Smart Talk

Ian Rankin, the creator of Inspector Rebus, talks live from Edinburgh with New Zealand crime writer Vanda Symon at Word Christchurch 2021. Ian Rankin, the master of tartan noir, discusses his new book The Dark Remains, which brings to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow. The Dark Remains focuses on a new character, Detective Inspector Laidlaw, and is based on an unfinished manuscript by the l...

Christchurch barber Mataio (Matt) Brown wrote She is Not Your Rehab with his wife Sarah. They discuss the book and the global anti-violence movement it has spawned at 2021 WORD Christchurch. Christchurch barber Mataio (Matt) Brown wrote the best-selling book She is Not Your Rehab with his wife Sarah. The couple spoke to Phil Borell about the book and the global anti-violence movement it has spawne...

Unionist Helen Kelly left a huge impact on New Zealand's political and industrial landscapes. Helen's biographer Rebecca Macfie speaks with Jo Malcolm about her life, times and legacy. Listen to Helen Kelly's biographer Rebecca Macfie in conversation with Jo Malcolm. According to Rebecca McFie, the Trades Hall bombing in 1984 was a pivotal moment for Helen Kelly, whose father Pat Kelly was a...

Ben Brown (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Koroki, Ngāti Paoa) speaks about the power of imagination and its deep roots in te ao Māori at the 2021 WORD Christchurch Festival. Lyttelton poet Ben Brown (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Koroki, Ngāti Paoa) speaks about the power of imagination and its deep roots in te ao Māori. (This Margaret Mahy Memorial Lecture was a highlight of the 2021 WORD Christchurch Festival) Ben B...

Sound historian Sarah Johnston explores 100 years of radio in a talk at the National Library, focusing on the early decades and the innovative World War II radio Mobile Unit recordings. Sarah Johnston celebrates the first hundred years of radio Read the full text of the talk Kia ora koutou kātoa. Thank you to RNZ and National Library for organising this celebration of the start of radio in New Zea...

In an update of his 2017 talk, Prof. Peter O'Connor explores the complexities of terrorism from an educator's perspective. From the online version of Auckland University's Raising the Bar. Education expert Peter O'Connor explores the intricacies of terrorism in an updated version of his 2017 talk What Drives Terrorism? He argues that critical empathy is essential to understanding other people...

Marketing expert Dr Mike Lee has kept a ten-year watch on the anti-vaccination movement. In this illuminating talk, he explores how we could develop herd immunity against harmful misinformation. Marketing expert Dr Mike Lee has kept a ten-year watch on the anti-vaccination movement. In this illuminating talk, he explores the key reasons people reject vaccinations and how we could develop herd immu...

Science communicator Siouxsie Wiles spoke about Covid-19, conspiracy theories and how being a goth teenager led her into microbiology, at the 2021 NZ International Science Festival. Science communicator and 2021 New Zealander of the Year Siouxsie Wiles is dedicated to informing the general public about the issues that matter. At this year's NZ International Science Festival held in July, she...

A team of experts discuss the future of gene editing to control pests, and how it connects with mātauranga Māori. A highlight of the NZ International Science Festival from July 2021. "Gene editing does feature in narratives. What I'm wary of is people running off and weaponising that" - Tame Malcolm Listen to a team of Kiwi bio-heritage experts discuss the future of genetics in pest...

Angler Dougal Rillstone and surfer Derek Morrison talk to fellow explorer Bruce Ansley about their love for the wild places of Aotearoa. Angler Dougal Rillstone (author of Upstream on the Mataura) and surfer Derek Morrison (author of Surf Dreams) talk to fellow explorer Bruce Ansley about their love for the wild places of Aotearoa. This conversation was a highlight of the 2021 Dunedin Writers &amp...

Prof. Jacinta Ruru talks with fellow Māori academics about being Māori in a university. A highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Otago law professor Jacinta Ruru talks with fellow academics Renee Smith and Rawiri Tapiata about being Māori in a university. A highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Hear Prof. Jacinta Ruru, Renee Smith and Rawiri Tapiata in d...

Jared Savage and Steve Braunias explore the art of crime writing in Aotearoa. Rob Kidd chairs this highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Three journalists experienced in true-crime writing - Jared Savage, Steve Braunias and Rob Kidd - discuss the ethical and practical issues of their craft. Steve Braunias disagrees with what he describes as the "pointy-headed criticism"...

Lynn Freeman talks with Becky Manawatu about her acclaimed debut novel Auē in this highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Although New Zealand writer Becky Manawatu's first novel Auē received numerous awards, the experience of being a published writer, and a popular one at that, is something she's still coming to terms with. Becky speaks to Lynn Freeman in front of a Dun...

The emerging author HG Parry writes complex and engaging fantasy novels. She talks to Lynn Freeman about reinventing the 18th century in this highlight of 2021's Dunedin Writers Festival. Wellington author HG Parry writes complex and engaging fantasy novels. She talks to Lynn Freeman about reinventing the French Revolution in her novel A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians. Listen to HG Parry i...

Master storyteller Witi Ihimaera talks with Jacinta Ruru about Navigating the Stars: Māori Creation Myths, in which he explores Māori history and identity through its mythology. Witi Ihimaera celebrates 50 years as a published writer in 2022. At the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival he talks to Prof. Jacinta Ruru about his latest book, Navigating the Stars. This work of historical non-fiction i...

Lisa Reihana, Ane Tonga, Scott Lawrie and Deborah Rundle discuss a time of change for visual art with Claire Ulenberg at Creative Matakana. Recorded in May 2021. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have become a hot issue in the world of digital creation, particularly so in the visual art world. A panel of artists and curators discussed the issue at Creative Matakana in May 2021. Hear Lisa Reihana, Ane Ton...

A panel at Wanaka's Festival of Colour considers whether taxation is love. Lynn Freeman talks to Max Rashbrooke, Prof. Lisa Marriott and Shamubeel Eaqub in April 2021. Is tax theft or is it love? A manifestation of the nanny-state or simply evidence of democratic government in action? How can taxation be made fairer? Many of us want to pay as little as possible yet a panel at this year's Wana...

Lynn Freeman talks about democracy with Max Rashbrooke, Oliver Hartwich and Katherine Errington in this highlight from Wanaka's Festival of Colour in April 2021 In an era of extreme opinions and international polarisation, the very idea of democracy seems under attack. Is it enough just to vote every three years? Can we debate issues and policies in-depth at other times, and build some sort of col...

A trans-Tasman panel explores how e-commerce can operate in an environmentally sustainable way. Paul Barclay hosts this ABC discussion with experts from NZ and Australia. The ABC's Paul Barclay hosts a trans-Tasman panel discussion about how online home delivery can be done in ways that don't make things worse for climate change. The focus is on sustainable packaging and carbon-neutral d...

Huge strides in the care of pre-term babies have been made in the last few decades. Prof. Frank Bloomfield reports on this history, and current research, in this Raising the Bar 2021 highlight. In a wide-ranging talk about the history of neonatology, Professor Frank Bloomfield recounts how an American 'freak show' contributed to how we understand caring for premature babies, Listen to Pr...

In a Covid-19 era of fevered concern about health, why is health education in schools not done better? Assoc. Prof Katie Fitzpatrick considers why at Raising the Bar 2021. In this Covid-19 era of fevered concern about health, why are we not seeing better health education in schools? Education researcher Katie Fitzpatrick explores the reasons at Auckland University's Raising the Bar event. Lis...

Since the 1950s researchers have known psychedelic drugs could have medical applications, but what of research today? Associate Professor Suresh Muthukumaraswamy talks at Raising the Bar 2021. Psychedelic drugs were discovered to have medical applications back in the 1950s, but what's going on with research today? Neuropsychopharmacologist Suresh Muthukumaraswamy breaks down the current situa...

A brown girl is in the ring. Dr Jemaima Tiatia-Seath (the co-Head of the School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies) explores life as a Pasifika academic. A highlight from Raising the Bar 2021. Dr Jemaima Tiatia-Seath (the co-Head of the School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies) explores life as a Pasifika academic. A highlight from Auckland University's Raising the Bar 2021. What's...

How safe is vaping as an alternative to smoking? The bioengineer Dr Kelly Burrowes talks about what current research shows in this highlight from the Auckland University's Raising the Bar 2021. How safe is vaping as an alternative to smoking? Bioengineer Dr Kelly Burrowes talks about what scientists know so far. Listen to Dr Kelly Burrowes on vaping Smoking is still responsible for one in ten deat...

The astrophysicist Dr Nicholas Rattenbury talks about how alien life might be discovered on alien worlds in this highlight from the 2021 season of Auckland University's popular Raising the Bar event. Astrophysicist Dr Nicholas Rattenbury talks about how alien life might be discovered in this highlight from the 2021 season of Auckland University's popular Raising the Bar event. Listen to Dr Ni...