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

Peace, hope, health and harmony • Season’s greetings and best wishes from the Listener.

Legacy of a much-loved Pm

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 Sports.

Bright Lines

Quips & Quotes

Simply rizz-ible

Bonfire of the policies • Announcing the winners and losers in this year’s Drunken Muldoon Awards

Fairytale ending

Blindly into the brave new world

Reading the room • Groups of people are gathering in libraries to do something they haven’t done since childhood – read aloud. It’s all in the name of social connect ion.

The spy, the leaf, the writer & her legacy • Katherine Mansfield is cast as many things: innovative Modernist writer; friend to the famous cultural names of her time; creative inspiration to generations of writers and artists, and now, literary lifesaver to the most decorated female agent of World War II.

Fighting for fair • What began with hand-woven bags in Christchurch 50 years ago has morphed into a diverse, nationwide ethical supply business. And Trade Aid isn’t finished yet.

Out of the mouths of babes • When is a beach not a beach? When it’s being used as something far more primal.

Those sporting moments • 2023 wasn’t a vintage year for New Zealand sport but it wasn’t bad, either. So why does it feel worse than it was?

Bigger than the Beatles • Listener music critic Graham Reid selects his standout albums of 2023.

Recovered and released

A class of their own • Richard Betts presents the best classical recordings of 2023.

Love, laughs & quiet dread • Listener reviewers Sarah Watt and Russell Baillie choose the best 20 films of the year, listed here in alphabetical order.

Appointment viewing • Russell Baillie and Russell Brown select 20 of the best television shows of 2023.

Speaking for her self • Posthumous collection of essays and speeches showcases Hilary Mantel’s perceptive and idiosyncratic style.

Short cuts

The foreeseeable future • John Boyne’s latest novel is a patient tale of a woman coming to terms with her past.

The stuff of legends • Ranulph Fiennes’s personal take on Lawrence of Arabia’s wartime exploits burnishes his heroic legacy.

What the Dickens? • Charles Dickens’ works are perennial favourites, so here’s a list of the best of them for your seasonal viewing.

Coming up for air • Hit thriller Vigil’s new season swaps nuclear subs in the Atlantic for killer drones in the Middle East.

Tv Picks for the holidays

Tv Films • The big movies on TV this week 

Saturday December 23

Sunday December 24

Monday December 25

Tuesday December 26

Wednesday December 27

Thursday December 28

Friday December 29

Saturday December 30

Sunday December 31

Monday January 1

Radio

Pavlova palaver • The contentious issue of who discovered the pavlova has bounced across the ditch for decades. No matter its origin, it’s still a favourite.

Giving back • Community and collaboration are at the heart of this Borough.

Weeping Waters

Perfect Christmases