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
HONOURED WRITER TRUE STORY: MY MANSFIELD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:40
2023 marks the centenary year of Katherine Mansfield’s too-soon demise from pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 34. She is still cherished today in New Zealand and across the world, having played a part in shaping moder…
AFTER DARK (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:50
In night, suspense, lawlessness, hazard, sensuousness and awe are evoked simply by stepping outside,” says Annette Lees, author of 2022 Ockham NZ Book Awards longlisted After Dark – in which she walks readers into the ni…
THE WORLD BEYOND: LONG, MORGAN, PHILLIPS (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:08
Chris Long, author of 'The Boy From Gorge River', grew up in a remote off-grid corner of the South Island, two days walk from the nearest town; writer, UNICEF goodwill ambassador and philanthropist Jo Morgan, author of '…
HONOURED WRITER: TESSA DUDER (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:56
Author Tessa Duder began her adult life as a representative swimmer, winning a silver medal at the 1958 Cardiff Empire Games in the 110 yards butterfly. This incredible achievement would inspire the Alex Quartet, for whi…
GRAND: NOELLE MCCARTHY (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:22
Shaped by the forces of 1970s Ireland and by a mother raging against her hemmed-in life, broadcaster, writer and podcaster Noelle McCarthy escaped Ireland for party town Auckland in the early 2000s – seeking a new world…
TIMELESS TALES: HEREAKA & JONES (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:49
The traditions of fable and myth – Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the tales of Aesop and Grimm, Homer’s Iliad and the pūrākau of Polynesia, to name a few – have acted as compasses for millennia, exploring human experience and ans…
TOI TU - TOI ORA: NIGEL BORELL (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:54
Breathtaking in scope, ambition and artistry, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki’s’ 2020-2021 survey exhibition of Māori contemporary art from 1950s to present day, Toi Tu- Toi Ora broke all attendance records and forged…
THE VISIONARIES – OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT: CHARTERS & RURU (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:48
In 2010, the National Government signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, joining more than 140 other countries; in 2019 the Labour Government set up a working group tasked with creating a plan to r…
NOBEL ENCHANTMENTS: ABDULRAZAK GURNAH (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:08
Of 2021 Nobel Prize-winning writer Abdulrazak Gurnah’s book 'By the Sea', The Times said, “Rarely in a lifetime can you open a book and find that reading it encapsulates the enchanting qualities of a love affair... one s…