11th October 2025
Internationally lauded and best-selling Aotearoa author, Catherine Chidgey, has published her ninth novel, The Book of Guilt. Set in Britain in 1979, it’s a dystopian and sinister story about 13-year-old triplets – Vincent, Lawrence and William – who live in the New Forest home, part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme. After an international bidding war The Book of Guilt was picked up by UK publisher John Murray, who was established in the 1700s and has published, among others, Darwin, Arthur Conan Doyle and Jane Austen. Sarah Daniell caught up with Chidgey on the eve of the book’s launch, to discuss work, words, family and death – and the ‘difficult child’, Tama, the omnipotent magpie star of her novel, The Axeman’s Carnival.
A charming, funny, and deeply Kiwi reflection on the humble Tip Top ice cream tub — once a vessel for dessert, now a national symbol of practicality and creativity. From frozen soup to car parts and compost, it holds the everyday essence of New Zealand life, revealing how the ordinary…
A rich, insightful review of Not Given Lightly, Craig Robertson’s biography of Chris Knox — the provocative, brilliant heart of New Zealand’s Flying Nun scene. From punk icon to painter, Knox’s story captures the evolution of indie music, artistic integrity, and contradiction in a changing Aotearoa.
Exclusive offer for wine lovers with North & South 14th August, 2025 North & South's new column, By the Bottle, with wine writer Timothy Giles, is an edgy, funny and insightful glimpse examining wine labels (Why do they look like that? Why do they say that? What is this I'm…
Tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels and ultra-processed food drive one-third of global deaths, hitting the poorest hardest. For decades, New Zealand health leaders have sounded the alarm. Yet instead of curbing industry power, the coalition government has opened the door wider — to lobbyists, donors and policy sabotage. Dr Renee Liang…
Hoani Hotene (Ngāti Hauā) is a Billy T Award winning comedian with his show It’s Getting Hot-ene, So Tell Me All Your Jokes, fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to the Nelson Arts Festival in October. He talks with Michelle Duff about finding the funny in the difficult, being heckled…
God, gigs and glitter: The unholy origins of Pub Choir’s Astrid Jorgensen
She thought she was marrying Jesus. Instead, she found her true religion: music, mischief and communal joy. Astrid Jorgensen OAM, is the founder of Pub Choir is a worldwide phenomenon. The New Zealand born, Brisbane based choral conductor, composer, producer, and entertainer has enchanted and captivated audiences and featured global…
Read More
Culture Compass
No one with a half decent tour manager crosses the globe to our little island nation in winter, which means over the coming months there’s a preposterous stream of big names touching down, including Priscilla Presley, Oprah Winfrey, Doja Cat, Cliff Richard, Teddy Swims, and Lenny Kravitz - none of…
Read More
Consuming culture is as much about seeing and connecting with others and their experiences as it is about feeding our insatiable appetite for stimulation. It’s an intimate act that allows us to see inside the hearts and minds of artists. Doing that – consuming arts and culture – is a…
Consuming culture is as much about seeing and connecting with others and their experiences as it is about feeding our insatiable appetite for stimulation. It’s an intimate act that allows us to see inside the hearts and minds of artists. Doing that – consuming arts and culture – is a…
The Culture Compass 10th July 2025While film fanatics patiently bide our time waiting for the New Zealand International Film Festival to roll around (tickets are on sale now), we must find other ways to keep dark existential musings at bay and the creative synapses firing. Here is our selection of…
As New Zealand’s largest metropolis braces for unprecedented growth, the race is on to transform the city and its infrastructure into a liveable, sustainable urban paradise. By Sasha Borissenko.
See Auckland like never before with Auckland Sea Kayaks’ City Lights Night Tour! Newly launched, this is New Zealand’s first inner-city kayaking experience.
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders with Innovative Master of Environment and Agriculture.
Contact Us
If you want to get in touch with us, please send an email to [email protected]
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
For regular updates on what’s happening, please sign up for the newsletter here.
The Sport Column
Clare Thomson | Cover Story, Feature Article, North&South | No Comments