Ngā Pātaka Kōrero Auckland Libraries Podcasts

Oral historians and authors Ruth Greenaway and Megan Hutching, talk about the history of this Auckland organisation which began with an orphan home in the central city in 1858 and now works with its community in south Auckland. While society has changed since the mid-nineteenth-century, the problems of today’s clients bear a marked resemblance to t…

music industry. To jazz things up, we discuss three must-read music novels and a kiwi classic. Books mentioned in the show: The conductor/ Sarah Quigley https://bit.ly/3FvLSIm An equal music/ Vikram Seth https://bit.ly/3kUPt9j Run, Rose, Run/ Dolly Parton and James Patterson https://bit.ly/3vW0mOz Hellzapoppin'!: the art of Flying Nun / editor, Dav…

Alison talks to super librarian Anne about her number one go-to comfort read The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, a post-war children’s classic about love, goodness, animals and beauty. Hot Tip: don’t read this book when you are hungry because the descriptions of food are beyond belief! The Little White Horse can be requested via the Aucklan…

Alison & Ineka discuss the four General Non-fiction finalists of the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. The winners will be announced on 11 May - visit nzbookawards.nz for updates on the livestreamed awards ceremony. For more details of the shortlisted titles in the General Non-Fiction category, visit their website: bit.ly/3qs9Q0v or read extract…

Alison & Ineka discuss the four fiction finalists of the 2022 NZ Book Awards.The winners of the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards will be announced on 11 May. For more details of the shortlisted titles for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, visit their website: https://bit.ly/3qs9Q0v or read extracts from each with the Ockhams Fiction Sa…

In this episode, Alison and Ineka talk about some new art, music and books released in time for Pasifika month. They are helped by Auckland Libraries’ Senior Pacific Content Specialist Veronica Ligaliga. Fa'afetai lava Ronnie.Books mentioned in the show All books discussed in this episode of Books and Beyond can be requested via the Auckland Librar…

This episode has a focus on women and women’s writing. Alison and Ineka talk about breaking the bias and discuss the 2022 Women’s Prize longlist of 16 titles which has just been announced. #breakthebias #womensprize For more information on International Women’s Day, please see their website: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ Explore the full …

International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global day where we celebrate the achievements of women, raise awareness of bias and take action for equality. Revisiting our 2021 International Women’s Day episode, Alison and Ineka celebrate women who challenge to make change happen. This episode originally aired on Planet FM 104.6 on 7 March 2021. Recorde…

Episode 8 – Karl StevenThis month, Dedee spoke to Karl Steven about his first solo album, All of Human Emotion on Microfiche.They talk about a few tracks and music videos and the stories behind them. Other topics include Karl's preference for monochrome over colour, the philosopher Wittgenstein, and the Wittgenstein quotes he used for his track ‘Ut…

In this special Pride episode, Alison and Ineka highlight the gutsy, inspirational, bold and bright LGBTQI+ folk who walk, stomp and sashay amongst us.Books discussed in this episode can be found and requested via the Auckland Libraries catalogue: All the young men: a memoir of love, AIDS, and chosen family in the America South / Ruth Coker Burks &…

Revisiting our 2021 Pride edition of Books & Beyond, Alison is joined by Queerleaders Lil O'Brien (author of 'Not That I'd Kiss a Girl') and Tanya Johnson (founder of Women in Tech NZ) who discuss their recent and all-time fave queer reads.Visit Auckland Libraries' 'Queer Reads' blogpost to request titles featured in this episode: https://bit.ly/3L…

The Love Boat meets the L-word on this special PRIDE/ Love edition of Books and Beyond. Join Alison and Ineka in the LGBTQI+ lounge where they’ve been reading the most fabulous rom coms featuring a cast of gorgeous hotties and rabble rousers.Books mentioned in this episode of Books and Beyond are available to request now from the Auckland Libraries…

Join Alison and Ineka in the Literary Lounge where they’ve been reading about the lives of families from all over the world. Heartbreaking dilemmas sometimes lead to desperate acts in these stories, but there is always hope.Books mentioned in this episode of Books and Beyond can be borrowed and requested via the Auckland Libraries catalogue:A Clear…

Episode 7 – Night LunchDedee chats to Liam Clune and Liam Hoffman from Dunedin duo Night Lunch about their EP Table for Two, released in August 2021. They talk about how Clune and his Dad both made diddley bows —a slide guitar style instrument also known as a zither— which Clune plays in the band. And we look at the making of their music video for …

It’s the time of the year where Beach Reads and Beach-adjacent Reads are our jam. Listen to Alison and Ineka review tales of guncles, Cher-alikes and glamorous villains.Books mentioned in this episode of Books and Beyond can be borrowed and requested via the Auckland Libraries catalogue:The visit of the Spanish Lady by Brucculeri and Whelan publish…

The books we’ve been reading this week take us from our own backyard to a galaxy far, far away. But where is the milk and honey? Find out on this episode of Literary Lounge with Alison and Ineka.This year's Auckland Libraries' Top 100 is out now: explore our pick of the year's most talked about books curated for you by our librarians. Most titles a…

Episode 6 - Sheep, Dog & Wolf Dedee chats to Daniel McBride from Sheep, Dog & Wolf about his album Two-Minds, released on Aphrodite in April 2021. Two-Minds is in his words; “a document of a dark time in a kind of positive way.” They talk about the album, the unexpected delays in releasing it, and the stories behind the music videos. Daniel talks a…

In this episode of Literary Lounge, Alison and Ineka bring you a blizzard of bots with a side order of diversity and possibility. Enjoy!By Auckland Libraries

The Convenience Continuum.Can you treat the pain of family grief with a 16th century elixir? Find out on this episode of Literary Lounge with Alison and Ineka.By Auckland Libraries

Join Alison and Ineka in the Literary Lounge as they wander from Starbucks to a start-up – dropping in on a cult and a beach party along the way.By Auckland Libraries

Current Central Library librarian Louise Linnell joins former staff members Jo Owen and Kay Lane (pictured left to right) to journey through their respective histories with Auckland City's public library.Louise's summer internship at the Central library proved to be the start of a long and varied career at Lorne Street.Jo Owen began in a back offic…

Georgia Prince has had oversight of Auckland Libraries' rare books collection since the late 1970s. In this kōrero with Mark Gosper, she talks about the transition from rare books as "treasures", kept apart from the main collection but not necessarily well preserved by modern standards, to the development of a large department given over entirely t…

From its beginnings in the Mechanics Institute to installation in the present art gallery building (pictured) and now on Lorne Street, find out how Auckland got its free public library.Sir George Grey's donation of his substantial private collection provided the core of the initial library collection. Rare books specialist Georgia Prince describes …

Welcome to Uncovered! Your very own behind the scenes tour of Auckland Central Library.Meet rare books librarian Georgia Prince, former intern and later library manager Geoff Chamberlain, staff members Kay Lane, Louise Linnell and Jo Owen and research librarian David Verran.Plus current Central Library staff member Karel gives us a sneak peak into …

Is it possible to navigate our way through the chaos and complexity of our various emergencies while retaining humanity, hope and humour? Find out on this Literary Lounge episode with Alison and Ineka.All the books discussed in this episode can be found in the Auckland Libraries catalogue, most in a range of formats. Click the links below to reques…

Literary Lockdown: S is for...Is it possible to link socialism, suffrage, sugar-daddies, scholarship, suspense and stylish, chunky woollen sweaters through books? Join Alison and Ineka in the socially distanced literary lounge to find out!All the books discussed in this episode can be found in the Auckland Libraries catalogue, most in a range of fo…

Episode 5 - LipsIn this Level 3 lockdown interview, Dedee chats to Steph Brown from Lips, about their album I Don’t Know Why I Do Anything.Steph talks about how Lips’ sound has changed, and how writing music for films influenced the sound of the album. We also talk about the music video for ‘What the Hell’, great memories from their last tour, and …

In this episode, we return to the friendship between Samuel Johnson and James Boswell by focusing on a trip the pair made to Scotland. Georgia explains how both authors wrote about their trip in quite different ways. Johnson’s book has a rational, almost anthropological take on their journey. While Boswell’s writing about Johnson fascinated and rep…

Over the past 200 years, much has been written about the infamous mutiny on the Bounty. Listen to Georgia tell the whole grim story, from the events of the mutiny, to Bligh and his crew cast off in a tiny launch exposed to the elements, and finally the disastrous voyage of the Pandora, the naval frigate sent to track down the mutineers.Learn more a…

Listen to learn about Mary Wollstonecraft’s groundbreaking book of feminist philosophy, her brave and unconventional lifestyle, her political writing on the French Revolution, and her imaginatively written travel book. After Wollstonecraft's death, her grief-stricken widower, William Godwin, published Memoirs of Her Life, a revolutionary biography,…

In the eighteenth-century, accounts of maritime exploration were a popular genre in book publishing. This episode features two voyages that captured the public’s imagination – Anson’s controversial expedition to attack Spanish interests in South America, and Cook’s first voyage to the Pacific on the Endeavour. Listen to Georgia tell the story of th…

Samuel Johnson and James Boswell were two figures of eighteenth-century literature who wrote highly influential works. Listen to Georgia explore Johnson’s dictionary - a publication that remained the single most authoritative English dictionary for over 150 years. We also learn about Boswell’s biography of Johnson, one of the first biographies in E…

In this episode, we get up close and personal with Horace Walpole: prime minister’s son, writer, and patron of the arts. Georgia first discusses a book of poetry printed at Walpole’s Strawberry Hill Press before taking us inside the walls of the house itself, a gothic masterpiece on the banks of the river Thames on the outskirts of London.Learn mor…

One of the most valued attributes of a scientific illustration in the eighteenth-century was colour, which at that time was painstakingly applied by hand. Listen to this episode to hear Georgia discuss the illustrations in two remarkable books - one about plants and one about insects - then head to Kura Heritage Collections Online to browse all the…

In the eighteenth-century, exotic plant species were arriving in England from all over the world, but prospective gardeners faced the challenge of growing them successfully in the local climate. Listen to Georgia discuss two famous books that provided advice on everything from building coal-heated greenhouses to making and preserving wine, alongsid…

Illustrating early books could be difficult and time-consuming, but could also produce stunning results. In this episode, we delve into the delicate process of creating a book by engraving on to copper plates and then printing from these plates on to paper. Learn more about these rare books:https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Pages/meet-a-rare-bo…

Listen to Georgia Prince talk about one of Auckland Libraries particularly beautiful medieval manuscripts, the Besancon missal, created in 1470. Discover how medieval manuscripts were created and why they have always been luxury objects. The process of making the vellum, sourcing the best pigments, and commissioning the best artists and apprentices…

Don’t grow up – it's a trap!What is it about the ever popular coming-of-age novel that makes it so appealing? Alison and Ineka investigate and highlight some recent cool literature about adolescent angst.All the books discussed in this episode can be found in the Auckland Libraries catalogue, most in a range of formats. Click the links below to req…

International Banned Books Week: Books unite us, censorship divides us.Join Alison and Ineka as they highlight the value of free and open access to information. They review some current challenged titles and some from 40 years ago. Celebrate the freedom to read!All the books discussed in this episode can be found in the Auckland Libraries catalogue…

This month Dedee chats to Henrieta Tornyai aka Henika, about being a musician stuck in lockdown, and her upcoming album Strange Creatures, which uses samples of birdsong she recorded on Tiritiri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf.She talks about the electronic instrument the theremin and two artists who have influenced her, Björk and Kimbra, who she admir…

This track is Part 2 of an interview with musician Henika. In this track we talk about the music videos for the first two singles from her album Strange Creatures, featuring dancers wearing beautifully made papier mache bird heads. We also delve deeper into the message behind the songs. This interview was recorded on September 16, 2021References:He…

Discover a riveting read on OverDrive with Poukōkiri Whakatapoko Tāpaenga / Senior Collections Librarian Maureen Ned's review of Tōku Vanessa e pōuriuri / My dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, written and recorded in te reo Māori.Written in English, this bold and powerful 2020 novel follows 32 year-old Vanessa and her former English teacher, J…

Some exciting news to spice up this Literary Lounge Lockdown episode - the 2021 Booker Prize shortlist has just been announced. Alison and Ineka discuss the list and recommend some read-alike titles you could crack into while you wait to get hold of the reading world’s latest hot-ticket items.By Auckland Libraries

Whakarongo (listen) as Poukokiri Rangahau Māori / Senior Māori Research Librarian Xavier Forsman reviews a favourite pukapuka, Purple Heart by Ta'afuli Andrew Fiu, in te reo Māori.Available as an eBook on OverDrive and Libby and written in English, this inspiring memoir tells Fiu's story of growing up Samoan in Aotearoa and his experience of living…

It's an honour to present to you Librarian Raniera Kingi (Poukōkiri Rangahau Māori) in conversation with the author and educator Hēmi Kelly. Hēmi (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tahu, Ngāti Whāoa) is a lecturer in te reo Māori at AUT. He is the author of ‘A Māori Word a Day,’ ‘A Māori Phrase a Day,’ translator of Te ruānuku / The Alchemist for the Kōtahi R…

In this track Bruce Ralston talks us through an entry into family history writing.Bruce is editor of The New Zealand Genealogist and Chair of the Ted Gilberd Literary Trust that supports writing of family history. With a long career in libraries and archives, together with a half century of genealogical research, he is conscious of the struggle man…

It’s another lockdown Literary Lounge with Alison and Ineka. So, grab a cuppa and make yourself comfy as we highlight the hilarious, the forbidden and the confessional corridors of our collections.By Auckland Libraries

It’s pouffes at 20 paces again because Alison and Ineka are in literary lockdown. As well as more chat about the Booker’s Dozen, you’ll find out what they’ve been reading and get some great tips about making the most of your library membership during Level 4 for all your reading, watching and listening requirements.…

"Craigavon is the western-most reserve at Blockhouse Bay. So far west, that at some points during its story, the folks at Green Bay saw fit to lay a bit of a claim to it, at least in spirit".In this episode of the Whau Heritage Stories series, Lisa Truttman delivers a history of the land and people associated with the area currently known as Craiga…

The St Andrews Church Hall on Margan Ave in New Lynn has one odd chapter to its history: it was the scene of a theft, a crime for which no perpetrators were ever found …. and that theft involved a Vickers machine-gun and ammunition. Seems rather at odds with the rest of the building’s story!"In this episode Lisa Truttman shares a Whau Heritage Stor…