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

Committed to memory • January 18 marks 80 years since Hungarian Jews were freed from near starvation in the Budapest Ghetto. Steven Sedley remembers the day as a 10-year-old.

Bright Lines

Face the music

10 Quick Questions

Quips & Quotes

Making America mean again

The windows to the soul

Just Austentatious

Moments in time

In loco parentis • Instead of taking it easy, many older NZers find themselves thrust into the full-time care of their grandchildren – often in traumatic circumst ances.

Dame Tariana Turia 1944 – 2025 • In breaking with Labour over the 2004 foreshore and seabed legislation, Tariana Turia changed NZ’s political landscape. Aaron Smale reflects on one of our most significant politicians of the past 30 years.

Visitors from the north • Our warming planet will bring more infectious diseases via biting insects, ‘species leaps’ and contaminated food and drinking water. How ready are we for emerging virus outbreaks?

The tireless bonkbuster • Publishers are treating the modern-day equivalents of Jilly Cooper and Jackie Collins with renewed respect.

In The Beginning

Barbecue • Each summer we commission some of Aotearoa’s finest writers to tell us a short tale. This year’s theme is “distance”. Here are the final three.

Seen, at a distance

Knight of the godwits

Extreme contrast • It was a year of political divisions, floods, droughts, earthquakes and spectacular visual and sound effects.

Jewels were her crown • Before Vivienne Westwood became synonymous with punk-era fashion, she designed jewellery. Now, some of it is on show at Te Papa.

Clear & present • Peter Perrett addresses his past and Primal Scream’s promising latest release.

Go with the flow • How a small-budget animated film from Latvia has pipped Hollywood hits for awards attention.

Paddington’s sweet spot

Vatican intrigue • Ralph Fiennes gives a jawdropping performance as a principled priest.

Room for improvement • Good actors perform bad dialogue in Almodovar’s ham-fisted first English-language feature.

TV Picks of the week

Tv Films

SATURDAY/RĀHOROI JANUARY 18

Thursday/Rāpare January 23

Friday/Rāmere January 24

Radio January 18-24

Plenty to look out for • Richard Betts continues his preview of what we can expect this year.

Slice of hydration • Insufficient fluids can contribute to long-term kidney problems and other chronic conditions.

Nutrition bites

Take your meds • Renowned London chef and restaurateur Ben Tish’s latest book features dishes from the islands and shores of the Mediterranean.

Essential Marlborough • The best of the best from Appellation Marlborough Wine.

Empathy weaponised • The ‘dark empath’ is a newly identified personality type that gives sadists and narcissists a run for their money.

Scaling back • It may be no bad thing if the break neck pace of artificial intelligence advancement finally stops to think.

HONOUR BOUND

Queen for a day