What We Talk About

Brannavan Gnanalingam has always been interested in New Zealand's Sporting Performance in the Summer Olympics. His own sporting performance has never got him there himself, so he has had to make up for it with dedication to watching the Olympics. Hear Brannavan talk about what it is about the Olympics which draws him in and some of his personal Olympic highlights. 

Brannavan Ganalingam is the author of four novels. His latest 'A Briefcase, Two Pies and a Penthouse' was recently released though Lawrence and Gibson and is available to purchase at www.lawrenceandgibson.co.nz/

Fiona McNamara has always dreamed of having very long hair. This obsession with having long hair developed into selling her own hair. Now she is obsessed with the online human hair market. Hear Fi talk about the intricacies of online human hair market and the value of her own head.

Fiona is a member of Wellington experimental theatre company Binge Culture. Find out more about them at bingeculture.co.nz

In our gut there are millions of bacteria which work together to maintain our health which allows them and us to live. Bacteria essential for humans to survive and we don't talk about them enough. Listen to Ania Upstill talk about Gut Bacteria and gain a new appreciation of everything they do for us.

Ania Upstill is the creative director of Shakespearian theatre company The Lord Lackbeards. She has directed, performed and loved Shakespeare for twenty years.

Sarah Tuck has a dream of moving to Lyall Bay or Miramar so she can sit at home and watch all the airplanes come into the airport. But she know she cannot do this, because then she'll never get any work done. Airplanes distract Sarah too much.

Sarah Tuck is a member of the theatre company Pat-A-Cake Productions, and was half of the hit NZ Fringe show 'The Offensive Nipple Show' which will be coming to Melbourne Fringe later this year. She is also a co founder of social enterprise, 'CoLiberate', which is developing. a creative hub to make your mental well-being a daily practise. Find out more at www.coliberate.co.nz

When you're a teenager it's quite normal to get into bad horror films, but then you grow out of them in just a few years. This didn't happen to Hayden Frost, he instead went deeper. Hear Hayden talk about his favourite cult and exploitation films and what it is about them that fascinates him.

Hayden Frost co hosts the podcast 'Never Repeats', a film by film journey of New Zealand Cinema. You can listen to it at https://neverrepeats.co.nz/

Minecraft is addictive, that's a well established fact. Minecraft is so addictive that instead of preparing for What We Talk About Harriet Hughes spent her time playing Minecraft. But her passion for Minecraft shone through regardless.

Harriet Hughes is a member of Discharge Comedy Troupe. You can see their videos on Youtube by searching for 'Discharge Comedy'.

Ellie Stewart loves Nigella Lawson. Nigella's philosophies on taste, simple cooking and food culture has influenced Ellie's own views on cooking and eating. Let Ellie tell you about what it is about Nigella that is so revolutionary.

Ellie Stewart is a member of The Bacchanals and is a founding member of the Wellington Footlights.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has recently blown up with the success of Hamilton, and Maria Williams has been obsessed since the very beginning. Maria has always been interested in musicals, she wrote her first musical during science class at high school set to the music of Destiny Child. When everyone else at Maria's uni hall was listening to T Pain's 'Apple Bottom Jeans', she was listening to musical theatre soundtracks, which is where she was introduced to Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'In The Heights', just weeks after it's broadway premiere.

Robbie Nicol's brand of cartoony anti establishment satire has been making waves in New Zealand with his satirical web series White Man Behind a Desk over the past year, but his interest in anti establishmentarian comedy stretches back much further. Hear Robbie Nicol talk about how and why Animaniacs have influenced and inspired him

You can listen to Robbie's own podcast by searching 'How'd It Go' wherever you get your podcasts, see his Brief History of New Zealand Satire documentary at The Pantograph Punch, and become a patron of White Man Behind a Desk at www.patreon.com/whitemanbehindadesk.

Ever since Delia Cormack left food in her locker at high school she has been obsessed with fermenting foods. Hear Delia talk about the wonders of kimchi, how to make sauerkraut and her future plans to make something called nut cheese.