Books Archive
Go, Brannavan, go: The novelist from Naenae nominated for an Ockham award
Murdoch Stephens from the anarchist publishing firm Lawrence & Gibson,on working with Brannavan Gnanalingam, a finalist in tonight's Ockham New Zealand national book awards.
The 50 best New Zealand books of the past 50 years: The official listicle
This week's Ockham national book awards marks the 50th anniversary of book awards in New Zealand. To mark the occasion, we asked 50 experts to name the very best local books published since 1968.
The Friday Poem: ‘Liking Similes’ by James Brown
New verse by Wellington writer James Brown
Unity Books best-seller chart for the week ending May 11
The week's best-selling books at the Unity stores in High St, Auckland and Willis St, Wellington.
Book of the Week: Why doesn’t Mother love me?
Marion McLeod reviews the new memoir by English novelist Rose Tremain, who summons up memories of a girls' boarding school smelling of "unwashed armpits, dirty hair and menstrual blood.”
Hello Darkness: the final instalment recording Peter Wells’ life with cancer
The fifth - and final - instalment of Peter Wells’ diary of life with cancer.
‘Monica read an explicit description of a threesome’: a brief update on erotic writing in New Zealand
"Good sex is feminist sex," claims Laura Borrowdale, editor of the Aotearotica journal of erotic writing.
Papercuts podcast: The bumper Auckland Writers Festival preview show
Louisa, Jenna and Kiran are back a little early to make sure you're all up to speed with the upcoming Auckland Writers Festival.
The Monday Extract: Losing Mum to dementia
An excerpt from Pip Desmond's best-selling memoir about her mother's descent into dementia.
The Friday Poem: ‘The Hierarchy’ by Victor Billot
New verse by Dunedin writer Victor Billot.
Unity Books bestseller chart for week ending May 4
The best-selling books this week at the Unity Books stores in Willis St, Wellington and High St, Auckland.
Book of the Week: Drag queens, Chanel suits, and sprawling prose
Louisa Kasza reviews a bright, expansive novel that follows a cast of gay and transgender club kids navigating the New York drag queen scene of the 1980s.
Little Prince: Kate De Goldi on the 15 books she chose for the royal baby
Jacinda Ardern's care package for the new royal baby includes 15 kids books chosen by author Kate De Goldi. She writes about her selection.
More than just her body: the amazingness of Parris Goebel
Steph Matuku reviews the new book by Parris Goebells - dancer, superstar, role model for Polynesian youth.
The Monday Excerpt: The day Catholic activists disabled the Waihopai spy station
Adi Leason tells the full, unlikely story of the Catholic activists who invaded the government's surveillance station at Waihopi.
The Friday Poems: ‘The Vodka Rondeau’ and ‘My father dreams of his father’ by Claudia Jardine
New verse by Wellington writer Claudia Jardine.
Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 27
The week's bestselling books at the Unity stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.
Book of the Week: Let us now eat meat and fat for a longer life
"There is nothing more miserable, pointless, expensive and anxiety-provoking than going through life worrying that some food you ate will give you cancer," writes George Henderson, in his review of a new study which considers the food we eat, and what it's doing to our bodies.
Poem for Anzac Day: ‘Hoki Mai’ by Tayi Tibble
Anzac Day verse by Tayi Tibble.
Winner of our great book prize announced as Elizabeth Knox is proved most popular author of all times
Elizabeth Knox - whose novel The Vintner's Luck has been named by Spinoff readers as the best New Zealand book of the past 50 years - reaches into her sunhat and plucks out the name of a lucky winner in our amazing book prize.
The Monday Extract: The rise and fall of Bull Allen
Veteran Herald sports reporter Wynne Grey has written a new book about what happens to rugby players when they hang up their boots. In this excerpt, Mark "Bull" Allen – the All Blacks prop who led the Hurricanes in the Super 12 in 1996, and played 110 games for Taranaki – tells his story.
The Friday Poem: ‘Evidently Chickentown’ by John Cooper Clarke
Classic verse by John Cooper Clarke, ahead of his show at the Crystal Palace in Mt Eden on Saturday night.
Unity Books best-seller chart for the week ending April 20
The week's best-sellers at the Unity Books stores in Willis St, Wellington and High St, Auckland.
Book of the Week: The lost civilisation of New Zealand literature
Scott Hamilton notices something missing in the long, feverish construction of New Zealand literature - the rest of the Pacific.
