Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Sam Brooks: A one-act play about ‘The Louvre’ from Lorde’s new album Melodrama “There are Kettle crisps at Lou’s party. There are RTDs that Marty’s creepy older boyfriend he met on Tinder bought for everybody. But they’re disgusting so Aroha is mixing them with her dad’s … Read more
There are only five days until 2017’s shortest day, and we’re celebrating the oncoming slide towards summer with a quiz about all things short and small. It’s not a big thing, but we think you should take it. Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores in the Commonwealth. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 Ministry Of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Hamish Hamilton, $38) We look forward to the forthcoming review by Marion McLeod. 2 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo (Particular Books, $40) Portraits of 100 inspirational women … Read more
‘Business is Boring’ is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. Alas, Simon is sick this week so we’ve decided to republish one … Read more
In a little over three months, New Zealand goes to the polls. Recent months have seen shock and volatility in elections around the world. Will we see something similar? Here we assess the contenders’ status as the clock counts down to September 23. A big day for lovers of democracy and arbitrary round numbers: there are one hundred sunsets … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens making the news. Today, Auckland Transport parking warden Mark Chisholm walks us through his job and hints at the dark desires that lurk beneath. The Auckland section is sponsored by Heart of the City, the business association dedicated … Read more
Yet another Spinoff Review of Books exclusive: the longlist for the 2017 Ngaio Marsh award for best New Zealand crime fiction. The dear old Spinoff Review of Books can exclusively reveal the longlist for the 2017 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. Now in its seventh year, the award recognises the best in New Zealand … Read more
Welcome to Top of the Pile, a gaming series in which the participants are forced to play a game at the top of the ‘just released’ list. Will they get a shitter? Will they be pleasantly surprised? Will they be amped? In episode three José Barbosa and his guest Calum Hendeson take on the horrors of … Read more
A selection of responses from those who had said it was simply unthinkable that Jeremy Corbyn could lead a Labour election revival. The UK Labour Party might have finished second in the snap election at the end of last week, but Jeremy Corbyn carried the air of victory throughout his weekend media appearances. By contrast, … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Emily Writes: Surviving Wine Mum Night “6.10pm – You all agree that nobody can get drunk because we all have the kids the next day and nobody can cope with hangovers. 6.20pm – Shots of absinthe for everyone.” Flipping the bird at Secretary of State Rex … Read more
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores in Christendom. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 The Man Who Ate Lincoln Road by Steve Braunias (Luncheon Sausage Books, $25) The author wishes to thank the hordes who bought a lot of copies of his book about food, shops, death and West Auckland life at his talk in the … Read more
The Lions are here and the UK is counting votes in a momentous general election. This week, it’s got to be a quiz about Great Britain and Ireland. The best of British luck to you! Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens making the news. Today, an exclusive tour of Auckland’s most famous street with local man, Trent Davidson. The Auckland section is sponsored by Heart of the City, the business association dedicated to the growth of downtown Auckland as … Read more
Welcome to Top of the Pile, a gaming series in which the participants are forced to play a game at the top of the ‘just released’ list. Will they get a shitter? Will they be pleasantly surprised? Will they be amped? In this episode José Barbosa and Joseph Harper find themselves playing the monkey mad tower defence … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Nadine Millar: It shouldn’t be a debate: Our schools need to stop prioritising Pākehā values by default “In a Māori context, opening a speech with a mihimihi, or a round of acknowledgements, is fairly typical. Depending on the occasion, these introductions can be long or brief. … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we pick shows from their extensive back catalogue that you might like to watch. This week, we get your long weekend sorted with the best shows to binge watch. Queen’s Birthday weekend is so close we can almost smell the corgi shampoo in the air, and the … Read more
It’s Queen’s Birthday weekend and what better way to celebrate than by dusting up on your Commonwealth knowledge. All results will be sent to the Queen herself. Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
The latest best-selling books at the world’s two best bookstores. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey (Victoria University Press $30) Winner of the 2017 Victoria University Press and International Institute of Modern Letters book award (in association with Ockham New Zealand). 2 The New Zealand Project by Max Harris (Bridget Williams Books, … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens making the news. Today, Roger Merkin attempts to navigate NZ’s traffic with some grace.
Welcome to Top of the Pile, a gaming series in which the participants are forced to play a game at the top of the ‘just released’ list. In this the inaugural episode José Barbosa and Joseph Harper find themselves playing the Japanese visual novel game, Gakuen Club. Video edited by Joseph Harper Made with the … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of extraordinary Kiwi citizens. In this episode, the Nick Harrison Fan Club meets after watching the 25th anniversary episode of New Zealand’s favourite soap opera, Shortland Street. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos.
In which an accountant, his nurse wife, and their lawyer daughter lovingly squabble through letters to the editor, on the subject of the 5-minute quiz. Something like the lost epistolary novel of PG Wodehouse has surfaced in the pages of Wellington’s daily paper over the last couple of weeks. Below, the letters. We look forward to further contributions … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Nichole Brown: I’m sorry I white-washed your world: A letter to my Māori daughter “I am so sorry that it took me until we decided to leave this beautiful country to realise just how important our culture is to our future. I never considered that the Māori … Read more
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores in Christendom. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 Balancing Acts: Reflections of a NZ Diplomat by Gerald McGhie (Dunmore Press, $35) Forty years a diplomat! He was New Zealand’s last ambassador to the Soviet Union, and he was also posted to Samoa, Papua New Guinea, and most dangerously of all, Wellington. … Read more
With the release of #Budget2017 this week, it’s the perfect time to test your knowledge of government spending. Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
BREAKING: Mount Ferndale has erupted, engulfing the town in a deadly cloud of ash and totally ruining Chris Warner’s 50th birthday party. We bring you a chronological selection of the best lines of dialogue from tonight’s one-liner-filled special episode. Read all our Shortland Street 25th anniversary coverage here. “This hospital’s gone to rack and ruin … Read more
Following Gemma Gracewood’s call to arms yesterday, Shortland Street have decided to un-geoblock their monster 25th anniversary episode for superfans abroad. “Five years ago when Shortland Street turned 20, the special 90 minute feature-length episode was due to air on my birthday. Alas, I was overseas, with no way of watching the events of that … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens making the news. Today, Ed Sheeran fan Fantasia tries her best to win tickets from The Edge.
The NZ International Comedy Festival has come to an end for 2017 and emotions are running high. The fourth and final episode of our comedy festival podcast sees actor, writer and comedy expert Chelsea McEwan Millar joined by Spinoff comedy co-editors Sam Brooks and Natasha Hoyland as they emotionally wrap up the final week of the NZ … Read more