Books

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The acclaimed crime novelist on the words that make her shudder, having seven books on the go at once and more.  

‘I’ll try any synonym under the sun’: Jacqueline Bublitz’s crimes against language

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What caused a whole French village to hallucinate?

The case of the cursed bread: An excerpt from Una Cruickshank’s The Chthonic Cycle

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The Friday Poem: ‘FREE TRAMPOLINE’ by Sophie van Waardenberg

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Featuring the Booker Prize winner for 2024, and further evidence of the impact of book festivals on sales. 

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 15

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Winnie-the-Pooh's little T-shirt represents a moral 'grey area', according to the man in charge of Gloriavale's lengthy banned books list. 'What do we gain from it?'

The case for reading books about animals wearing clothes

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Novelist Carl Shuker on the books he’s loved from childhood to now, and the new release everybody should read.

‘Effortless-seeming genius’: Carl Shuker’s favourite reads and other stories

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Two authors of an extraordinary new book on the history of Māori art discuss how they approached it, and why.

Toi Te Mana: The landmark indigenous history of Māori art has arrived

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The Friday Poem: ‘COLD EROTICA’ by Loretta Riach

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A new le Carré, a book on how to get wild in Wellington, and a sumptuous local cookbook marks the start of the summer reads.

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 8

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Vic Books closed down in January 2023, but its website and Twitter handle have risen from the dead. What's going on?

What’s up with the curious resurrection of a beloved Wellington bookstore?

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An A to Z of iconic books matched with iconic holiday locations.

The ultimate holiday reads: An alphabetical guide

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The author and founder of Kiwi Christmas Books on unknowingly meeting a 'stone-cold genius', the book everyone should read and more.

‘No idea I was in the presence of genius’: Sonya Wilson on her life in books

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There's little to like about figures like American politician Vivek Ramaswamy, but there is a lot to learn.

A new novel imagines a New Zealand version of the conservative South Asian grifter

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The Friday Poem: ‘THE THING IS’ by Johanna Cosgrove

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The onward march of Intermezzo, a bundle of new releases, and Wild Robot.

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 1

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Fancy some paranormal activity with your pint? Here's where to go.

These are New Zealand’s most haunted pubs

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We asked a handful of New Zealand writers for some recommended Halloween reading. Here's what they said. 

Writers pick their favourite scary stories for the spooky season

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Now 48, Megan Dunn is still paying off the huge student loan she first took out when she was 17. This is her story.

My number one regret? My $100,000 student loan

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'This was a defining and transformative conflict in the nation’s history … It is the story of how we got to where we are today.'

Remembering the Waikato War, Te Riri ki Tainui

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A debut novel that's one part family drama, one part harrowing road trip, and one of the most honest portraits of Aotearoa you're likely to find.

‘Observations that hit like a truck’: Poorhara by Michelle Rahurahu, reviewed

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How and what to order, from tea to egg tart.

A beginner’s guide to yum cha

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But we have a solution within the current body of nursing students.

In a global nursing shortage, NZ’s reliance on overseas-trained staff is not sustainable

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Media estimates of the crowd size ranged from 17,000 to 100,000+, but one thing we can say for sure – it was bloody massive.

Was the hīkoi New Zealand’s largest-ever protest?

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An undeniable show of opposition to the coalition painted the streets of Wellington red, white and black.

Luxon didn’t meet the hīkoi, but he won’t be able to hide from what comes next

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The PM has never supported Seymour's bill in principle, or beyond first reading in practice, but his language has certainly changed. 

How has Luxon’s position on the Treaty Principles Bill changed over time?

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'[They're] calling their Australian office 'Netflix ANZ' – but the New Zealand part of the equation is completely ignored'.

Has Netflix forgotten about New Zealand? 

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From 'cede deez nutz' to 'be more demure Seymour', Pōneke protesters raised the bar as they descended on parliament.

The best signs from the final day of the Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi

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We asked a handwriting expert to analyse the scrawls of our elected officials. Here's what they said. 

What our politicians’ signatures tell us about their personalities

Every day this week the Spinoff Review of Books is publishing a new poem in the build-up to the Phantom Billstickers national poetry day on Friday. Today: ‘The laureate’s last…’ by CK Stead

The Spinoff Review of Books is brought to you by 

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Every day this week the Spinoff Review of Books is publishing a new poem in the build-up to the Phantom Billstickers national poetry day on Friday. Today: ‘The laureate's last...' by CK Stead

The Spinoff

BooksAugust 24, 2017

The Thursday Poem: ‘The laureate’s last…’ by CK Stead

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BooksAugust 24, 2017

The Thursday Poem: ‘The laureate’s last…’ by CK Stead

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