Better off Read

On July 10 2025, Erik launched his new collection of poetry Sick Power Trip at Scorpio Books in Ōtautahi.

It was so great to speak with Erik Kennedy to celebrate the launch of his new poetry collection Sick Power Trip (Te Herenga Waka University Press) I really enjoyed speaking with Erik about poetry in general and his work in particular. I love Erik's work so much and this new collection is incredible. Can not recommend it enough...

On June 10, my book Audition came out in the United States with Coffee House Press and Canada with Strange Light

To celebrate this, and with massive support from Laura Graveline at Coffee House Press, I've recorded three special episodes of Better off Read which feature three of my favourite writers published by Coffee House Press.

In this last special episode I get to talk to poupeh missaghi پوپه میثاقی.

poupeh's book Sound M...

On June 10, my book Audition came out in the United States with Coffee House Press and Canada with Strange Light

To celebrate this, and with massive support from Laura Graveline at Coffee House Press, I've recorded three special episodes of Better off Read which feature three of my favourite writers published by Coffee House Press.

In this first special episode I get to talk to Zeke Caligiuri. Zeke is a writer and activist from ...

On June 10, my book Audition comes out in the United States with Coffee House Press and Canada with Strange Light

To celebrate this, and with massive support from Laura Graveline at Coffee House Press, I've recorded three special episodes of Better off Read which feature three of my favourite writers published by Coffee House Press.

In this first special episode I get to talk to Danielle Dutton whose astounding Praire, Dresses, ...

This recording was made live at Featherston Booktown on 10 May 2025. It was a really sunny day and Saraid and I sat in the Featherston Library with the sun streaming in the windows with a really great group of people.

Saraid is an amazing writing. Saraid's novel Amma is a really great work of fiction and I recommend to anyone who hasn't read it yet.

At the moment I'm asking guests to offer and object for discussion. Saraid bro...

I've been a fan of Erin Harrington's work for a long time. I love her writing and research. Over the past six months I got to work on the same floor as Erin while I was one of the Ursula Bethell Fellow at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha where Erin is a Senior Lecturer.

It was so great to talk to Erin about this article:

'As we shovel in distractions, the inner life grows dim' by Charlotte Wood which appeared in The Guardian in 2020...

It was so great to catch up with Isabelle before Christmas and talk about her work.

Isabelle writes writes LGBT Romance, Paranormal and Horror Young Adult books.

The best place to find out about Isabelle's work is on her website

A Horse Walks into a Bar - Free Workshop

Thanks so much to everyone who attended and has watched the video of this workshop.

If you haven't watched the workshop yet you can learn more about it an...

Very grateful to Damien Levi for programming this live recording of Better off Read with the amazing Olive Nuttall at Verb Wellington 2024

Thanks also to Alistair from Alistair’s Music who hosted this event.

Olive and I talked about swords and Olive's book kitten published by Te Herenga Waka University Press

Content Note: This conversation includes mentions of CSA.

Action:...

Una and I spoke on the day her amazing book The Chthonic Cycle (Te Herenga Waka University Press, 2024) was released into book shops.

I have been incredibly moved by Una's book. It has shifted my mind and my world. It offers such an exciting opportunity to explore a new perspective of our current moment.

Action: Hikoi mō Te Tiriti

As I type this the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti is m...

It was so great to talk with Claudia. I am a huge fan of Claudia's book Biter published by Auckland University Press. It is an amazing, amazing poetry collection that I can't recommend enough.

Claudia and I chatted about Biter but also her other work including her music and new band Goodbye Starlet.

You'll hear us talk about Claudia's amazing Ōtautahi Christchurch Lit Scene Zine. Click this link for this incredible guide to ...

My novel I'm Working on a Building has been out of print for a long time. In November it is being reissued in a really stuning B-Format edition by Te Herenga Waka University Press

For this episode I've recorded a short reading from the first chapter.

It feels quite emotional being in Ōtautahi for the re-release of this book. The book centres around a structural engineer and includes a fictional earthquake in Te Whanganui-A-Tar...

It was so great to chat with Kerry Donovan Brown. Kerry and I have been friends for a long time and I always love talking to them. In this conversation we talk quite a bit about work - the work of writing and the other work Kerry has been doing.

Kerry's first novel Lamplighter is an amazing read. You can get a copy at the Te Herenga Waka University Press website

You may notice a slight change in acoustics for the last two ques...

I have been a fan of Shilo Kino's writing since reading her award winning book The Pōrangi Boy (Huia, 2020) a few years ago. What I love about The Pōrangi Boy is the way it really successfully finds a fictional form to explore the troubling things that are happening around and to us. I’m never sure if fiction can do anything. I still think we need to take direct political action in other areas - and Shilo is active in this work a...

I always find talking to Rose really inspiring. Rose's writing is so good and I love hearing about Rose's practice.

In this episode Rose uses Miranda July's new book All Fours as a starting point for this conversation about writing, the novel and how our day jobs can help us.

Rose's magnificent first book is All Who Live on Islands (Te Herenga Waka University Press, 2019)

Thanks for listening.

Just a reminder that Art fo...

Today is Budget Day in Aotearoa. I wanted to replay this episode because James talks so well about money and art. Specifically getting paid for art.

In this podcast James talks about his performance at the Verb After Hours event, imperialism and paying artists.

The first thing you'll hear is his performance the Verb After-Hours event: Beyond a Joke which took place on Thursday...

In this episode I talk with romesh dissanayake.

romesh's amazing novel when I open the shop (Te Herenga Waka University Press) was launched about a month ago.

I was really grateful that romesh and I were able to have a chat. I asked romesh to bring along an object as a way into a conversation about his book and this stage of its publication. romesh suggested Água Viva by Clarice Lispector.

It was such a great conversation.

Here...

In this episode I talk with Sylvan Spring about their incredible book Killer Rack.

https://teherengawakapress.co.nz/killer-rack/

In this episode we talk about a few things, so here are some links:

Sylvan spoke with kitten author Olive Nuttall in what is probably the best thing you'll read this year - thank you to The SpinOff:

‘So gay, thank you for noticing!’: Olive Nuttall and Sylvan Spring in conversation'

In the week leading up ...

In the most recent episodes I've been talking to people about where they are up to in their creative projects. I've asked these people to bring along an object they are 'using' for this stage of the project. 

This episode was recorded at Randall Cottage while Rachel O'Neill was resident there.

You can read more about Rachel at their website:

https://rachel-oneill.com/

I have set up a Buy Me a Coffee for Better off Read. If you are ...

Last Thursday, Whiti Hereaka was kind enough to come into Wellington Access Radio and have a chat with me on the occasion of the end of the year.

I love talking to Whiti and I always learn heaps from her.

Whiti has amazing recommendations. I thought I’d list them below along with the songs Whiti chose, which I can’t play in the podcast for copyright reasons.

Whiti has a great Instagram

Songs chosen by Whiti:

Short and Roung by The ...