The Featherston Booktown Podcast

How does a nation confront the wrongs of the past? Can the weight of colonisation and its effects ever truly be measured? How do we create paths forward that allow people to flourish and ensure the crimes of the past are not repeated? Former Minister and Treaty Negotiator Paul Swain chaired a Trans-Tasman panel of experts to wrestle with these issues, featuring former MP and Treaty claims consultant Mahara Okeroa, Māori and government adviser Traci Houpapa, and celebrated Indigenous Australian academic Professor Barry Judd.

This episode was recorded at the 2026 Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival.
https://www.booktown.org.nz/

As we find ourselves in the throes of an election year, in an increasingly crowded attention economy, at a time when the very notion of truth is constantly called into question, Aotearoa's media landscape is more crucial than ever. 

To parse that landscape, TVNZ's Māori Affairs Correspondent Te Aniwa Hurihanganui,  The Spinoff founder Duncan Greive and former Newshub anchor and NBR Te Ao Māori Editor Mike McRoberts joined journalist Michelle Duff for a conversation that was as revealing as it was electric.

This episode was recorded at the 2026 Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival.
https://www.booktown.org.nz/

2017-2023 was one of the most momentous and unpredictable periods in our country's history - between Covid, the Christchurch terrorist attack, Jacindamania, He Puapua, the National Party's implosion, an unprecedented MMP victory, and more. How have those years shaped us? 

Moderated by Toby Manhire (The Spinoff), a panel comprising former National Party Minister Chris Finlayson, Former Speaker of the House Sir Trevor Mallard and political journalists Te Aniwa Hurihanganui (TVNZ) (Te Arawa, Rangitāne, Ngāti Porou) and Henry Cooke (Stuff) discussed how where we've been informs where we're going.

This episode was recorded at the 2026 Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival.
https://www.booktown.org.nz/

Triplets, amusement parks, and controversial scientists are at the heart of two Aotearoa novels longlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Just one of these overlapping elements would have been an amazing coincidence, but all three is nothing short of astonishing. Mary McCallum talked to Catherine Chidgey and Tracy Farr about The Book of Guilt and Wonderland and attempted to unearth what feeds the fertile imaginations that dream up such wonders. 
Recorded at the 2026 Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival. 
https://www.booktown.org.nz/

Visionary psychological coach Gilbert Enoka changed the way the All Blacks played. Having the highest winning record of any professional sports team in history is only possible because they leave nothing to chance. Their winning mindset and resilience are as important as their training, and Gilbert Enoka was their secret weapon. Bob Francis joined Gilbert on the couch to discuss his new book, Become Unstoppable, reflect on his unparalleled career, and distil his essential lessons so that we can all learn to win the All Blacks way.
This episode was recorded at the 2026 Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival.
https://www.booktown.org.nz/