Books

The Spinoff Review of Books is proudly brought to you by Unity Books

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Unity Books + Creative New Zealand

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The best places in Ōtepoti to pick up everything from medical romance novels to rare first edition hardbacks.

Dunedin’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed

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I didn’t know books could open you back up; that reading could be a chemical event. I knew nothing.

The Sunday Essay: The books that electrify and consume you

Cows In Farm Against Sky

A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10.

The Friday Poem: ‘Mātou’ by Tessa Keenan

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Wellington street art, the story of a spy, the joys of foraging and more.

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 3

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'Some of the comments that came out of my mouth left me gobsmacked.'

‘There was life in the old girl yet’: Dame Susan Devoy on taking reality TV by storm

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The bookseller confessional delves into unusual requests, books not to read on a full stomach and more.

‘There is some properly foul content in this book’: What a bookseller reads

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An insight into the privilege and challenges of posthumous publishing.

‘When the ship docks’: Publishing the poetry of the late Schaeffer Lemalu

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Tributes for Sir Vincent O'Sullivan, father, academic, writer, colleague and friend.

Moe mai rā: Tributes to Vincent O’Sullivan

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A tribute to one of the giants of New Zealand literature.

‘Sheer glitter ringing about’: Emma Neale remembers Vincent O’Sullivan

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We remember one of Aotearoa's towering literary figures.

Vale Vincent O’Sullivan, 1937-2024

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Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own. 

Inside the home of New Zealand’s greatest crime writer

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A poem from Robin Peace's new collection.

The Friday Poem: ‘Cereal giving’ by Robin Peace

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The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 26

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Poem for Anzac Day: ‘Hoki Mai’ by Tayi Tibble

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A poem from Bill Manhire's 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.

Poem for Anzac Day: ‘My World War I Poem’ by Bill Manhire

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The best-selling American writer on the ideal conditions for reading, the true meaning of utopia and more.

‘Emily Dickinson made me into a writer’: Lauren Groff on the power of reading

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An early and strong contender for book of the year. 

Page-turning rural gothic: Ash by Louise Wallace, reviewed

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To celebrate the launch of a new anthology of Pasifika poetry from Aotearoa, Vaughan Rapatahana reads a beautiful and poignant poem about a remote Pacific Island.

How to read a poem: All day on Ma’uke by Rob Hack

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Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what's in a name.

All about Emma: Three writers talk about the name they share in common

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The Friday Poem: ‘Mitochondrial Problem’ by Evangeline Riddiford Graham

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'It's so good and so bad at the same time... I never watch it in front of anyone.'

‘Everybody rolls their eyes’: Dame Susan Devoy’s guilty TV pleasure

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Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don't ask him to adopt you. 

Tips and tricks for when your therapist looks like your dad

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After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter's favourite way to unwind is... kicking goals. Why can't he get enough of it?

Dan Carter won’t stop kicking

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If you love a Scandi-noir drama, you’ll enjoy High Country.

Review: High Country is the ideal crime drama for a cold winter night

New crime drama High Country is the ideal show for a cold winter night

A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.

Inside each prayer, the sound of digging.

Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum.

The Spinoff

BooksApril 25, 2024

Poem for Anzac Day: ‘My World War I Poem’ by Bill Manhire

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