There's been precious little fiction set in the Papua region, though Lloyd Jones' Mr Pip offered an insight into the islands' recent past. Short story and travel-writer Bonnie Etherington grew up in West Papua, and she's poured some of her memories into her first novel The Earth Cries Out. She tells Lynn Freeman that it follows the fortunes of a missionary family trying to escape the pain of a tragedy. But it also tells stories of moments in West Papua's history - from plane-crashes to the introduction of flora and fauna pests.

Coming to parks, theatres and streets across Aotearoa are three works by emerging Kiwi choreographers. It's the latest Footnote Dance Company tour, aimed at giving up-and-comers a chance to have their work performed professionally. Eliza Sanders, Holly Newsome and Nancy Wijohn have created work for The Rebel Pink programme. Eliza's in Australia but Lynn Freeman spoke to Holly and Nancy during a break from rehearsals

Actor Kate McGill is working on verbatim theatre piece 'Weave - Yarns with New Zealanders'. Kate's picks include Billy T James, Graham Norton, Awesome Alannah, Funny Girls, Flight of the Conchords - and Kate's Mum Ginette McDonald aka Lynn of Tawa.

It'll come as no surprise to New Zealand authors that it's not easy making a living. But it's also getting harder. Very few can make writing a fulltime career, it's harder than ever to find publishers, and one in five writers have had their copyright infringed.

It's not often a play carries an R16 classification - but that's the case for a new show based on the experiences of people from violent relationships. Stories to Heal Violence is a verbatim performance, taken word for word from programmes for men and women seeking help after hurting others.

British artist David Shrigley's ten-metre-high bronze sculpture of a 'thumbs up' is now the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square.

Welsh band 9Bach is one of the acts lined up to be interviewed next weekend by veteran Womad Music festival journalist, McKenzie Jennings-Gruar.

Writer Elspeth Sandys offers us an view of a writer's life in her ninth novel, Obsession. The title refers to both several intense relationships in the book, and also the obsession that goes into writing for a living.

The Benson & Hedges Fashion Awards were huge back in the 60s and 70s, before they were renamed when tobacco sponsorship went out of fashion itself.

The devastating influenza epidemic of 1918 killed more than 8,600 New Zealanders, including many soldiers who'd survived the First World War. The graves of hundreds of influenza victims are scattered throughout the country's second-largest cemetary at Karori in Wellington -most of them forgotten and overgrown.