Unaccustomed as I am...

The Write Stuff: Writing and Publishing for Beginners

It's said that many - if not most - of us, have a novel inside just waiting to get out. And, especially during Covid lockdowns, many people did just that - break open the mental shackles and begin to write a book. But getting the words down is only the very first part of the challenge; there's a whole lot more before your book can end up on the shelves of a book store and you find yourself signing the film rights away. In this episode I talk with established New Zealand author, poet and publisher Mary McCallum about the writing process and getting your work published.

Avoiding Penguins - how dogs can be trained to divert around them!

Here in Aotearoa/New Zealand we are home to the world's smallest penguin, the Kororā, also known as the Little Blue Penguin. Living in coastal areas, they're fragile wee creatures, easily spooked and can literally be frightened to death, especially by dogs. In this episode, I talk with Ross Gilmour of the penguin Avoidance Scheme, about how dogs can be trained to avoid the Kororā as soon as they smell them.

'Go Home Tommy, Go Home!' A D-Day experience...

Private Bill Broad was just 21 when he set off on a ship from Portsmouth in the dead of night on 6 June, 1944. His mission, along with 160,000 other allied troops, was to land on the coast of Normandy and overpower the German forces. This is his story. However, not everyone in France was pleased to see the allied troops arrive...

Parlez-vous something else?

Is there an easy way to learn another language? Or is it just practice and perseverance? And how useful are old-fashioned phrase books? Join me as I talk with Associate Professor Anna Siyanova-Chanturia, of Victoria University's School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, and hear a multi-linguist's view on language learning!

Unaccustomed as I am...

The fear of public speaking is a real thing - it's even got a name: Glossophobia. In this episode, I talk with Jason of a local public speaking group that meets weekly, about how the group helps people overcome the terror of facing an audience.