New Zealand Listener

New Zealand Listener is the country’s most respected general interest magazine, bringing you a wide variety of news, stories, columns, reviews, plus TV listings, every week.

Masthead

Yesterday’s news • NZME’s planned closure of 14 regional newspapers is a blow for local democracy, writes David Barber, but an all-too-familiar story.

What does NZ want?

Bright Lines

Quips & Quotes

10 Quick Questions

Titanic struggle • As a collection of crises converge, the government is turning a blind eye to the structural problems that cripple us.

When the brake failed

The personal touch

Beyond Notorious

An anti-social bar

Betrayals of faith • Five years after her complaints of sexual misconduct against two Catholic priests were upheld, a woman who had intended to become a nun is alarmed they continue to practise and fears other women may be at risk.

Whose privilege is it anyway? • After tens of thousands turned out to oppose the Treaty Principles Bill, Aaron Smale asks whether the bill is a distraction from the government’s real aim of favouring big business.

A joyful end • Death is the natural disaster that awaits us all, says a US palliative care specialist advocating for a peaceful, rather than prolonged, end to life.

Fields of green • Sun and heat can do funny things to our minds, like turning ocean waves into high country tussock. This form of madness could be fatal in past times.

Kids’ stuff • Stories of growing up and finding your place in life, magic and enchantment, words and libraries, and the splendour of our amazing native animals stand out in the top books for children and young adults in 2024. Ann Packer chooses 50 of the best.

The best NZ verse

Stake in the ground • Director Vincent Ward looks back at his debut feature Vigil, 40 years after the film established itself as a landmark in NZ cinema.

Parental pioneers

Boys’ own and brutal

Nasty piece of work • Hugh Grant has found his midlife calling in true horror style.

Home theatre • A timely look at the story of 40-year-old co-operative Taki Rua.

Oh brothers, who art thou? • No one knows who they are, but the Coward Brothers are back.

On a different platform • One of Agatha Christie’s less-celebrated murder mysteries gets a revamp in a new two-part series.

Tv Picks of the week

Tv Films

Saturday/Rāhoroi December 7

Sunday/Rātapu December 8

Monday/Rāhina December 9

Tuesday/Rātū December 10

Wednesday/Rāapa December 11

THURSDAY/RĀPARE DECEMBER 12

In the Xmas spirit • One of the world’s best choral conductors returns to Auckland for the festive season.

Know your oats • Oat milk’s creamy taste shouldn’t deter people with high cholesterol, though it’s worth considering what oils are added.

Smashing it • Canadian chef Matty Matheson, who plays Neil Fak in hit series The Bear, is mad about vibrant flavours from around the world.

Cheap & cheerful • Aussie wines in a Kiwi-designed cask in time for summer? What’s not to love?

Metal’s mental • Our musical tastes reflect our personalities but when it comes to lyrical complexity, there’s a surprise No 1.

Hello, Mr Bluesky • There may finally be a Twitter alternative worth investing your time in.

Ed’s Shed

Scrabbling for purchase