​​What Do They Have to Tell Us About the Future? Vanda Symon, Steff Green, HG Parry, and Angela Wanhalla will talk about women who’ve come before and those who are here now, and the footprints they’ve laid for our future. Hosted by Majella Cullinane.

Rose Carlyle, Nalini Singh, and Kyle Mewburn will read an excerpt from a significant childhood story and talk about the shaping effect it has had on their adulthood. Hosted by Bridget Schaumann.

Lynn Freeman sits down with Vincent O’Sullivan to talk about his recent work, including his new collection of poems Things OK with you? and of course the biographical portrait, Ralph Hotere: The Dark is Light Enough.

“Step through the gateway now to stories that are as relevant today as they ever were,” invites master storyteller Witi Ihimaera.

He will talk with Jacinta Ruru about his latest book, Navigating the Stars: Māori Creation Myths, in which he traces the history of Māori people through their creation myths, bringing them to the twenty-first century.

Jared Savage and Steve Braunias will tackle some of the big questions about crime in Aotearoa and what they have learned in the process of writing about it. With Rob Kidd.

From paranormal romance to crime thrillers, The New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh will talk to Kirby-Jane Hallum about how and why she has crossed genres, and her three most recent releases: Alpha Night, Archangel’s Sun, and Quiet in Her Bones.

Billed as ‘the female Bear Grylls’, Dutch-born Miriam Lancewood quit modern comforts and the teaching profession eight years ago to embrace an off-grid, primitive life in the New Zealand wilds. She’s written about her experiences in Woman in the Wilderness. What began as a year-long experiment, alongside her Kiwi husband Peter, has turned into a fulfilling nomadic lifestyle: “It seems that the trees pull the burdens off your shoulders.” Jinty MacTavish will find out what it was like for Lancewood to swap vegetarianism for hunting, shampoo for dandruff-busting urine, and digital distractions for Nature’s peace. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Australian Children’s Laureate Morris Gleitzman says: “Young people need stories more than ever. Stories to delight, stories to beguile, stories to inspire, stories to move deeply.” He believes stories help our young people to develop empathy, insight and resilience: “I like to think of them as a bit like vitamins.” He’s been producing those vitamins for over 30 years now and has written over 40 books (for 8–12 year olds). Don’t miss this chance to hear one of the world’s most articulate and heart-huge children’s authors in conversation with Barbara Larson. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

For Mother’s Day, we’ve tasked five mums (at different stages of parenting) with writing a letter to motherhood. With its mixed bag of delight and exhaustion, worry and hugs, sweetness and chaos, we know that motherhood hangs differently on all who serve it. The mums stepping up to the mic: Clementine Ford, Michèle A’Court, Tina Makereti, Majella Cullinane and Louise Wallace, with MC Charlotte McKay. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

One of New Zealand’s most distinguished poets, Bluff-based Cilla McQueen has published a whopping 15 volumes of poetry. She has scooped the NZ Book Award for Poetry three times, was the New Zealand Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2011, and was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in 2010. Her latest collection, Poeta, gathers together five decades of superlative work. When asked what irked her about poetry, she said “its difficulty”, and when asked what delighted her, “its difficulty”. Richard Reeve will talk with McQueen about her illustrious career and the pleasingly persistent tug of poetry’s difficulty. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz