The Featherston Booktown Podcast

When singer Mel Parsons and author Becky Manawatu exploded onto the Aotearoa arts scene, there was nowhere more proud than Westport. Mel and Becky grew up in and around Westport and were in the same year at Buller High School. Both of them have recently launched exciting new work: Sabotage and Kataraina. Anika Moa (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri) asked two of Aotearoa’s best how much they inspire each other and what it is in the Westport water. Recorded at the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival on ...

Saraid de Silva’s bestselling Amma, longlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize, is one of a stream of successes for Sri Lankan New Zealand authors: romesh dissanayake launched a novel and a poetry collection in 2024, and Brannavan Gnanalingam launched The Life and Opinions of Kartik Popat, following his Ockham-shortlisted Sodden Downstream and Ngaio Marsh winner Sprigs. Dinithi Bowatte asked what success means and how the writers got there. Recorded at the Featherston Booktown Karuka...

Ruth Shaw is on a mission to help rural women sort their prolapses, a common, disruptive and often embarrassing condition that can be prevented with the right treatment. She writes about it in part two of her provocative and funny memoir Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World, which launched at Featherston Booktown. Ruth was in conversation with Kristy McGregor, editor of Shepherdess magazine. This episode was recorded live at the Featherston Booktown Karukatea festival on 10th May 2025....

Book collecting is variously described as a passion, an obsession and even a disease. Bookselling the same. Bookseller Ruth Shaw (Bookshop Dogs) and book collector Tony Eyre (The Book Collector) talked about the affliction/gift of bibliophilia, where it’s taken them in their lives and the dilemma of where to put all the books. Fellow bibliophile and Masterton bookseller David Hedley was in the chair. This episode was recorded at the 2024 Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival. https://www.bo...

What does it mean to be a modern All Black, expected to perform at a mental and physical peak when player body mass has increased by 30% since the 1960s and new research is showing the horrifying impact of head injuries on rugby player brains? All Black 1000, Carl Hayman, wrote Head On after discovering his injuries had led to early-onset dementia. He joined his co-author Dylan Cleaver to talk about the new realities of the sport we love. This episode was recorded at the 2024 Featherston Boo...

Tāme Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe, Waikato, Te Arawa) is known as many things – activist, artist, actor, author, terrorist and cyclist. He rose to prominence as a member of the protest group Ngā Tamatoa more than 40 years ago, becoming a key figure in the Māori protest movement and cultural renaissance. Community advocate and social change activist Denis O’Reilly was in conversation with one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most captivating and controversial figures. https://www.booktown.org.nz/

Be thrilled and amazed by spoken word poetry created by Pasifika rangatahi at a three-day Young Readers Programme workshop and brought to the public for the first time. Poet Nafanua Kersel hosted the event, which also included more poetry readings and a panel talanoa about the life and dreams of the South Auckland Poets’ Collective with co-founders Grace Teuila Taylor, Ramon Narayan, Daren “dk” Kamali, and was moderated by Ole Maiava. This episode was recorded at the Featherston Booktown Kar...

Te Tiriti o Waitangi remains as important today as it did when it was first signed 184 years ago, but how can Aotearoa honour it, what are the key challenges and where do tangata whenua stand? Papawai Marae kaumātua Paora Ammunson (Ngāti Kahungunu/Rangitāne) welcomed the Featherston Booktown audience and Tāme Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe, Waikato, Te Arawa), Moana Maniapoto (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) and Te Maire Tau (Ngāi Tahu) shared their views on the Treaty today, as moderated by Shane Te Pou (Ngāi ...