Back in 1992 cult Portland garage rock trio Dead Moon skipped the chance to play with Nirvana to do a 20-show tour of New Zealand, gaining many ardent fans here in the process. This month sees the release of Going South, a double LP of live recordings of the band's gig in Invercargill, to mark the 30th anniversary of that tour.

Emily Perkins is acclaimed as a novelist and short story writer, but her career started as an actor graduating from Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School in 1989. In her playwriting debut In 2015 Perkins created a contemporary interpretation of Ibsen's A Doll's House with Auckland Theatre Company, who have now commissioned a new work from her.

The relationship humans have with our canine friends is more established and, arguably, deeper than with any other animal. In Wonderdog: How the Science of Dogs Changed the Science of Life, author Jules Howard looks at the fascinating history of scientists' work with dogs to understand what they - and we - are capable of.

The New Zealand diet is particularly bad for the planet due to the vast amount of land required to produce food for it, says environmental campaigner and author George Monbiot.

Feedback for Saturday Mornings with Kim Hill August 27th

Dr Deidre Brown has a life-long interest in the relationship between Maori and early Christian missionaries.

In November 2019, Zarifa Ghafari became the mayor of Maidan Shahr, the capital city of Wardak Province, Afghanistan. She is one of the only female mayors in Afghan history and the youngest - appointed at age 26.

What has 90s rave culture got to offer the anxious 2020s? Back in the mid-90s Nelson-based artist Josephine Cachemaille was cofounder and general manager of The Gathering, described as "New Zealand's most transformative, influential and downright legendary music festival". Cachemaille has reunited with two artist friends, Eve Armstrong and Gabby O'Connor to bring back the dance party as an art project at Wellington's Enjoy Gallery.

The Right Honourable Trevor Mallard resigned as Speaker of the House this week after 35 years as a Member of Parliament. He will soon take up a three-year posting in Dublin as our second resident Ambassador to Ireland.

Set in Renaissance Italy, Maggie O'Farrell's ninth novel The Marriage Portrait imagines the lost story of Lucrezia de' Medici, who was betrothed to the Duke of Ferrara at age 13.