Fable is best remembered for the disastrous, over-the-top promises made by its designer Peter Molyneux. But maybe, Adam Goodall argues, we’re remembering it all wrong. “There is something I have to say. And I have to say it because I love making games.” So opens an October 2004 post on the Lionhead Studios forum written … Read more
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Native Son: The Writer’s Memoir by Witi Ihimaera (Penguin Random House, $40) Stand by for a review from Essa Ranapiri! … Read more
Tara Ward delved into Māori TV’s impressive OnDemand catalogue and found some of the best TV taonga for your viewing pleasure. From lifestyle shows to documentaries, from current affairs to reality TV, Māori TV has an abundance of quality telly that celebrates and acknowledges the people, places and cultures of Aotearoa. Te reo Māori … Read more
A new poem by London-based poet Morgan Bach. Turning, hurtling I march diligently to sunshine in the park everything bathed and turning golden. A woman breathes fire by the folly framing her like a personal door to hell. Conkers are pitched from high boughs to break and give up fruit, a spire emergent from the … Read more
Simon Day learns about the history and power of Chinese five-spice. Both the origins of Chinese five-spice and the flavour itself are a little mysterious. My internet investigations revealed the powder’s name could be in reference to the use of five spices (although this often grows to six or seven), or it could refer to … Read more
Revelations around alleged sexual assault by a Labour staffer and the party inquiry into his behaviour have dominated the week. Alex Casey and Mihi Forbes join Gone By Lunchtime to survey the damage. Alex Casey, author of the Spinoff feature published on Monday, “A Labour volunteer alleged a violent sexual assault by a Labour staffer. … Read more
In the fourth episode of Actually Interesting, The Spinoff’s monthly podcast exploring the effect AI has on our lives, Russell Brown speaks to Ana Arriola, general manager and partner at Microsoft AI and Research, about ethics and transparency in tech. Subscribe to Actually Interesting via iTunes or listen on the player below. To download this episode right click and save. … Read more
Toi Kai Rākau Iti, who is running in the Eastern Bay of Plenty Kohi Māori constituency, encounters an unlikely channel of youth engagement. In te ao Māori you’re always looking for tohu, or symbols. They guide you through uncertain territory and help you make sense of the world. The arrival of Matariki? He tohu! A … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Examples of why teaching history matters immediately emerge, accused Labour staffer resigns, and giant of Tongan democracy dies. In the space of a day, there were two examples that clearly showed why New Zealand’s history needs to be taught in schools. In case you missed it, … Read more
Former MP Keith Locke on the legacy of Akilisi Pohiva, who died yesterday. Tongan prime minister ’Akilisi Pohiva will be mainly remembered as the country’s leading democrat. For four decades he campaigned to reduce the powers of the Tongan King and institute a democratically elected parliament. The monarchy didn’t take kindly to his efforts. In … Read more
Across the city, candidates are running for office on the promise of fixing the botched bus network. Good luck to them. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here. In the space of just a year or so, a … Read more
Western companies trademarking culturally significant words and phrases? It’s not as uncommon as you think. Here are just four examples from the past year. Air New Zealand & Kia Ora No word in te reo has had more mainstream cut through than our national greeting. Now, Air New Zealand is attempting to go one step … 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. This week he talks to Tim Brown, co-founder of Allbirds. This week’s podcast has an extra special guest that’s recently been on the … Read more
Lana Lopsesi on tatu maker Julia Mage’au Gray, the revival of Melanesian female tattoo practice, and an exhibition paying homage to her remarkable work. I remember turning up before the chaos. It was just me and Julia Mage’au Gray. Her daughter Vasa had run out to get some gloves. Looking at my body, she asked … Read more
The myth that Māori wiped out the Moriori people is the punchline of a new Jim Gaffigan joke. Update 13/9: Jim Gaffigan has apologised on Twitter, saying he was “simply repeating what he was told”. On the day that the government announced New Zealand history will become compulsory in schools, one of the most pervasive … Read more
While the protests continue in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong diaspora looks on with fear, anger, solidarity and hope. Zoe Mills asked Hong Kong New Zealanders what they wanted to say to those back home, as they fight on to protect their civil liberties. Since June, a wave of political unrest has rocked Hong Kong. … Read more
‘The beautiful are cruel, the cruel are sad, the demons are capable of good.’ Maria McMillan reviews the new novel by Elizabeth Knox, bound to be one of the year’s biggest local releases. Elizabeth Knox’s The Absolute Book has an awful lot going on. I’m still working it out. It’s a story about Taryn Cornick … Read more
The crisis surrounding Labour’s response to alleged sexual assault by a staffer lays bare the inadequacy of our current system, writes Danyl Mclauchlan I’ve worked at, or been involved with progressive organisations where someone gets accused of – well, something: no one is quite sure what. The details are disputed. Lawyers are involved. If the … Read more
Sure, Scotty Morrison’s Māori At Work is a wonderful resource for Aotearoa’s collective te reo Māori journey. But is it judgemental enough for the modern office environment? This year’s theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is ‘Kia kaha te reo Māori’, ‘Let’s make the Māori language strong’. The growing strength of te reo … Read more
Whaea Kaa Williams is a lecturer in te reo Māori at Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa. She remembers a time when she wasn’t allowed to speak te reo Māori “past the front gate.” Cornell Tukiri: Mōrena, could you tell me a little about yourself? Kaa Williams: I am now at … Read more
In our latest local elections 2019 race briefing (read the rest here), Josie Adams looks at the battle to wrest control of the beautiful offshore outpost, Great Barrier Island/Aotea. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here. Where? … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Haworth resigns but questions remain, motels for emergency accommodation in spotlight, and avocado growers confident about season ahead. Despite the resignation of the Labour party president, it is unlikely the scandal around allegations of sexual assault against a staffer will end any time soon. Nigel Haworth … Read more
The candidate comparison super-tool is now live, making it easy to find out who is offering what in local elections from the top to the bottom of New Zealand. Here it is. Last time round, it was called “the stand-out success of the 2017 election”. Today Policy returns to The Spinoff, sharper, shinier, and a … Read more
The prime minister has some news about the place of New Zealand history in the school curriculum. Recent events show us how crucial it is that it’s given the prominence it deserves. Today, during the unveiling of a New Zealand Wars memorial plaque, Jacinda Ardern will make an announcement concerning the teaching of history in … Read more
Bad erotica never sounded so good. Sam Brooks talks to Jamie Morton of My Dad Wrote a Porno, about the hit podcast’s fifth season and upcoming return visit to New Zealand. Forget Joe Rogan. The real superhero of podcasting is Belinda Blumenthal, the sex-loving protagonist of Rocky Flintstone’s Belinda Blinked series of erotica that serves … Read more
To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, cookbook authors, 2014 MasterChef-winning sisters and badass wāhine Māori Karena and Kasey Bird (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manawa) have translated some of the delicious recipes from their second cookbook, Hungry, into te reo Māori for The Spinoff. Today, fried chicken. HEIHEI PARAI kia 4 ngā heihei korehere … Read more
A new version of Bic Runga’s classic single ‘Sway’ is among the tracks on Waiata/Anthems, a compilation of te reo Māori versions of hit New Zealand songs. Runga spoke to Alice Webb-Liddall about how recording ‘Haere Mai Rā/Sway’ helped her reconnect with her whakapapa. Bic Runga’s father Joseph was a Māori ex-serviceman whom Runga and … Read more
Too many political platforms are designed for the benefit of white, male, 9am commuters. Women in Urbanism Aotearoa has put forward a list of policies for candidates who want to serve everyone in their communities. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click … Read more
Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick watches Patrick Gower’s documentary on cannabis, On Weed, which starts tonight on Three. We haven’t had a great deal of local, in-depth, visual reporting on cannabis in Aotearoa New Zealand, so when Paddy Gower announced his intention to produce a documentary on the issue, public interest was piqued. It’s been … Read more