A Little Bit Booked
A Little Bit Booked is like listening to two friends chat about their latest literary obsession. Editor and writer Claire Williamson (@accidentaltokyoite) is regularly joined by authors, book lovers, and publishing experts for in-depth interviews, reviews, and plenty of recommendations. Expect more than a bit of banter! Have a burning books question? Email alittlebitbookednz@gmail.com.
Episodes
July 15, 2026 • 46 mins
What makes a book perfect for rereading? Does where we are in life influence how we feel about a book? Why do I keep reading books about rabbits? Frazer MacDiarmid joins to talk about what books he rereads (or doesn’t) and how those experiences went.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- Watership Down, Richard Adams
- The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Unconsoled, Kazuo Ishiguro
- On Beauty, Zadie Smith (Penguin)
- H...
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July 1, 2026 • 31 mins
Sophie Rogers’ latest novel is set in 1800s New Zealand, at the height of the gold rush. She unpicks how she brings historic characters to life, balancing detail with narrative flow and what it’s like to be crowned a Blossom Festival Queen.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- Orchids & Camellias, Sophie Rogers (Flying Books Publishing)
- Nightshades & Paperwhites, Sophie Rogers
- Harry Potter, JK Rowling
- Lady ...
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June 17, 2026 • 46 mins
British artist and book cover artist Todd Atticus on his art practice, what makes a good book cover and two recent, impactful covers he designed – And How Are Things With You by Mia Farlane and The Valley by Asher Emanuel.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- The Valley: Crime And Punishment In A New Zealand City, Asher Emanuel (Bridget Williams Books)
- And How Are Things With You, Mia Farlane (Mākaro Press)
- Night, Ma, Eliz...
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June 3, 2026 • 32 mins
Friends of Founders Treasurer and book connoisseur Peter Rigg takes us behind the scenes of the highly anticipated Founders Annual Book & Record Fair, including the best book he’s ever found and how you can volunteer.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- A History of the World in 47 Borders, John Elledge (Headline)
- The Men Who Killed the News, Eric Beecher (Scribner Australia)
- One More Kilometre and We're in the Shower...
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May 20, 2026 • 43 mins
After putting his main character, the plucky Honey Chalmers, through the wringer in “The Call,” author Gavin Strawhan is back with “Slash.” He joins to talk about dialogue, developing character and the social issues that underpin his thrillers.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- My Family and Other Animals, Gerald Durrell (Penguin Classics)
- The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese (Grove / Atlantic)
- Cutt...
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May 6, 2026 • 41 mins
Writer and poet Harold Coutts is back to read and discuss “Hoods Landing,” “Terrier, Worrier,” and “This Compulsion In Us” from the 2026 Ockham Awards shortlist ahead of the awards ceremony on 13 May. Featuring bird facts, tarot, and some meta thought on thought.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- Hoods Landing, Laura Vincent (Āporo Press)
- Terrier, Worrier: A Poem in Five Parts, Anna Jackson ...
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April 22, 2026 • 36 mins
Paranormal romance writer Colette Rhodes is prolific and passionate about the value of romance (and happy endings). And she’s bringing that enthusiasm to live at her dedicated romance bookshop, The Ink Pot, in central Dunedin.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- The North Wind, Alexandria Warwick (Simon & Schuster)
- Shield of Sparrows / Rites of the Starling, Devney Perry (Entangled Publishing)
- Dreaming of You, Lisa K...
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April 9, 2026 • 46 mins
Josie Shapiro discusses the perils of success, what we owe our friends and the pursuit of perfection in her novels, “Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts” and “Good Things Come and Go.”
Books mentioned in this episode:
- On the Calculation of Volume, Solvej Balle (Faber)
- The Last Living Cannibal, Airana Ngarewa (Moa Press)
- Wonderland, Tracy Farr (The Cuba Press)
- 1985, Dominic Hoey (Penguin)
- ...
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March 25, 2026 • 41 mins
Poet and writer Kate Camp took the brave step of publishing her teenage diary from 1986 in full as a memoir, Leather & Chains: My 1986 Diary. She joins me to talk feminism, the diary as postmodernism expression and the fallibility of memory.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- Lyrical Ballads, Bill Manhire (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
- What to Wear, Jenny Bornholdt (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
- Girl on Girl: How ...
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March 11, 2026 • 36 mins
Author and restaurateur Erin Palmisano joins A Little Bit Booked to talk about her newest novel, “The Secrets of the Lost Vineyard,” and the food, friendship, and family that underpins her writing.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- People We Meet on Vacation, Emily Henry (Penguin)
- Foster, Claire Keegan (Faber)
- Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan (Faber)
Erin’s books are:
- The Secrets of the Little Greek...
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February 25, 2026 • 50 mins
Historian and writer Karen Stade joins A Little Bit Booked to talk about her career from journalist to historian, the importance of regional social history and the questions everyone should ask their grandparents for posterity.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- The Private Life of Helen of Troy, John Erskine
- Finding Private Webber, Angela Fitchett (Writes Hill Press)
- No, I Don't Get Danger Money: Confessions of an Accidental ...
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February 11, 2026 • 42 mins
Mountain lover and writer Hazel Phillips on what she always has in her tramping pack, “topselling” stories, and the many great women behind her upcoming book and how they made their mark on New Zealand mountaineering.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- An Offer from a Gentleman, Julia Quinn (Avon US)
- See How They Fall, Rachel Paris (Hachette Aotearoa NZ)
- The Girl in the Mirror / No One Will Know, Rose Carlyle
- Axe...
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February 2, 2026 • 37 mins
Paper Plus Nelson book buyer Michaela Smith opens up about how she approaches book reviews, breaking containment on bookstagram, and learning to love reading with dyslexia.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (HarperCollins)
- Babel, R.F. Kuang (HarperCollins)
- Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, Virginia Giuffre (Transworld Publishers)
- The Book of Guilt, Catherine Chid...
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January 14, 2026 • 33 mins
Reader Services Librarian Lucy Mitchell on all the things the Nelson Public Libraries have to offer, what being a librarian actually entails, and some of the weird things found in the returns slot. Plus a whole heap of upcoming 2026 titles you should put on hold right now!
Books mentioned in this episode:
- What We Can Know, Ian McEwan (Vintage)
- Dry, Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman (Simon & Schuster)
- Secret Water, Ar...
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December 31, 2025 • 28 mins
Claire and Erica share some of their standout fiction and non-fiction Kiwi reads from 2025, plus what book events and launches they’re looking forward to for 2026.
The book snake pattern I mentioned is by Han Lee (@bookaroundfindout) and you can purchase it on Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-book-snake.
Books mentioned in this episode:
-Wonderland, Tracy Farr (The Cuba Press)
-Hoods Landing, Laura Vincent (Ap...
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December 17, 2025 • 31 mins
Editor and writer Philippa Tucker joins me to talk about how editing is an art, the trust and vulnerability involved and (yes) our grammar pet peeves.
Books mentioned in this episode:
-Orbital, Samantha Harvey (Vintage)
-All Her Lives, Ingrid Horrocks (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
-Wonderland, Tracy Farr (The Cuba Press)
-Headlands: New Stories of Anxiety, edited by Naomi Arnold (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
-Ulysses, Ja...
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December 3, 2025 • 30 mins
From her lifestyle block in Central Otago, “Gill of all trades” Gillian Swinton talks about her accessible homesteading guide, “The Good Life,” and the importance of community.
Books mentioned in this episode:
-The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, Kim Michele Richardson (Sourcebooks Landmark)
-The Book of Guilt, Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
-Northbound, Naomi Arnold (HarperCollinsNZ)...
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November 19, 2025 • 41 mins
Writer and educator (and ex-cage fighter) Airana Ngarewa dives deep into the history behind his latest book, “The Last Living Cannibal,” which is set in rural Taranaki during World War II.
Books mentioned in this episode:
-The Last Living Cannibal, Airana Ngarewa (Moa Press);
-Te Āhua o Ngā Kupu Whakaari a Te Kooti, Tā Pou Temara (Auckland University Press;
-Poor People with Money, Dominic Hoey (Penguin);
-Mana, Tāme It...
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November 5, 2025 • 39 mins
Writer and poet Harold Coutts joins me in a quest to read half of the notable Booker Prize 2025 shortlist. We talk about why literary prizes can feel so intimidating, what we liked about each book, and make some predictions before the award ceremony on 10 November.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Flashlight, Susan Choi (Jonathan Cape)
Audition, Katie Kitamura (Fern Press)
The Loneliness of Sonia & Sunny, Kiran Desai (Hamish ...
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October 22, 2025 • 24 mins
Journalist, tramper, and author Naomi Arnold channels the confidence of a white male CEO while discussing her latest memoir, “Northbound,” and reliving the experience of hiking Te Araroa trail and then writing about it.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Rocco, Sherryl Jordan (Scholastic)
Descending Fire: The Story Behind The Stories, Sherryl Jordan (David Bateman Ltd)
Feijoa, Kate Evans (Moa Press)
No Words for This, Al...
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