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

A summer of hope • After a year of adverse events, the people of Tairāwhiti look forward to summer – and visitors, says Hamish Barwick.

Everything to Play For • The QI elves are a team of writers and comedians doing the research for the QI TV series, podcasts and books. For the next few weeks, we’ll be running weird, wonderful and wise findings from the latest: Everything to Play For: The QI Book of Sport.

Giving back

Bright Lines

Quips & Quotes

10 Quick Questions

Playing favourites

Charlotte Grimshaw

All power to the uninteresting

The science of ageing • Slowing or even reversing the ageing process is the holy grail for some scientists, and everything from drugs to blood infusions and laughter is being investigated.

Bridging The Gap • Prevention is better than cure, but a new social enterprise accepts we may need a guiding hand to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Collision crossroads • Threats at home and abroad leave New Zealand under pressure to boost security on multiple fronts – with implications for more than just Defence spending.

Remembering 2023 • Hopes for a better year after the times of Covid were dashed early. Aotearoa suffered weather-related devastation early in 2023, while overseas, thousands were killed in natural disasters and in conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

City limits • When is a city not a city? When it’s a town, and we should be proud of them all.

Weed them and weep • A holiday break is the perfect time to consider whittling down those towering stacks of books. But where to start?

A hard man to forget • Each summer, we invite some of Aotearoa’s finest writers to tell us a short tale. Here, we continue with this year’s theme – second acts.

Honestly

Moving out, shifting in

End of the golden era • Yes, television used to be better – and Peter Biskind’s latest book about Hollywood’s shift into the streaming era explains why.

The year’s streaming flood

A real live Wire • Mariachi and country collided in the music of Arizona band Calexico, and 20 years on, they’re touring their breakthrough album.

His beat goes on • Flying Nun supergroup a final bash for Clean drummer.

Bizarre brilliance • Emma Stone’s latest big-screen outing leaves Tim Burton and David Lynch in the dust.

Olympic tale misses the boat • Incredible true story marred by a clichéridden script.

That 70s feeling • Slip back to a simpler time in this cross between Dead Poets Society and The Breakfast Club.

TV Picks of the week

TV Films

Saturday January 13

Sunday January 14

Monday January 15

Tuesday January 16

Wednesday January 17

Thursday January 18

Friday January 19

Radio

Spirit of discovery • Nelson is to host one of the world’s most-lauded string quartets.

Drugs for life • A preventive drug for breast cancer sounds ideal, but the possible side effects have sparked research into who will benefit most.

Sweet surrender • Cupcakes and shortbread will satisfy any sweet-toothed person’s desires. Karla Goodwin from Bluebell’s Cakery in Auckland has examples of each.

The Sauce • Karla Goodwin founded popular Auckland bakery Bluebells 12 years ago. She talks to Alana Rae.

Second options • The Pencarrow label was founded on the need for flexibility in the face of changing weather.

Size matters • Penises are getting bigger, according to a study that crunched the numbers in a range...