Close But No Booker
Wellington author Lloyd Jones has missed out on the Man Booker prize, despite his novel Mister Pip being the bookies’ favourite to win. The award went to Irish author Anne Enright for The Gathering….
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Michelin man
Waikato-born chef de cuisine Josh Emett has won two Michelin stars for his menu at Gordon Ramsay at The London, the celebrity chef’s new venture in New York. Emett oversees the menu…
King Talks Technology
The Guardian interviewed Black Sheep director Jonathan King about his favourite gadgets on the eve of his film’s UK release. King’s favourite piece of technology is his Apple iBook G4 laptop – “I use…
Auckland band makes the cut
Auckland power-punk quartet Cut Off Your Hands scored an invitation to play at New York’s “suffocatingly cool” CMJ Music Marathon, one of the US indie scene’s premiere events. Cut Off Your Hands was…
Trans-Tasman Netball Goes Semi-professional
A new trans-Tasman netball tournament will be launched in April next year, bringing together five teams each from NZ and Australia. The Tasman Trophy has secured ANZ Bank as its naming rights sponsor, and will screen…
Tributes Flow for China Expert
Leading Sinologist Professor Elisabeth “Lisa” Croll has died from cancer aged 63. Born in Reefton, on the South Island’s West Coast, Croll gained a BA and MA at Canterbury University before completing a second…
Master Carver Shares Message
Maori master carver James Rickard held a workshop at the Victor Oteyza Community Art Space in Baguio City, the Philippines, this month. He spoke about the need for indigenous artists to protect their works…
NZ Unites Against Death Penalty
NZ has joined a United Nations effort seeking the worldwide abolition of the death penalty. Co-sponsors of the UN resolution include Brazil, East Timor, Gabon, Mexico, the Philippines and Portugal. “Capital punishment is the ultimate form of…
Triathlon Success in Rhodes
Kris Gemmell is the latest in a string of NZ athletes to win a World Cup triathlon event this year. Gemmell finished first at the inaugural Rhodes World Cup in Greece, beating the UK’s Alistair…
Curse of the Perennial Favourites
Another NZ Rugby World Cup campaign has ended in tatters, with the All Blacks bowing out 18-20 to France in the quarterfinal. Despite being consistently ranked first in the world, and NZ being the only…
Ex-M16 Agent Gives Evidence
A former British secret service agent from Ngaruawahia has given evidence at the inquest into the death of Princess Diana. Richard Tomlinson alleges that his former employer, M16, was responsible for the death…
The Gift of Sight
A photographic exhibition celebrating the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation opened in Sydney on World Sight Day, October 11. Together with Nepalese surgeon Sanduk Ruit, NZ-born Hollows pioneered a cheap and effective form of eye…
Fashion writer swaps stilettos for saddles
Well-known NZ fashion reporter Stacy Gregg has turned her hand to writing children’s fiction. Gregg, a keen horse rider as a young woman, noticed a gap in the market for well written pony…
Kiri’s American Valedictory
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performed in Orange County, California, in what is being billed as her North American farewell tour. Michael Rydzynski praised her engaging presence, pure tone and comic touches in a review…
Champion Red
Central Otago vineyard Bald Hills has continued its remarkable winning streak with three more major international awards for its 2005 Pinot Noir. The wine beat 4,760 other entries to take the Champion Red award at the International…
Passchendaele Remembered
NZ and Australian leaders led commemorations at the 90th anniversary of the battle of Passchendaele in Belgium this month. PM Helen Clark and Australian Governor General Michael Jeffery paid tribute to the 10,000 ANZAC…
Queen of the South Pacific
Taumaranui-born soprano Rhonda Bryers has passed away aged 55 at her home in Hawaii. Bryers was one of NZ’s best known singers in the late 1980s, when she won the country’s Entertainer of the…
Screw the Critics
The NZ wine industry is leading a global anti-cork movement, according to a book published in the US this month. To Cork or Not to Cork by George Taber measures the practical benefits of…
Wellywood and Bollywood Unite
The NZ and Indian governments are to negotiate a film co-production agreement, whereby resources will be pooled to benefit filmmakers in both countries. “Films made jointly by New Zealand and Indian producers would qualify as works with…
Power Producers
Queenstown-born film producer Tim Bevan (right) features in Vanity Fair‘s annual ‘New Establishment’ power rankings, along with business partner Eric Fellner. Bevan and Fellner founded British film powerhouse Working Title in 1984….
A decade in design
NZ architect Chris Moller is holding his first major solo exhibition in London, showcasing ten years of innovative practice by his company S333 Architecture + Urbanism. Titled On the Urban Designing of Architecture,…
Game On
Wellington-based Sidhe Interactive is the creative brains behind Jackass: The Game, released in the US by Red Mile Entertainment and MTV Games on September 26. The company hopes it will sell over a million copies,…
World Environment Day in Wellington
Wellington is to host World Environment Day 2008, the UN Environment Program has announced. The focus of next year’s global celebrations will be encouraging countries, companies and communities to “Kick the habit” and make…
Flag Debate Resurfaces
The debate over NZ’s national flag is in the spotlight again, after PM Helen Clark publicly proposed removing the Union Jack from its design. “I think people could debate the flag the way Canada…
Film Industry Loses Behind-the-Scenes Star
Hundreds of mourners attended a tangi for NZ special effects expert Conway Wickliffe in Te Kuiti on October 14. Wickliffe, 41, was killed in England three weeks ago, during a stunt car…
Car-boot Camaraderie
With its own spring carnival brought down by horse flu, the Sydney Morning Herald sent writer Rachel Oakes-Ash across the Tasman to check out NZ’s racing season. Oakes-Ash headed south for the Christchurch Casino Cup and…
Sibling success
Paul and Kahra Scott-James’s GRAHAM is one of 25 films selected for competition at Filminute 2007, an online festival for 60-second films. GRAHAM was chosen from a pool of 800 entries from 45 different…
Success for stylish vampire flick
NZ vampire film Perfect Creature has been sold into nearly every territory in the world and is receiving rave reviews on its official release. The second feature by writer/director Glenn Standring (The…
Bold type
Auckland-born artist Rosalie Gascoigne (1917-1999) features in graphic design magazine Eye‘s special typography issue. Gascoigne’s large, collage-like art works are primarily made from found objects, including abandoned road signs, stencilled packing materials and…
Edge Dynamics in Action
NZ social researcher Brent D Taylor has applied Edge theory to economics in his new book Outsider’s Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires. Taylor has spent the past four years studying the backgrounds of some of…
Air NZ in Pioneering Partnership
Air New Zealand has signed an agreement with airplane maker Boeing and engine maker Rolls-Royce to collaborate on projects to make commercial aviation more environmentally sustainable. Stage one of the plan will see the first trial flight…
Best Foot Forward
Karen Walker has joined forces with Brazilian flip-flop giant Havaiana to produce a line of limited edition jandals for Spring/Summer 2008. The two designs feature Walker’s classic Runaway girl and her new season Fruit…
NZ Neuroscientists Spark Alcohol Rethink
A new study co-authored by two NZ researchers suggests that long-term, moderate alcohol consumption can help improve the memory. The study, which was published in The Journal of Neuroscience, was undertaken by Maggie Kalev, a research fellow…
NZ Sets Pace on Climate Change
A recent Guardian op-ed hailed NZ as “the new climate change pioneer”, after the unveiling of an ambitious new environmental plan by the NZ government. The plan’s stated targets include generating 90% of the country’s electricity from…
Influential Exports
Two New Zealanders made The Bulletin‘s annual list of the 50 most influential businesspeople in Australia. Fairfax Media Chief Executive David Kirk is ranked fifteenth on the list. The former All Black Captain has headed the publishing…
Two-time World Record Holder
Wellington freediver Dave Mullins has set a new world record by swimming 244m underwater in a single breath. The 26-year-old broke his own record of two days prior by 18m during an international…
NZ Migrants Top Australian Stats
NZ has surpassed Britain as the source of the largest number of permanent migrants to Australia for the first time. According to Australian immigration statistics, NZ arrivals have jumped by 5000 in the past…
Beckham Boots Up for Wellington
Soccer star David Beckham will join his team Los Angeles Galaxy in a $2 million exhibition match against Wellington Phoenix. “We as the club are bearing most of the costs,” said Phoenix owner Terry Serepisos….
A Wine Tourist’s Paradise
Telegraph wine writer Adrian Woodford spent six days in NZ on an intensive wine-tasting tour that encompassed Marlborough, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. He pronounces NZ the “finest country in the world for a wine tourist” and agrees…
Halo Helmed by NZ Boy Genius
This year’s most hyped video game, Halo 3, was engineered by a former child prodigy from Kakanui. Chris Butcher, 29, works for Seattle-based gaming company Bungie, which produces the Halo series for Microsoft Xbox. In…
Debuts, Divas and Dark Designs
Wellington writer Carolyn Enting provided an overview of Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2007 for the Melbourne Age. Highlights of the week included impressive debuts by Alex Kim and Alexandra Owen, a media stampede…
The Funniest Thing on TV
Guardian reviewer Tim Jonze has dubbed Flight of the Conchords “the funniest thing on TV” as the cult HBO series goes to air on the BBC. Conchords stars NZ comics Jemaine Clement and Bret…
Tributes Flow for Leading Philanthropist
Leading NZ philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie has died aged 84. McKenzie spent most of his life managing the JR McKenzie Trust, which was founded by his father from the profits of the…
NZ Wine, Now and Then
Features in two US newspapers discuss the past, present and future of NZ wines. The Palm Beach Daily News outlines the development of the NZ industry, from the first grapes planted by the Rev. Samuel Marsden…
NZ Commits to Climate Change Cause
NZ will introduce a carbon trading scheme next year in a bid to cap greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest possible cost to the economy. Under the plan, every industry will be allocated an agreed level…
Guilt-free Fur
NZ possum fur features in a Guardian article on “weird and wonderful” examples of eco-friendly products. Imported from Australia in 1837, possums have been wreaking havoc on NZ’s native flora and fauna ever since. “We support killing…
Dame Kiri Begins Farewell
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has launched her farewell tour of North America in Vancouver. Canada’s Globe and Mail ran a feature on Te Kanawa, covering world famous soprano’s career from her fêted debut at…
Three Ways to See NZ
Three travel articles on NZ appeared in North American newspapers this month, each offering a different way to experience Aotearoa. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Naomi Koppel chose to tramp around the South Island, taking in “one breathtaking vista…
Taipei Gold Rush
NZ athletes have won seven gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the 2007 IWAS World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in Taipei, Taiwan. Christchurch swimmer Sophie Pascoe topped the medal haul, winning four gold medals…
Carter in Adidas Viral
All Black Daniel Carter stars in a new viral advertisement for Adidas. The ad was shot at Carter’s parents’ house, and shows Daniel and his father talking about his childhood spent kicking goals in the back…
Real Life Mermaid
Aucklander Nadya Vessey has commissioned a custom-made mermaid tail from Wellington’s Weta Workshop. A keen swimmer, Vessey was born with a condition that prevented her legs from developing properly. She had her first leg…
High Style
This year’s Air New Zealand Fashion Week launched in unique style, with a catwalk show aboard one of its primary sponsor’s commercial aircraft. More than 120 passengers watched a sneak preview of the 2008…
Technology High-fliers
Marketing entrepreneur Andy Lark is the latest New Zealander to land a top job at a leading US technology firm. Lark has been appointed global vice-president of marketing and communications at Dell, one of the world’s…
Familiar tastes in France
NZ rugby fans in France have been able to enjoy a taste of home at Le Maori Cafe in Lyons. Owned by Aucklander Tai Pepere, who played rugby league for French club Catalans…
Wine of the Times
Guardian wine writer Victoria Moore reports on the overwhelming success of NZ wine in the UK. NZ wine boasts the highest average retail price in the UK (second-place Australia lags by £1.77) and almost 10% of…
In the Pink
Air New Zealand will launch its first “Pink Flight” from San Francisco to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in February next year. Modelled on a similar trip from Auckland to Sydney this…
