Afternoons for Wednesday 16 October 2024

1:15 Kirsten Morrell and her new single "Avignon"

You may know her best as the lead singer for iconic Kiwi band Goldenhorse but Kirsten Morrell is also an accomplished song writer and solo artist.  

"Avignon" the third single from her upcoming album "Morrellium" is out tomorrow, but we're getting an early play of the song Kirsten describes as "disco with a new twist."

1:25 Harawene​, Rotorua's favourite stray

This afternoon Rotorua residents are turning out to witness the unveiling of a replacement statue of a beloved city dog. The original bronze statue of Harawene, a stray, was cut off at the paws and stolen earlier this year.

Fiona Cairns was not only instrumental in arranging for the replacement of Harawene, but was involved in rallying the troops to have the first statue of Harawene erected 15 years ago.

1:35 The 2024 Surrey Hotel Writers Residency Award announcement

It's that time of year again - Newsroom literary editor, columnist and champion parachutist, Steve Braunias is in our Auckland Studio to hand over a scrap of paper with the name of the winner of the seriously groovy Surrey Hotel Writers Residency Award.  

1:45 Heading Off: biking through Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan

intrepid New Zealand journalist Isobel Ewing spent a month biking around northern Pakistan and has made a film about her travels.

She's been on her bike again. Isobel's left Kyrgyzstan and is now in Crete.

2.12 Music Critic: Julian Lubin and David Long

Zac Arnold unveils some brand spanking new music from Julian Lubin (Patience and Love) and David Long  (I Couldn't Stay.)  

2:20 Easy Eats with Sam Parish: Zesty lamb and halloumi wraps

Golden, bubbling halloumi, zesty mince spiked with chickpeas, and fresh salad are thrust into a (genius trick) freshly warmed wrap for some midweek heaven. And ready in 20 minutes. Get the recipe here. 

2:30 Bookmarks with Becky Manawatu

Becky's debut novel Auē was released to widespread acclaim in 2019 winning the top fiction prize at the 2020 Ockham New Zealand Book awards.

She's back with the much-anticipated sequel 'Kataraina' and she joins Jesse to share her favourite music and books.

Becky's reading list:

Juice by Tim Winton
Whaea Blue by Talia Marshall
The Mires by Tina Makereti
Elena Knows by Claudia Pineiro

3:10 Feature interview: etiquette for the 21st century   

William Hanson doesn't make the rules, but he does enjoy them. He's one of the world's most trusted experts on good manners. He offers bite sized advice on TikTok for everything from how to eat hors d'oeuvres to negotiating small talk effortlessly. He is the Emily Post of the Instagram generation with more than five million fans.  For Hanson, society changes but good manners are timeless, classless and priceless.  He's the cohost of the podcast Help I Sexted My Boss and has released his 5th book, Just Good Manners.

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

Ever spied a bird nest out on a walk? Some are quite complex constructions, delicately woven and expertly lined to keep their eggs safe. This week, Claire Concannon learns about bird nest design and building behaviour from the University of Melbourne's Dr Iliana Medina. Iliana is keen to learn about flexibility in nest design, to better understand how different species might be able to respond to the changes climate change is bringing.

3:45 The pre-Panel