Podcasts 2019

Listen now!

The 2019 Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival may have finished, but the audio joy lives on. These recordings were made possible by various generous funders: 10 were supported by a Copyright Licensing New Zealand grant, one was captured via New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO funding, and the rest were secured for your ears courtesy of the Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature.
​All were expertly recorded and edited by our good friends at OAR FM. Enjoy! 

  • 2019 Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival crowd

    Photo: Sharron Bennett

    Gala Showcase

    John Boyne (Ireland), Markus Zusak (Australia), Clementine Ford (Australia), Akala (UK), Tina Makereti (NZ) and Chris Tse (NZ), with MC Michèle A’Court, tackled the theme "Distracted".

    Click here to listen.

  • 2019 Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival crowd

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    John Boyne

    ​Irish author John Boyne talked to Majella Cullinane about his latest novel for adults, A Ladder to the Sky, and his new work for young readers, My Brother's Name is Jessica.

    Click here to listen.

  • 2019 Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival crowd

    Photo: Sharron Bennett

    The Te Reo Boom

    Scotty and Stacey Morrison (authors of Māori Made Easy and Māori at Home), and local te reo champions Paulette Tamati-Elliffe and Komene Cassidy talked with RNZ's Guyon Espiner about te reo Māori.

    Click here to listen.

  • Award-winning investigative reporter Stephen Davis talked with fellow journalist Guyon Espiner

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    The War on Truth

    Award-winning investigative reporter Stephen Davis talked with fellow journalist Guyon Espiner about sorting the fake from the true.

    Click here to listen.

  • Morris Gleitzman, Tina Makereti, Majella Cullinane, Maxine Alterio and Seán Brosnahan

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    History's Scent

    Novelists Morris Gleitzman, Tina Makereti, Majella Cullinane and Maxine Alterio talked with Seán Brosnahan about marrying fact with fiction and the rabbit hole of history.

    Click here to listen.

  • Markus Zusak and Charlotte Graham-McLay

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    Markus Zusak

    Australia’s Markus Zusak shot to fame with The Book Thief. His latest novel, Bridge of Clay, was 13 years in the making. He talked with Charlotte Graham-McLay.

    Click here to listen.

  • Naomi Arnold

    Photo: Supplied

    The Galloping Mind

    Naomi Arnold, Ashleigh Young and Wendy Parkins talked to journalist Charlotte Graham-McLay about the importance of shining a light on mental health.

    Click here to listen. ​

  • Cilla McQueen

    Photo: Sinead Jenkins

    Cilla McQueen

    One of New Zealand’s most distinguished poets, Cilla McQueen, talked with Richard Reeve about her illustrious career and the pleasingly persistent tug of poetry.

    ​Click here to listen.

  • Morris Gleitzman

    Photo: Sinead Jenkins

    Morris Gleitzman

    Australian Children’s Laureate Morris Gleitzman, author of more than 40 books for young people, discussed the importance of stories with Barbara Larson.

    ​Click here to listen.

  • Shayne Carter

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    Dead People I Have Known

    Indie-rock legend Shayne Carter (of Straitjacket Fits and Dimmer fame) talked

    ​with good friend Steve Braunias about his autobiography, Dead People I Have Known.

    ​Click here to listen.

  • Leah McFall and stand-up comedian and writer Michèle A’Court

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    Funny

    Columnist Leah McFall and stand-up comedian and writer Michèle A’Court talked with Liz Breslin about where they mine their funnies, tone and who makes them chuckle.

    Click here to listen.

  • Vincent O'Sullivan

    Photo: Grant Maiden

    Vincent O'Sullivan

    Poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, librettist, biographer, editor and critic Vincent O’Sullivan talked with Fergus Barrowman about his new novel, All This By Chance.

    Click here to listen.

  • Lizzie Marvelly and Clementine Ford

    Photo: Sinead Jenkins

    That F Word

    Two audacious feminist writers, Lizzie Marvelly and Clementine Ford compared trans-Tasman notes on that "F" word, trolls and feminism’s current trajectory. They talked with Barbara Brookes.

    Click here to listen.

  • Gavin Bishop

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    Gavin Bishop

    Gavin Bishop has published more than 70 books. His latest works illustrate aspects of New Zealand history and are sumptuous publications: He talked with fellow author/illustrator David Elliot.

    ​Click here to listen.

  • Miriam Lancewood and Jinty MacTavish

    Photo: Sinead Jenkins

    Woman in the Wilderness

    Billed as "the female Bear Grylls", Dutch-born Miriam Lancewood quit modern comforts to go bush in New Zealand.

    ​She’s written about her experiences and talked to Jinty MacTavish.

    Click here to listen.

  • Akala

    Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith

    Akala: Natives

    Award-winning hip-hop artist, social entrepreneur and writer Akala talked with Paula Morris about his bestselling debut memoir Natives, a searing, modern polemic on race and class in the British Empire.

    ​Click here to listen.

  • Liam McIlvanney

    Photo: Supplied

    Murder with McIlvanney

    "Master of Tartan noir" Liam McIlvanney's latest novel The Quaker was Scottish Crime Book of the Year in 2018. He talked with Steve Braunias (The Scene of the Crime) about mixing murderous fact with fiction.

    ​Click here to listen.

  • Photo: Sinead Jenkins

    Dear Motherhood

    On Mother’s Day, we tasked five mums with writing a letter to motherhood. They were Clementine Ford, Michèle A’Court, Tina Makereti, Majella Cullinane and Louise Wallace, with MC Charlotte McKay.

    Click here to listen.