Click the image below or head straight here to enjoy a musical Christmas miracle courtesy of Anne Batley-Burton from The Real Housewives of Auckland. This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and yourself a favour by clicking here … Read more
Hera Lindsay Bird, middle-brow fiction, literary fiction, satire, and Harry bleeding Potter feature among the biggest-selling books of the year at the best bookstore in Wellington. 1 Hera Lindsay Bird (Victoria University Press, $25) by Hera Lindsay Bird “Way out in front,” says Unity supremo Tilly Lloyd. A book of poetry, way out in front; a … Read more
The Spinoff’s hand-picked gallery of sagacious politics watchers cast their minds forward to next year, and gaze foolhardily into their crystal balls We asked: What are the issues upon which 2017 election year will hinge? And we beseeched: Given the unqualified success of predictions in 2016 politics, please give us a wild crystal-ball prediction for … Read more
Our glittering garland of experts assess the performance of the political parties, the economy, the media and more – and attempt to sum up 2016 in a single sentence We asked: for each of the below, would you say they ended the year stronger, weaker, or the same as they started it? And how would … Read more
At last night’s NZ Rugby Awards, ASB chief executive Barbara Chapman electrified the room with a speech challenging the sport to reflect on the scandals of 2016 and do more to address diversity. Her speech is published below, following a note of introduction from Scotty Stevenson Last night New Zealand Rugby honoured its best and … Read more
After a political year in which New Zealand saved its most surprising moment till the very end, the Spinoff assembles a pantheon of 21 wise owls to pick out their winners and losers Following the surprise John Key resignation and ahead of Bill English’s first cabinet reshuffle, we asked: Who would you rank as the … Read more
We wanted to better understand the changing New Zealand economy, and who better to explain it than superstar economist Shamubeel Eaqub. This is the fifth of six short videos featuring Shamubeel giving it to us straight while sitting comfortably in a classic Kiwi chair. In this video Shamubeel explains how tax has changed and why … Read more
The most popular books this Xmas at the Unity Books stores in Wellington and Auckland. WELLINGTON STORE 1 Fucking Apostrophes (Icon Books, $19) by Simon Griffin Number one in both the Wellington and Auckland store’s! 2 At The Beach (New Holland, $35) by Margaret Brooker Summer recipes. 3 The Sympathizer (Piatkus, $28) by Viet Thanh … Read more
There ain’t no Friday Poem today. Instead, the Spinoff’s team of experts have chosen their favourite five books of poetry published in 2016, and guarantee that each book would make a really good Xmas gift. Hera Lindsay Bird (Victoria University Press, $25) by Hera Lindsay Bird There are 17 people in New Zealand yet to buy … Read more
Taxes: every politician’s favourite buzz word. But just how much tax are we paying? Take the quiz below. Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
You’ve seen all the other best-of books lists and as the saying goes: they’re shit! Yeah nah this is the only one you need, as the Spinoff’s team of democratic experts bring together memoir, history, survivor’s stories, boxing, shops and other subjects from real life. Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved & … Read more
The triumphant return of Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and Alex Casey to wrap up New Zealand telly in 2016. As 2016 starts to slip away like sand through the hour glass, our in-house television experts* reflect upon 2016 on the small screen in our fair country. What has Jordy Pordy been up to? What does … Read more
You’ve seen all the other best-of books lists and as the saying goes: they’re shit! Yeah nah this is the only one you need, as the Spinoff’s team of democratic experts bring together literary fiction, New Zealand stuff, and total fucking awesomely readable junk. Commonwealth (Bloomsbury, $33) by Ann Patchett The Spinoff’s choice as the best novel … Read more
With Christmas looming, we’ve assembled some of the best (cheapest) gifts you can buy for your TV-obsessed friends and family. It’s that joyous time of year when you realise you need to buy presents for a million people, except you don’t have the money or time to even wash your hair or eat a vegetable. … Read more
In his first speech after getting the formal tick from his caucus, and ahead of a trip to Government House to be sworn in as prime minister, Bill English has proved his literary credentials by reading a line from a poem. Go poetry. Go English Lit Bill. Here we publish the poem in full. Prime … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Toby Manhire: Bloody hell, John Key just quit as prime minister. This is not how things happen! “The National Party under Key has been lauded, rightly, for its ability to renew, with underperforming MPs finding themselves nudged out, or shouldered towards retirement. But now the prime … Read more
What’s everyone reading – and buying – at Xmas? Fucking Apostrophes and other gift ideas, going by the latest Unity Books best-seller chart at their stores in Auckland and Wellington. WELLINGTON STORE 1 Fucking Apostrophes (Icon Books, $19) by Simon Griffin Your cool Simon! 2 Wish Child (Victoria University Press, $30) by Catherine Chidgey “This is … Read more
With summer upon us, there is no better time to shut all the sunlight out of your room, pull a blanket over your head and watch TV until your eyes hurt. We assemble the best shows on Lightbox that you can binge from pilot to finale. Wolf Hall Binge time: 6 hours, like a perfectly … Read more
John Key was first elected Prime Minister in 2008. What was New Zealand like when the era of radio banter, ponytail pulling, and bad singing was just beginning? Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
We wanted to better understand the changing New Zealand economy, and who better to explain it than superstar economist Shamubeel Eaqub. This is the fourth of six short videos featuring Shamubeel giving it to us straight while sitting comfortably in a classic Kiwi chair. This time he responds to the ever-present fear that technology will … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Luke Tipoki: You say Kai-kura, I say Kaikōura – why your inability to pronounce Māori place names pisses me off “When I hear this mangling of tō tātou reo Māori, I hear years of colonisation, and I hear a country that seems uninterested in the preservation … Read more
It’s costing more and more to live in New Zealand. But just how much more? Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we go through Lightbox’s extensive online catalogue for shows you might like to watch. This week, Alex Casey and Madeleine Chapman peruse the new content dropping in December. NCIS (S10) Helicopter crashes, cyber-terrorists and car accidents come thick and fast in the tenth season of NCIS, one … Read more
When The Spinoff’s José Barbosa made a video last week assembling TV’s finest moustaches, he made one crucial error regarding the authenticity of Westside actor Will Hall’s moustache. South Pacific Pictures responds. The moustache has long been a celebrated adornment of masculine prowess so it’s not surprising, in the spirit of Movember, The Spinoff released … Read more
We indulge our gadget-curious side at Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa There’s no shortage of weird and interesting stuff to be discovered at Volume, the New Zealand music exhibition at the Auckland Museum. There is, of course, handwritten lyrics, posters, t-shirts, records … all the things you’d hope to see at a popular music exhibition. … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. David Farrier: ‘Hello, my name is Ally’ – how children are being exploited by YouTube predators “Josh believes it is highly unlikely Ally & Maddie are two young female YouTubers. He believes the account is run by an adult male. His suspicions are based on the … Read more
To celebrate Outrageous Fortune finishing six years ago this month, plus a nomination in the Lightbox People’s Choice Awards, we’ve assembled some of the best Cheryl West moments of all time. In November 2010, the final episode of the dark family comedy Outrageous Fortune aired on New Zealand screens. After six tumultuous, leopard-clad seasons, one … Read more
The weekly Unity Books best-seller chart at their stores in Wellington and Auckland. WELLINGTON STORE 1 Wellington In Your Pocket (Fitzbeck Creative, $25) by Nigel Beckford & Michael Fitzsimons, illustrated by Karolina Slovakova Handy and handsome guide to cool places to go in Wellington. 2 Havana Coffee Works (Phantom House, $50) by Geoff Marsland & … Read more
For some New Zealand cities, the past two weeks have showcased the worst weather scenarios, while for others it was the first signs of a hot summer to come. Take the quiz below to find out just who gets the most sun in summer. Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.