purporting to be Drake and The Weekend was launched on streaming services. It was later removed from TikTok, Spotify and YouTube for ‘infringing content created with generative AI', but not before it had racked up 600,000 Spotify streams, 15m TikTok views and 275,000 YouTube views.It's not the first time Drake has had to deal with fake AI versions of himself. It is unlikely to be the last.The music industry has to take this issue seriously. Artists deserve to be compensated for their talent and their creativity. They own – or someone does – the rights to the music they produce, and others shouldn't be able to benefit from it. A work of art, be it a song or a novel, is a series of creative decisions made by humans. People relate to them because they're personal. Talking to my kids, who only know a digital world, and even they scorn fake songs.Why would we listen to one they say? Songs only mean something because they come from an artist they relate to or respect on some level. Fake songs have no power according to them. And they're teenagers.This week, Tom Hanks came out and spoke about how he believes AI means there's a genuine possibility he could keep appearing in movies after he's dead. Now I love Tom Hanks, his body of work is impressive and if he passed tomorrow he would leave an incredible legacy – but importantly, it's currently a legacy that he is responsible for. We don't need him to continue working forever, with other people making decisions about his performance. It wouldn't really be Tom Hanks acting.  I've spent the last few days at the Auckland Writers Festival hearing from some incredible authors who all write about completely different subjects, in completely different tones and writing styles, and with their unique and incredible visions and talent. Sure, a programme could study an author and mimic them – but would we want to read endless versions of the same book over and over?So it's complex and wacky; but for anyone who has been moved by a book, a song, a movie, or an actor's performance, we feel that way because of heart and authenticity, a term thrown about a lot but in this case absolutely appropriate.I hope the intellectual property lawyers and creative industries get their head around this as quickly as possible.For the artists' sake, and for the fans. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Masterchef UK judge and food critic William Sitwell has been taking in New Zealand's culinary scene. He's been to Queenstown and Auckland, experiencing what the regions have to offer and appearing as a guest at the Auckland Writers Festival. William Sitwell was 'completely stunned' by what he's experienced so far, especially New Zealand's unique views and dining scene. "The hospitality scene here is really incredible, very inspiring. Very wide-ranging, there's a lot of extraordinary passion. You know you have the produce and you've got some wonderful people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jenna gives us a sneak peak into the discussion she'll be chairing at the Auckland Writers Festival this Friday, reviewing The Strangers by Katherena Vermette. Whakarongo mai nei!

Australian writer and social researcher Pip Williams' first novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, was published just as the world locked down due to covid, and became an international best seller. It tells the story of motherless Esme who spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers gather words for the first Oxford English Dictionary. Over time she discovers words relating to women's experiences often go unrecorded. She's just published a companion book ,The Bookbinder of Jericho, which is the story of twin sisters who work in the bindery at Oxford University Press in Jericho. Pip Williams was a social researcher with dozens of peer reviewed academic papers in the fields of psychology, sociology, public health, medicine, work and family, and community development. But a few years ago she got fed up with academia, and "the only logical thing to do was give it up and drag the whole family to the other side of the world to work as labourers on organic farms." That adventure was documented in a previous book One Italian Summer. Pip Williams will be appearing at the Auckland Writers Festival next month.

Vietnamese author Dr Nguy n Phan Qu Mai's Dust Child tackles the difficult subject of Amerasian children, left behind when the American military fled after the Vietnam War.

Alison is joined by the 2023 Auckland Writers Festival curator Bridget van der Zijpp. Find out what to expect at this live and in-person celebration of local and international writing, making and thinking. For more information, visit www.writersfestival.co.nz

Russia's waging of war in Ukraine brings back to Europe scenes of aggression and devastation not seen there for decades. It's one of the many instances of warfare in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, deploying both traditional and thoroughly modern weapons. David Kilcullen is a former soldier and diplomat, a strategist, counterinsurgency expert and author whose books include The Dragons and the Snakes: How the Rest Learned to Fight the West and The Ledger: Accounting for Failure in Afghanistan (co-authored with Greg Mills). He sits down with Toby Manhire to discuss current conflicts in the complex global arena – reflecting both back and forwards on how we got to this, what's happening at the front and behind the scenes, and how tensions might play out in the coming months and years. Supported by Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa / New Zealand Defence Force. AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL, WAITUHI O TĀMAKI SATURDAY 27 AUGUST – 11.00AM-12.00PM KIRI TE KANAWA THEATRE, AOTEA CENTRE

Of 2021 Nobel Prize-winning writer Abdulrazak Gurnah's book 'By the Sea', The Times said, “Rarely in a lifetime can you open a book and find that reading it encapsulates the enchanting qualities of a love affair... one scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment.” It's a sentiment that could be applied across all his fiction and essays, including Booker-shortlisted 'Paradise' and most recent novel 'Afterlives'. Born in Zanzibar, which is now part of Tanzania, Gurnah arrived in Britain as a refugee in 1967 and has said of his home country, “In my mind, I live there.” Professor Emeritus of English and Post Colonial Literatures at the University of Kent, and the first black writer to receive the Nobel since Toni Morrison in 1993, his citation states that his win is due to “his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fates of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.” He joins Michelle Langstone in conversation to reflect on a life's work. Supported by Platinum Bold Patrons Betsy & Michael Benjamin. Livestream in venue. AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL, WAITUHI Ō TAMAKI FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2022 – 6.30-7.30PM KIRI TE KANAWA THEATRE, AOTEA CENTRE

In 2010, the National Government signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, joining more than 140 other countries; in 2019 the Labour Government set up a working group tasked with creating a plan to realise that commitment. The result is He Puapua, a discussion document whose title refers to the break between waves and evokes the concept of a disruption to political and legislative norms. Within days, it would become a political football, with some demanding a “national conversation”. So let's talk. Is this an opportunity or a threat for the country? Working group members, writers and lawyers Claire Charters (Ngāti Whakaue, Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi, Tainui) and Jacinta Ruru (Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Maniapoto) discuss sovereignty, mātauranga Māori and igniting the imagination with Moana Maniapoto (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa). Ara Kē, Ao Kē Series curated by Moana Maniapoto. Supported by Royal Society Te Apārangi. I te tau 2010, ka waitohu te Kāwanatanga Nāhinara i Te Whakapuakitanga a te Rūnanga Whakakotahi i ngā Iwi o te Ao mō ngā Mōtika o ngā Iwi Taketake, pēnei i ētahi whenua 140 neke atu; i te tau 2019 ka whakarite te Kāwanatanga Reipa i tētahi ohu mahi, ko tāna he waihanga i tētahi mahere e tutuki ai taua oati. Ko te hua, ko He Puapua, he tuhinga matapaki, ko tōna taitara e hāngai ana ki te whatinga o te ngaru, me te aha, nāna i pupū ai he whakaaro mō te whakarerekē i ngā āhuatanga ā-tōrangapū, ā-ture anō o te wā. Mea rawa ake, ka whakamahia hei tao tōrangapū, ko ētahi hoki e auē ana mō tētahi "whakawhitinga kōrero ā-motu." Ā kāti, kia kōrero tātou. He ara whai hua rānei, he kapatau rānei tēnei mō te motu? Ko ngā mema o te ohu mahi, ko ngā ringatuhi, ko ngā rōia anō, ko Claire Charters (Ngāti Whakaue, Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi, Tainui) rāua ko Jacinta Ruru (Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Maniapoto) ka kōrero mō te tino rangatiratanga, mō te mātauranga Māori, mō te hika anō i te kāpura pohewa, me Moana Maniapoto (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa). He mea tautoko nā Te Apārangi. Ara Kē, Ao Kē - Nā Moana Maniapoto tēnei kohinga i rauhī. AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL, WAITUHI O TĀMAKI SATURDAY 27 AUGUST – 12.30-1.30PM WAITĀKERE ROOM, AOTEA CENTRE

Meet the disruptors: Māori journalists helping to lead and shape more nuanced conversation on the issues of the day through a Māori lens. Exploring questions of media power and influence, our line-up includes long-time Radio Waatea host and 'E-Tangata' writer Dale Husband (Ngāti Maru) alongside three fearless wāhine broadcasters and writers: Mihingarangi Forbes (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Paoa), the award-winning host of 'The Hui' (voted Best Current Affairs at NZTV Awards); author and co-presenter for TVNZ's bilingual current affairs show Marae Miriama Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga); and Moana Maniapoto (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa), musician and journalist for Te Ao with Moana. Expect lively kōrero... and perhaps a waiata! AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL, WAITUHI O TĀMAKI FRIDAY 26 AUGUST2022 – 6.30-7.30PM, WAITĀKERE ROOM, AOTEA CENTRE

Surprised, honoured and just a bit intimidated... That's how our new Poet Laureate Chris Tse feels about his new role. Given he's only in his thirties, he also sees this acknowledgement as a real boost to his confidence. Bill Manhire, Jenny Bornholdt, Selina Tusitala Marsh and David Eggleton are among his predecessors. For the next two years the queer Asian-Kiwi writer will promote poetry and publish more work. We spoke to Chris earlier this year about his third poetry collection, Super Model Minority. Lynn Freeman talked to him as he got ready to take part in the Auckland Writers Festival.

Today Penny is talking and laughing with the prolific and inspiring award-winning writer; Lynda Chanwai-Earle. Lynda is the originator and performer in Ka Shue - Letters Home, which was the first mainstream theatre show for a universal audience by a Chinese New Zealander in Aotearoa. The show premiered in 1996 and Penny chats to Lynda after she remounted the show in the Auckland Writers Festival 2022. They talk about her gorgeous mother, fighting with a daughter with a frozen pizza, producing carbon neutral theatre and the wonders of orgasms. Also a bonus poetry performance and a list of the 11 best herbals teas for menopause, her favourite being G&T's. Teas: https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/tea-for-menopausehttps://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2022/sep/aklfringe-austen-foundhttps://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2022/sep/olive-copperbottomSupport the show

Thousands of school kids are getting a taste of literary life and what it takes to be an author at the Auckland Writers Festival this week. The festival's school programme is a mainstay with two-thousand students a day sitting in on author talks, meeting the writers and getting books signed. Festival organisers are hoping to capture a younger market - and keep it coming back. Amy Williams went along.

A country that's too small for most artists to make a living and one that has been both fickle and under-appreciative when it comes to arts... That's how a critic, poet and filmmaker Roger Horrocks sees the eight decades of New Zealand art that he covers in his new book. But Culture in a Small Country, The Arts in New Zealand also celebrates what our artists have, and continue to achieve, despite all the obstacles in their way. Roger Horrocks is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Auckland. He's also one of the founders of the Auckland International Film Festival, Script to Screen and NZ on Screen. In the book, he expresses his frustration and scepticism when it comes to things like arts funding, the downgrading of arts education in our schools and the digital era. Rogers tells Lynn Freeman that, while artists are producing world class work in Aotearoa, it's often despite rather than because they live here. Culture in a Small Country: The Arts in New Zealand by Roger Horrocks is published by Atuanui Press. Roger will be discussing the book this Tuesday at the Aotea Centre as part of the Auckland Writers Festival.

Peter Wells was a well-known author and filmmaker in Aotearoa New Zealand. He was a gay man who made a huge impact in both the screen industry and the literary world in this country. He died at the age of 69 in 2019 after a battle with cancer. While undergoing treatment and facing his mortality, Peter published a series of posts about his experience with illness on Facebook. These were subsequently published as a book called 'Hello Darkness' shortly after his death.  This week, a theatrical adaptation of the book will be staged during the Auckland Writers Festival. The show is written by Victor Rodger, directed by Shane Bosher, and stars Roy Ward. In this interview, Shane and Roy discuss this important work with Andrew Whiteside.

The annual Auckland Writers Festival is upon us, Waituhi o Tamaki, one of the best-attended festivals in the world, and on Festival Director Anne O'Brien talks to Jim. 

Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tamaki Director Anne O'Brien joins us with a preview of the 2022 festival.

It's a brand new week of a brand new month, and Breakfast is dishing up some Fashun with Penelope Noir, all the tips and tricks to navigate this year's fantastic Auckland Writers Festival with Director Anne O'Brien, and some Loose Reads with Jenna. Whakarongo mai! 

The Auckland Writers Festival kicks off this year on the 23rd August 2022 and runs for six days. It is a remarkable event that showcases and celebrates all things literary. To give us a hint of what to expect this year, Festival Director Anne O'Brien talks with Andrew Whiteside about what is on offer.

Podcasts about unsolved murders, scandals and con artists dominate the charts these days, but a constant favourite since it started in 2015 involves deep dives into linguistics. 'The Allusionist' is hosted by British writer and broadcaster Helen Zaltzman who is appearing at the Auckland Writers Festival. She's produced almost 160 episodes, with some of the most recent ranging from 1920s crime noir slang to Objectivity in Journalism and Rainbow Washing. There are several episodes featuring Te Reo Maori in the back catalogue too.

With ruthless wit and compelling insights gained as a writer and writing teacher, Paula Morris argues that the skilled use of language is a more powerful ally for writers than ideas or feelings. She draws on persuasive examples of technique grounded in human experience. Paula (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whātua) is an acclaimed novelist, memoirist, short story writer and creative writing teacher. An insightful and incisive interviewer, she has been the face of the 2020 Auckland Writers Festival and its COVID-19-mandated shift online. She is a writer of powerful opinion pieces, and the author of the story collection Forbidden Cities (2008); the essay On Coming Home (2015); and seven novels, including Rangatira (2011), fiction winner at both the 2012 New Zealand Post Book Awards and Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards. Her most recent book is an essay and story collection, False River (2017). Paula teaches creative writing at the University of Auckland and is the founder of the Academy of New Zealand Literature.

THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND FREE LECTURE Twenty-two years ago the Auckland Writers Festival burst into literary life, propelled by the ambitious advocacy of writers Stephanie Johnson and the late Peter Wells who wanted to showcase our talent to our people. Johnson takes stock of how the New Zealand literary landscape has changed across the era. Have we grown up, grown out, grown at all? Or are we still trying to find our place? Expect a spirited assessment of the state of play and some provocative suggestions for the future. AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL WAITUHI O TĀMAKI 2021

Join Alison and Ineka in the Literary Lounge for an Auckland Writers’ Festival special. The books we highlight are all heartbreaking works of staggering genius. Listen along for some great quips and quotes from our featured authors.

Patricia Grace is one of Aotearoa's most celebrated writers. The author of seven novels, seven short story collections, as well as a number of children's and non-fiction books. Patricia has received many national and international awards across her five decades of writing, including the prestigious Neustadt International Prize. Patricia Grace has now penned her memoir, it's called From the Centre: A Writer's Life, and has been launched this weekend at the Auckland Writers Festival. LISTEN ABOVE

A new book is helping to showcase the wealth of writing talent from Asian writers in New Zealand. The 75 writers featured in A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand have roots stretching across the continent - from the northern reaches of Japan and China to the Indian subcontinent.

A new book is helping to showcase the wealth of writing talent from Asian writers in New Zealand. The 75 writers featured in A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand have roots stretching across the continent - from the northern reaches of Japan and China to the Indian subcontinent.