New Zealand Listener

New Zealand Listener is the country’s most respected general interest magazine, bringing you a wide variety of news, stories, columns, reviews, plus TV listings, every week.

Masthead

The hard question • A simple inquiry about language can bring on a wave of shame for many immigrants to New Zealand, says Antoinette Jongco.

Mud puppies

Bright Lines

Quips & Quotes

10 Quick Questions

Up in smoke • Health is the second-most-concerning issue for voters, yet the government continues to defend Casey Costello’s pro-tobacco decisions.

Fever dream

A time for cold-eyed clarity

Trust us

Prime movers • Some New Zealand prime ministers have excelled. Others haven’t. The Listener asked three historians to rank the 23 who held office for any length of time. The results might surprise.

No end in sight • Kiwis delivering aid in Ukraine and Palestine fear the resilience of locals is waning. But that won’t stop them trying to help.

Finishing touches • The most comprehensive survey of Māori art throughout the centuries is presented in a richly illustrated new book. Here, the intricacies of body adornment are showcased.

Being Wichteled • Television seemed like magic to journalist Diana Wichtel. Her words were like magic to Listener readers over decades, but she had her share of hate mail, and she’s kept it all.

Following the glow • Engaging account of how Marie Curie forged a path that allowed other female scientists to make their mark.

Shock and awe • Clever, beautifully written debut is an exploration of death, beauty and their relationship with geological time.

Doing a disservice • State surveillance is put under the spotlight in a personal account that is a social history of concerning practices.

Short cuts

Twin peaks • The best in Aussie fiction is on display in Robbie Arnott’s latest historical novel.

Night moves

Into the sediment • Rachel Kushner’s fourth novel, melding a spy novel with an anthropological discussion, struggles to convince.

Waxing lyrical • A round-up of new poetry from Kiwi writers, well-known and new.

Round trip • Astronauts circle the Earth, reflecting on life & beyond.

Watch this space • Physicist Brian Cox says his latest interplanetary TV series boldly goes where his previous ones couldn’t quite reach.

First night fever • Manic movie recalls US sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live’s 1975 debut.

Room with a view • Tom Hanks and Robin Wright reunite in a saga that is as unmoving as its camerawork.

The punks of jazz • A new book and tie-in double album celebrate the music and lives of The Primitive Art Group, the band that carried the banner for improvised music in the capital during the 1980s.

Soft sounds • Personal empowerment is to the fore on Fazerdaze’s latest.

Elementary, my dear Arthur • In her latest series, historian and lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan Lucy Worsley investigates the parallels between the fictional detective and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Tv Picks of the week

Tv Films

Saturday/Rāhoroi November 16

Sunday/Rātapu November 17

Monday/Rāhina November 18

Tuesday/Rātū November 19

Wednesday/Rāapa November 20

Thursday/Rāpare November 21

Friday/Rāmere November 22

Childlike visions

A game-changer for diabetics

Eastern flair • US MasterChef contestant and food blogger Hetal Vasavada’s latest book brings a taste of India to traditional desserts.

From West Auckland to the world • Sauvignon blanc turns 50 this year. The once little-known variety now accounts for 90% of our wine exports, most of it from...