Nights for Thursday 30 January 2025

8:15 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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8:30 Pressure on coffee sector as international coffee prices soar

A New Zealand roaster and café owner is warning that things are about to get "very scary" for New Zealand's coffee and café industry.

Richard Corney is managing director of Flight Coffee, which also operates café The Hangar, and spokesperson for the NZ Specialty Coffee Association.

He joins Emile Donovan.

8:45 The Reading

Tonight's reading comes from Civilisation - twenty places on the edge of the world by Steve Braunias.

Tonight, Steve shoots the breeze with an old salt at the Hicks Bay meat works.

9:07 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.

9:25 Why do we use phrases referencing old technology? 

Nights' resident sociolinguist Dr Julia de Bres joins the show to discuss something host Emile Donovan has been pondering over summer.

Why do we continue to use about technology, even when the technology has moved on, making them potentially undecipherable?

9:35 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Long List announced - who made the cut?

It's the most wonderful day so far in the booksellers' calendar -- the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Long List has been released.

A day only eclipsed by the short list and the winners, of course.

Forty-three New Zealand books, across four categories, are up for the most prestigious titles this side of the south Pacific.

Nicola Legat is the chair of the New Zealand Book Awards Trust and joins Emile Donovan,

 

9:45 What's behind the naming of ships? A historian explains

The changing of the name of a submarine by the UK Royal Navy has branded "woke nonsense" by a former Defence Secretary.

The HMS Agincourt is to be renamed HMS Achilles after concern e original name for the vessel may have offended the French.

Agincourt refers to a battle England won against France in 1415, as part of the Hundred Years' War.

Michael Wynd is the researcher and military historian at the National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy. and joins Emile Donovan.

 

10:17 The case for and against four-year government terms

Australia and New Zealand are only a handful of nations around the world that elect their government every three years. 

Now politicians on both sides of the Tasman are keen to add an extra year for those in charge of running the country. 

But is it a good idea? it's one that's been rejected multiple times by voters, though it does also have its supporters.

Professor Andrew Geddis from the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago joins Emile Donovan to looks at the pros and cons.

10:30 Weta FX animator on Oscar nomination

Team New Zealand is back amidst the Hollywood buzz this year, with Wellington's Weta FX picking up three Oscar nominations for its special effects work.

One of the nominees is Dave Clayton. Dave is an animation supervisor at Weta FX.

He was the "pre-vis" and animation supervisor on the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man.

Dave has worked on Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong, Game of Thrones, and this is his third Oscar nomination, and spoke to Emile Donovan.

11:07 The Mixtape: Holly Arrowsmith

Our guest curating the Mixtape is multi award-winning songwriter Holly Arrowsmith.

Born in the Santa Fe desert, New Mexico, and then raised in the mountains of southern New Zealand, Holly Arrowsmith's Americana-tinged folk & country sound has been awarded APRA's 'Best country song' award twice.

Her latest album Blue Dreams has been critically acclaimed.