The University of Auckland’s Mark C. Wilson spent three years fighting to discover how much New Zealand universities are spending on journal subscriptions. Here’s what he found. University research is generally funded from the public purse. The results, however, are published in peer-reviewed academic journals, many of which charge subscription fees. I had to use … Read more
The social media behemoth has become a cacophony of noise and cruelty, and even though it’s integral to Chris Scott’s work as a brand and social comms executive, he’s decided it’s time to hit delete and bid farewell to the Big Blue. Facebook has been a significant part of my life. I’ve used it for … 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. This week Sacha Judd talks young female fans and how they just might … Read more
Rebecca Inoue-Palmer writes about raising her daughter in a Japanese-Pākehā family, and why she and her husband are dedicated to maintaining their child’s link to her Asian heritage. Two mornings a week, my daughter carries two bags to her Wellington primary school. One is a lightweight backpack, carrying her lunchbox, drink bottle and the usual … Read more
Kate Robertson’s seven reasons why you should stop underestimating Halsey. Halsey hasn’t had the easiest run of things since first appearing on our radars in 2015. Sceptics have called her a manufactured popstar, Pitchfork slaughtered her debut album BADLANDS, and people of a certain age like to write about how they don’t get the hype. … Read more
Michael Field, whose book The Catch helped expose the labour and human rights abuses in New Zealand’s fishing industry, discusses his new investigation into illegal fishing practices in the Pacific. Journalist Michael Field has been writing about the Pacific for three decades. More recently, his investigations have led him into a dark world of foreign-flagged … Read more
More than 40 New Zealand businesses have been ranked as some of the fastest growing technology companies in the Asia-Pacific region by revenue growth. But the big surprise came from a digital marketing company that’s only been operating for about three years, Rebecca Stevenson reports. This week a New Zealand company you’ve probably never heard … Read more
Arriving December 19, Lightbox’s new historical epic The Hollow Crown is bringing some serious silver screen stars to your little streaming device. Sam Brooks shares a guide on where you know them from and who the heck they’re playing. There are two things that happen when you watch one of these period dramas with loads … Read more
Okay so of course that one by George Saunders that won the Booker is among the best 20 novels of 2017 – but what were the others? Funny you should ask! The Power by Naomi Alderman (Penguin, $26) The novel for our times. It’s a sci-fi feminist allegory of a society in which women are in charge, … Read more
‘The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Wellington,’ Mark Twain almost said (the apocryphal saying is actually about San Francisco, close enough). But not this year. The city is basking in a long stretch of hot weather – and some residents are not coping. Something strange is going on in Wellington. The … Read more
16 top politics watchers name their winners and losers from a tumultuous political year. Today we launch the Spinoff’s political year in review with a collection of the champs and flops. The question: Who would you rank as the best performing individuals (or parties/institutions/whatever) in NZ politics for 2017? (And why, if you like.) To … Read more
A guide to the 20 very best books of non-fiction – essays, memoirs, biographies, even a cookbook and a self-help book for God’s sake! – published in 2017. The Mother of All Questions: Further Feminisms by Rebecca Solnit (Granta, $27) These succinct essays focus on the importance of empathy, the white noise around silence, and the silencing … Read more
In the first part of a four piece series exploring the surrounding environments of Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch by road trip, Spinoff writers Simon Day and Don Rowe head north, east and west from Auckland’s central city. Exploring New Zealand’s glorious natural beauty by car is a rite of passage for any Kiwi. The great … Read more
Millie Lovelock talks to Chelsea Jade ahead of her return to New Zealand for Wondergarden festival. In 2015, I was lucky enough to catch one of Chelsea Jade’s last New Zealand shows before she upped roots and moved to Los Angeles. It was a freezing midwinter Dunedin night, and Chelsea played to a captivated audience … Read more
Alan Tennyson of Te Papa describes the discovery of colossal fossils in an Otago boulder, and how it helps us better understand ancient penguin species. The emperor penguin is an impressive bird – but it would have been relatively small in comparison with some of the giant penguins that lived in the distant past. In … Read more
The chief scientist of the Environmental Protection Agency has been making waves since her appointment, articulating a pro-farming message around water use. Has agri-business captured our environmental regulator? Outspoken farming critic Rachel Stewart thinks so. Apparently if you don‘t trust the decisions made by the Environmental Protection Agency, you’re part of a growing trend in … Read more
Every office has at least one grinch, it’s a fact of life. But can an office grinch be converted into a festive fanatic? Madeleine Chapman tries her darnedest. I’ve always held onto the stubborn belief that nobody truly hates Christmas. They might think they hate Christmas, but really they just hate effort. Yes, I’m well … Read more
There’s a widespread belief that charities and people living in poverty should just ‘be grateful’ for any food donations they receive. That’s a dangerous and damaging idea, argues Rebekah Graham. This is part of an ongoing series of articles based on Dr Rebekah Graham’s PhD research on poverty and food insecurity. Read part one – … Read more
Super-wealthy internet tycoon, Trump-booster and ordinary Kiwi geezer Peter Thiel was spotted this week at an exhibition in Auckland based largely on his ideas. Who better to review the show than Peter Thiel*? Hello fellow New Zealanders. I mean, Kiwis. That’s what we call each other, right? I mean, I know we do, because I … Read more
Alex Casey watches Sisters, the new Aussie dramedy from the people who created Offspring and Puberty Blues. The bad news is that we have definitely reached peak capacity for movies and TV comedies about the chaos that ensues after a lifetime of secret sperm donation. After that Vince Vaughn nightmare Delivery Man, I thought it … Read more
Opinion: Green MP Golriz Ghahraman recently came under fire over a selective biography on the party site. Branko Marcetic dives into a bunch of other members’ bios. Did Golriz Ghahraman and the Green Party mislead New Zealand voters about her work on the defence teams of alleged war criminals or didn’t they? It’s the question … Read more
We’re back for the fourth installment of Congratulations, She’s a Boy, following Wellington writer Felix Desmarais’ female-to-male (FTM) transition. This month: a life-changing operation. What a difference a month and a bit makes. Last time I wrote my column, I had breasts. Now I’m sitting here writing having just seen my new nipples, grafted on … Read more
The early signs are the coalition government is not afraid of making tough calls when it comes to healthier approaches to drug use. Stephen Blyth of the Drug Foundation lays out the challenges ahead, and reminds us it’s about more than running a referendum on cannabis. Late last Friday afternoon housing minister Phil Twyford reversed … Read more
What exactly, asks Simon Wilson, has the council decided to do about kauri dieback? Why did the Māori board members contradict themselves and which trails have been closed? The Auckland Council voted on Monday to substantially increase spending on the environment, including the fight against kauri dieback. Surprisingly, that’s a first. But it turned down … Read more
The Real Pod assembles in The Spinoff boardroom of dreams to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture, thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, we are all on a come-down after an amazing pre-record with Queen Matootles, which will be our Christmas gift to you all next week. With Nando’s firmly … Read more
Freya Daly Sadgrove, a bookseller at The Children’s Bookshop in Wellington, chooses the very best picture books, chapter books and YA novels of 2017. PICTURE BOOKS THE BEST: I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon (Allen & Unwin, $27.99) I’ve seen a bunch of picture books featuring monsters this year, and the trend seems … Read more
NZ on Air has funded your favourite local website to ramp up its video output across all online channels, and make its first free-to-air TV show. Incredible news for fans of The Spinoff and/or the medium of television: NZ on Air has just announced that The Spinoff TV will be coming to both the internet … Read more
Sia played Mt. Smart Stadium last week. Sam Brooks went and found the concert – and Sia’s entire anti-persona persona – sadly wanting. We all know Sia’s concept (if you’re being kind) or shtick (if you’re being unkind) by now. She puts on a wig and sings while a dancer, usually Maddie Ziegler from Dance … Read more
To buy or not to buy isn’t really the question. The real question is, is bitcoin for us? Mark Hattersley argues that seeing bitcoin as an investment is ultimately short-sighted when it’s a potentially life-changing invention for some. At the time of writing this, one bitcoin is worth more than $24,500, having recovered from a weekend … Read more