BIRNAM WOOD: ELEANOR CATTON (2023)

BIRNAM WOOD: ELEANOR CATTON (2023)

Author: Auckland Writers Festival October 27, 2023 Duration: 1:03:49
Aotearoa’s most anticipated book release of 2023 has been Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood, coming ten years after she won the Booker Prize for The Luminaries. A psychological thriller set in the South Island, Shakespearean in scope, a battle between good and evil – it has a complex intellectual core and also a great sense of mischief. Catton now lives in the UK, and between books has adapted both The Luminaries and Jane Austen’s Emma for the screen. She has returned to our shores to talk with Noelle McCarthy about what compelled her to write this epic romp through our national parks, with rareearth mining, deep surveillance, guerrilla gardening and so much more. Supported by Platinum Bold Patron Theresa Gattung.

The Auckland Writers Festival podcast is a direct line to the stages and conversations of one of the Southern Hemisphere's most vibrant literary events. This audio archive captures the live, unscripted energy of festival sessions, bringing the voices of the world's most compelling authors, thinkers, and poets directly to you. Each episode is a deep dive into the ideas shaping our world, from intimate interviews on the craft of writing to expansive panel discussions on history, politics, science, and culture. You'll hear novelists dissect their characters, historians trace forgotten narratives, and poets articulate the ineffable, all within the unique atmosphere of a live audience. This isn't a produced studio show; it's the sound of intellectual discovery and passionate debate happening in real time. The collection serves as a lasting resource, preserving the festival's dynamic spirit long after the final applause. For anyone who believes in the power of stories to challenge and connect us, this podcast offers a front-row seat to a celebration of words and the people who wield them with extraordinary skill. Tune in to be reminded of why literature matters.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Auckland Writers Festival
Podcast Episodes
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NOT IN NARROW SEAS: BRIAN EASTON (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:32
AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL WAITUHI O TĀMAKI 2021 “In your atlas two islands not in narrow seas, like a child’s kite anchored in the indifferent blue” are the opening lines to Allen Curnow’s 1939 poem 'Not in Narrow Seas'.…
FROM A DISTANCE: ANNA FIFIELD (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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TINO RANGATIRA IN PUBLISHING (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
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FROM THE CENTRE: PATRICIA GRACE (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:44
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Duration: 1:00:22
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Duration: 1:07:48
In 1971, only 11 women in New Zealand had taken seats as Members of Parliament, women were not entitled to matrimonial property, there was no state help for women leaving a violent partner, and no childcare available for…
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Duration: 59:46
Distinguished historian Dame Claudia Orange has dedicated a lifetime to the study of Aotearoa’s founding documents, ensuring that current and future generations can have a wider understanding of our bicultural history. H…
GANGLAND: JARED SAVAGE (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:11
According to police figures, 900 New Zealanders joined a gang in 2020, with a growing number of gang leaders and affiliates deported from Australia also bolstering those numbers. It comes as no surprise, then, that New Z…