Author Kerri Andrews on the desire to walk
Kerri Andrews, author of Pathfinding, talks about what it means to rediscover oneself through the land we walk on.
Jul 31, 2025•18 min
Nights
Tune in to Nights with Emile Donovan every weekday from 8pm to midnight for a delectable buffet of creative ideas, open-minded conversations, music, musings and daily stimulation.
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Episodes
The Reread with Elizabeth Knox
Esteemed Aotearoa author Elizabeth Knox shares her thoughts on her reread of The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Jul 31, 2025•19 min
Philosophy Now: Is buzz-killing a social crime?
Is buzz-killing a social crime? Do we have a moral obligation to be happy? Professor Dan Weijers sheds some light.
Jul 31, 2025•8 min
Why screaming phones are a last resort
Dr Sally Potter, founder and director of Canary Innovation Limited, shares her perspective on the necessity of emergency mobile phone alerts in light of recent nationwide technical glitches.
Jul 31, 2025•13 min
Staging sex on screen
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandals and subsequent #MeToo and Time's Up movements, Ita O'Brien introduced the "Intimacy On Set Guidelines".
Jul 30, 2025•29 min
What's a city?
New Zealand has thirteen city councils but do we actually have that many cities?
Jul 30, 2025•13 min
The declining rate of cousins
Fewer children being born means those that are grow up with fewer cousins. Sociologist Dan Woodman joins Emile Donovan to explain this little-discussed shift in our family structures.
Jul 29, 2025•16 min
Shower Thoughts: How do you get a patent?
Leading patent attorney Matt Adams, a partner at trans-Tasman intellectual property firm FB Rice, joins Emile Donovan from RNZ's Wellington studio to explain how you get a patent, how they're enforced, and why you might need one.
Jul 29, 2025•17 min
Live from the 2025 Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards
Emile Donovan crosses to the glitz and glamour of our nation's pie awards to congratulate gold category winner Jason Hay from Richoux Patisserie Ellerslie.
Jul 29, 2025•4 min
Historians at sea
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is disestablishing four of its five senior historian roles. Historian and former editor for Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand Jock Phillips joins Nights to discuss.
Jul 29, 2025•15 min
Josh Drummond: A cynic's guide to self-help books
In a quest to optimise his own life, writer Josh Drummond has spent years consuming and reviewing self-help books for his Substack The Cynic's Guide to Self-Improvement. He joins Emile Donovan.
Jul 28, 2025•18 min
BBC World Service lookahead with Rob Hugh-Jones
BBC World Service reporter Rob Hugh-Jones joins Emile Donovan to take a look at some of the events making international headlines, including reports of starvation in Gaza, Afghan populations leaving Iran, and a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.
Jul 28, 2025•9 min
Sports with Jamie Wall
RNZ sports whiz Jamie Wall joins Emile Donovan to debrief the week that was in sport.
Jul 28, 2025•15 min
Fantasy claims 25 percent of NZ's top books list
Ruby Wallace, the owner of Auckland romance bookstore Enamoured Books, joins Emile Donovan to explain the craze behind fantasy, and particularly the steamy sub-genre romantasy.
Jul 28, 2025•6 min
Material change for the construction industry
Professor John Tookey from AUT joins Emile Donovan to look at whether improving the availability of overseas materials will bring down the high cost of construction.
Jul 28, 2025•16 min
Short-Cuts with Dan Slevin
Nights' resident screen critic joins Emile Donovan to review The Fantastic Four: First Steps (in cinemas), Giri/Haji (Netflix) and The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (Tubi).
Jul 25, 2025•16 min
The Quiz Appendix: Poems and planets
Nights producer Bonnie Harrison joins Emile Donovan to review the week in quiztastic glory.
Jul 25, 2025•9 min
This Weekend: Offal-y Good Festival
Lincoln Tan, who runs Chow Luck Club alongside Bee Koh, speaks to Emile.
Jul 25, 2025•7 min
The role of lobbying in NZ's new medical school
Political commentator and Integrity Institute director Bryce Edwards says it is not a health policy, but a political decision made without due process. He speaks to Emile.
Jul 24, 2025•19 min
UK correspondent Christian Smith
Christian Smith joins Emile Donovan to discuss protests against President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine over anti-corruption changes, and French President Macron and his wife Brigitte who are suing rightwing influencer Candace Owens.
Jul 24, 2025•13 min
Myth Takes: The Aeneid
Classics educator and enthusiast Ben Jackson joins Emile Donovan to celebrate that lesser-known epic poem, The Aeneid, by the Roman poet Virgil.
Jul 24, 2025•7 min
Te Papa named NZ's best tourist attraction, again
The national museum saw over one million visitors in the past financial year, and its high rating on Tripadvisor has seen it take out the number one spot for the second year running.
Jul 24, 2025•5 min
Grand Final preview and a look at the future of netball
RNZ sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe has reported on four Netball World Cups and two Commonwealth Games. She previews the Grand Final and looks at some changes to the sport here and overseas.
Jul 24, 2025•16 min
The art of mimicry
Why do we mimic? We may not be as effective as chameleons but humans have a number of tools at our disposal when we want to fit in.
Jul 23, 2025•19 min
To pee or not to pee
Is it true that women have to pee more often than men? Anecdotally, the evidence would appear to suggest yes but have you ever wondered why?
Jul 23, 2025•9 min
Are RSAs fit for purpose in 2025?
The Royal New Zealand RSA has relaunched itself, saying it wants to better reach young veterans, tell their stories, and most of all stay relevant.
Jul 23, 2025•11 min
The campaign to 'stop killing games'
It's becoming more common for studios to withdraw a movie you've paid to download, or stop supporting a game you've bought online. Campaigner Ross Scott joins Emile Donovan to explain.
Jul 22, 2025•16 min
Shower Thoughts: Could you tunnel through the centre of the earth?
Dr Alfredo Carpineti, astrophysicist and senior staff writer at IFL Science, shares all the ways you would die if you dug a tunnel from New Zealand to Spain.
Jul 22, 2025•11 min
The best way to run your heat pump
Running 24/7 or one short blast? Dr Gareth Gretton, a Lead Advisor at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority joins Emile to settle the (relatively) age-old question.
Jul 22, 2025•10 min
Sky TV buys Three's network
Co-editor of Newsroom.co.nz and former head of 3 News Mark Jennings talks to Emile about what this will mean for our media landscape.
Jul 22, 2025•17 min
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