WHAT THE MAGPIE SAYS: CATHERINE CHIDGEY (2023)

WHAT THE MAGPIE SAYS: CATHERINE CHIDGEY (2023)

Author: Auckland Writers Festival October 27, 2023 Duration: 59:19
Is The Axeman’s Carnival the great Kiwi Gothic classic? Plenty of reviewers think so. Catherine Chidgey surprised everybody when she revealed her next book was going to be narrated by a mimicking magpie. Would it work? It sure does. Not only is it funny and magical, it’s also a bird’s-eye view into the very real struggle of farming life, a nuanced portrayal of love and domestic violence, and a 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards finalist. Following on from her 2017 Ockham New Zealand Book Award for The Wish Child and the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlisting for Remote Sympathy, she has become one of our preeminent fiction stylists. She’s definitely on a roll and her coming novel Pet takes a swerve into completely new territory again. She will discuss her writing life and Tama the magpie with Rachael King. Supported by Platinum Bold Patrons Betsy & Michael Benjamin.

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
LIVE LIFE: DAVE LETELE, WILLY DE WIT (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:45
In his book No Excuses Dave ‘the Brown Buttabean’ Letele shares how he overcame poverty, depression and crime to become an award-winning community leader inspiring people to turn their lives around. Willy De Wit was a re…
SONNETS FOR ALBERT: ANTHONY JOSEPH (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:26
When I hear my father dead I flew 10 hours into the sun next morning I put black on The 2023 TS Eliot Prize award-winning Sonnets for Albert by Anthony Joseph was cited by the judges as ‘a luminous collection which celeb…
EVENT 09 TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW: GABRIELLE ZEVIN (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:54
‘Whatever its subject, when a novel is powerful enough, it transports us readers deep into worlds not our own. That’s true of Moby Dick, and it’s certainly true of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which renders the…
DOUBLE PULITZER PRIZE WINNER: COLSON WHITEHEAD (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:29
Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Colson Whitehead is the only writer to win for consecutive books. His best-selling novels 'The Underground Railroad' and 'The Nickel Boys' addressed racial injustice wit…
WHEN A POWWOW IS NOT A POWWOW [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:01
The word ‘Powwow’ is often used to refer to a quick impromptu meeting, but in Northern Plains Indigenous cultures, there is nothing quick or casual about their traditional gathering and ceremony. Rejecting misappropriati…
BUT WHAT CAN WE DO? (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:52
The impacts of climate change are upon us, we know that, and the recent brutal weather events have shown we can’t sit idly by. It’s time for fresh thinking and radical action. Veteran journalist Simon Wilson, the author…
TUATAHI (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:31
Three young fluent te reo speakers producing inspirational work across a variety of genres, talk about the bravery and passion it took to take the unmapped uncharted leap into a creative life. Founding member of award-wi…
BIRNAM WOOD: ELEANOR CATTON (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS: DR MONTY SOUTAR (2023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:56
The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlisted novel, Kāwai, by Dr Monty Soutar ONZM (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngā Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Kahungunu) has remained on the New Zealand bestseller list ever since it was released…