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My name is pip adam and in this podcast I speak with writers, musicians and artists about an ‘object’ as a way into talking about their work – what it is, how it works and what inspires it. Each year I choose a topic for our series. In 2021 it was elements of literary craft, in 2020 it was music, in our 2022 series Beyond a Joke the object I ask guests to offer is something that has made them laugh.
One of the things I’m really interested in is what we can learn from talking to each other about our own practice and the things we make. Read more about me at my website
Episodes
32 minutes ago
32 minutes ago
On 22 April, at Unity Books Te Whanganui-a-Tara i spoke with Shana Chandra about her accomplished and beautiful novel Banjara (Moa Press | Hachette, 2026)
i'm so grateful to Unity Books for hosting these lunchtime author talks. This event took place the day after some devestating weather and under burgeoning blue skies. It was such a great crowd and people were so excited to hear Shana and read Banjara.
Banjara is an astonishingly good book which can be enjoyed on so many levels. It's a really compelling story that also offers insight into events that i think some readers may not have read about before. Shana's prose is compelling and evocatively summons both physical and emotional landscapes. It's a book that holds both darkness and light to tell an affecting story that has stayed with me.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
At the beginning of this conversation i mention a person who was missing after the storms. Sadly, the day after this event it was discovered the person had died. i just want to acknowledge the family and friends of this person and offer love in this difficult time.
Action: Al-Rifaq
Shana suggested we highlight the work of Al-Rifaq an Aotearoa New Zealand-based affinity group that has formed in the context of the US-Israeli onslaught against the people of Gaza, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East. Members of Al-Rifaq are Arabic and non-Arabic speakers from the Middle East and elsewhere, whose common ground is unequivocal support for Palestinian and Third World liberation.
Al-Rifaq say about their work:
The purpose of this collective is to make Arabic political commentary, analysis, and theory accessible to Western and English-speaking readership. Our work with Arabic texts focuses on contemporary or recent analysis produced by the radical left and revolutionary currents of Palestine and the Arab world.
This focus is based on our belief that the ongoing and unfolding war on the region is of world historical significance, and that the time is ripe for a renewed internationalist ethos and orientation in political organising, as evidenced by the worldwide Palestine solidarity movement.
There is a gap between the political discourses of the radical left in the Arab and Western worlds. Our work here aims to bridge this gap and challenge the solidarity movements of the West, which must, we believe, come to understand Al-Qadhiyyah Al-Falastiniyah (القضية الفلسطينية)—the Palestinian question—on terms that are consistent with that of the Palestinian and Arab masses and their historic mission of liberation.
It is our privilege therefore to share the words of writers, scholars, journalists and organic intellectuals who continue, undeterred and with extraordinary rigour, to illuminate these dark times with an abundance of theoretical, historical, and strategic insight and clarity.
A note on process:
All our translations have been approved by the original publisher and, where possible, by the authors.
We are proudly a human-made platform. Thanks to your support, we can use funds gained through subscriptions to commission translators on the ground in the region.
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026
On 10 February this year at Unity Books Te Whanganui-a-Tara i talked with Eva Wyles about her stunning collection of short stories Deliverywoman (Influx Press, 2025)
The event opened with a reading and introduction to Eva's work by another amazing writer Tamara Tulitua. Eva and Tamara were in the same MA creative writing workshop at the IIML and Unity was full of Eva's friends and writing comminties. Eva lives in London now so the night had this amazing feeling as all these fans of Eva's work gathered to hear her talk. i was realy grateful to be there.
Deliverwoman is an incredibly adept and emotionally resonant collection which showcases the short fictional form at its finest. i love this book.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
i want to acknowledge that this podcast and email is coming to you on 21 April from Te Whanganui-a-Tara which has been experiencing some devasting weather over the last 24 hours. As i record this we are still under a state of emergency. i wanted to send massive love to everyone in this city which i love so much.
Action: The Burnett Foundation
The Burnett Foundation website
i mainly knew the work of the Burnett Foundation through their association with Sweat With Pride which is coming up in May.
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa (formerly New Zealand AIDS Foundation & Ending HIV NZ) has been at the forefront of the community response to HIV in Aotearoa for nearly 40 years.
Their vision is: An Aotearoa with zero HIV transmission, where all people living with HIV thrive, and rainbow and takatāpui communities enjoy great sexual health.
Their Kaupapa has always been to have a human-centred, science-led, sex-positive approach to public health. Key workstreams of advocacy, education, and support have always been and remain their key pillars. They also acknowledge our commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to people living with and affected by HIV and to our very environment.
With the same passion and commitment as those who came before them, Burnett Foundation Aotearoa continues to prevent HIV transmission, combat stigma and maximise the wellbeing of those most affected by HIV.
The Burnett Foundation have centres in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and Ōtautahi Christchurch. They provide HIV and STI testing, counselling, group support and other services at these centres as well as remotely for people anywhere in New Zealand.
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
Tuesday Apr 07, 2026
Tuesday Apr 07, 2026
In February this year at The Open Book in Tāmaki Makaurau, i got to speak with Jordy Rosenberg about his new book Night Night Fawn. It was a really hot, sunny day and the event was held outside in the bookshop's garden. You might be able to hear some of summer noises in the background of this recording.
Anyone who has come into my orbit over the last few years has probably had a copy of Jordy's first novel Confessions of the Fox thrust into there arms. This book is a marvel. The opportunities it opens for changing the way we think about historical fiction are immense. It remains one of my favourite novels.
To say i was anticipating Night Night Fawn would be a massive understatement. i was thrilled to be able to read it over summer before this event. There is something incredibly vigorous and dynamic about this book. Yet again Jordy's work opens up the space queer and trans writing can take up with the force of craft itself. This book pushes the boundaries of politeness and the fictional performance as we know it. It's an astoundingly good book whose narrator's spite and venom in Jordy's hands is transformed into a uncomfortable but real joy and a strange liberation.
Action: The Sameer Project
The Sameer Project on Instagram
Food & Water Project on Chuffed
The Sameer Project is a rapid-response initiative that is facilitating the sourcing and distribution of aid to displaced families all over the Gaza Strip. Started by 3 Palestinians living in diaspora and supported by ground teams in Gaza. We provide support in the form of shelter, medication and treatment, food, water, diapers, formula, and more. Our ethos is to promote resilience, maintain dignity, and providing agency for the families we serve. We are proactive and adaptable based on priority needs at any given time, implementing urgent and emergency response as needed.
What's the need?
There are 1.9 million internally displaced people inside of Gaza. Destroyed homes, no income, facing forced evacuations, these families have no means to support themselves. With limited aid trucks entering the strip, prices for individual items needed for survival are out of reach for most people. Nearly all infrastructure and buildings are destroyed, and families cram into a small designated “humanitarian zone” in makeshift tents as they continue to get bombed, as no where is truly safe.
How do we help?
We facilitate, our ground team executes, and we always defer to the needs of the people. Through our extensive network, we get the the most competitive deals on bulk purchase of goods to distribute to families in need. We believe in creating an equitable chance at receiving aid so we provide assistance based on areas and encampments in most need. From the most destroyed neighborhoods in the North, to the overcrowded beach cities in the South, we respond where and how we are needed.
Long-term objectives
By supplying necessities, responding to emergencies, and providing nuanced care, we are encouraging families to continue to fight for their own survival. It is important for us to return agency and self reliance back to families by giving them the independence to make decisions for themselves. We asked them “how can we help you” instead of registering them as a number on a list. We are also not waiting for current situation to end before we supply the tools for betterment. Our project includes educational, medical, and psychological initiatives that allow forward thinking into the future.
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
How to listen to Better off Read
Better off Read is also available on PodBean
Monday Dec 08, 2025
Monday Dec 08, 2025
Ray Shipley has done many very cool things: stand-up comedy, slam poetry, book-selling, librarianship. Ray's latest awesome thing is a book My Body is a Horror Film: Written, Directed, Produced by and Starring Ray Shipley.
It's such a great book and it was launched with two other amazing books.
My Body is a Horror Film is one of the three books in ngā pukapuka pekapeka series two. The other two are Making Mixtapes with Seichan, by Annabel Wilson and The Square Church and Other Stories, by Nathaniel Herz Jardine. You can buy these books at this link
You can also stay in the loop with the work of ngā pukapuka pekapeka at their Instagram page
Action: Ōtautahi 4 Palestine event and PATHA
Ray let me know about this amazing event.
ŌTAUTAHI 4 PALESTINE
Art Auction, Kōrero & Music fundraiser for the people of Gaza
Where: A rolling stone
When: Saturday 13th December
Time: Speakers + Art Sale from 5pm - 8pm (hosted by Dr Mahdis Azarmandi) Music from 9pm.
Line up: Ariana Tikao, Juanita Hepi, Sara Qasem, Simurgh Music School, Lara Sheehi, Stephen Sheehi
Evening Line up: Ayaluna, Heavy Liftah, Vallé, Big Sima & Nazarite, Ron Guevara,DVS, Niva-Jean, Benjamin Canute.
More information on our social media page: https://www.instagram.com/otautahi4palestine/
Ticket proceeds to be donated to The Sameer Project: https://www.instagram.com/thesameerproject/
PATHA
Ray also wrote: Like you, I'd also want to highlight the work PATHA are doing in the wake of the puberty blockers ban, as well as all of the rainbow organisations who support young people across the country.
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/betteroffread
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Monday Nov 03, 2025
On September 14, at Unity Books in Wellington, I got to talk with Jo Randerson and Sarah Maxey about Secret Art Powers: How Creative Thinking Can Achieve Radical Change (Barbarian Productions, 2025)
Jo wrote this book and Sarah designed the book and facilitated the creation of the illustrations that are throughout the book.
In this book Jo shares some of their Secret Art Powers—six ways that thinking like an artist can increase personal resilience, unleash innovation, dissolve unhealthy power relationships and help us describe and navigate the complex and changing world of the twenty-first century, and to sing while we do it.
I first came across this work a few years ago when Jo was presenting lectures on each of the Secret Art Powers. These were incredibly exciting events and it is so great to see the book reflect the wonder and radical thinking that the lectures held.
Action: Prisoner Correspondence Network Holiday Card Drive!
Help the Prisoner Correspondence Network send holiday cards to hundreds of prisoners in Aotearoa.
You can help support this work by donating using this link
Also stay up-to-date with card writing events new you by following Prisoner Correspondence Network on Instagram
Friday Aug 01, 2025
Friday Aug 01, 2025
On July 31 2025, liz launched the new collection of poetry show you're working out (Dead Bird Books) in Wānaka.
As I type this liz is embarking on a tour of Aotearoa to celebrate the amazing new collection of poetry show you're working out. In August 2025 liz has events in Ōtepoti, Timaru, Ōtautahi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Tāmaki Makaurau. liz is joined in each of these events but some amazing other poets and writers. For information on dates and venues see liz's instagram account
show you're working out is a fantastic work - sure and curious in its experiments, heartfelt in its emotions and quick in its wit. It was such a pleasure to speak with liz about her amazing work.
Action: Rozana4Palestine
I asked liz if there was an organisation whose work we could highlight in this section of the newsletter and podcast, liz says:
I’d like to highlight Rozana4Palestine, which is run by a much-loved and respected Ōtepoti-based Palestinian family who sell Palestinian goods and accept donations, and in one of their posts they say:
At Rozana, every purchase you make goes beyond just shopping - it supports families in Palestine, especially in Gaza through their connections in New Zealand.
Embodying a rich aspect of the Palestinian culture, the name "Rozana" holds different meanings - from the traditional window in old Palestinian houses to the historic ship sailing the Mediterranean Sea.
Join us in standing in solidarity with Palestine as we strive to make a difference together. Your support is not only valued but also impactful. Let's shop with a cause and spread love and support to those in need.
You can find them at:
@rozana4palestine on Instagram
And shop/donate here https://arohaloveandpeace.bigcartel.com/
Faber Writing Academy - Writing and Disrupting Short Fiction with Emma Hislop (Kāi Tahu)
The incredibly talented fiction writer and Better off Read alumni Emma Hislop is facilitating an online workshop as part of the Faber Writing Academy from September to November.
Explore the craft of short story-writing in this eight-week course with award-winning author Emma Hislop (Kāi Tahu), learning how to deepen your connection to craft and each other and find new ways to approach short fiction writing.
For more information visit the Faber Writing Academy website
Kath Foster’s Stories about living in houses
Last Friday I travelled to Toi Mahara to celebrate the opening of Kath Foster's incredibly affecting work Stories about living in houses
As part of this amazing exhibition Kath will discuss her work with me in an Artist's Talk
Following this converstation I'll be facilitating a writing workshop that explores through writing exercises the objects that won't let us go. To learn more and register please visit the Toi Mahara website (Please note there is a charge of $30 for this workshop.)
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
On July 10 2025, Erik launched his new collection of poetry Sick Power Trip at Scorpio Books in Ōtautahi.
It was so great to speak with Erik Kennedy to celebrate the launch of his new poetry collection Sick Power Trip (Te Herenga Waka University Press) I really enjoyed speaking with Erik about poetry in general and his work in particular. I love Erik's work so much and this new collection is incredible. Can not recommend it enough.
Action: Climate Liberation Aotearoa
I asked Erik who he'd like to highlight in this section and he suggested Climate Liberation Aotearoa
Climate Liberation Aotearoa write:
Our plan is to transform society by building people power. To do this, we demonstrate the effectiveness of working alongside each other in a systematic, well organised way that achieves results. It’s up to every one of us to decide. We can liberate ourselves and each other. Or we can live in distraction and powerlessness.
This year Climate Liberation Aotearoa are focusing on transport emissions and pollution. About this they say:
Our first win will be to move the dial on cruise ships – a type of luxury emission worse than flying which we can all do without. Join us to find out more about how we plan to win. In action there is friendship, hope, and love. The first step is to show up.
Action Extra: Fundraising for Queer and trans art classes
The amazing Sian Quennell Torrington runs a beautiful group of projects to build art communities.
Sian says:
I am fundraising for Queer and trans art class, and club, and to be able to keep doing these projects…. funding has gotten real hard, so I've set up a Patreon where people can support from $5 a month. I always have free places, and I see how these spaces help our LGBTTQI+ communities so much. All ages, all together, all making things feel a bit easier through creative community.
You can support this work at the Queer and Trans art projects Patreon
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
On June 10, my book Audition came out in the United States with Coffee House Press and Canada with Strange Light
To celebrate this, and with massive support from Laura Graveline at Coffee House Press, I've recorded three special episodes of Better off Read which feature three of my favourite writers published by Coffee House Press.
In this last special episode I get to talk to poupeh missaghi پوپه میثاقی.
poupeh's book Sound Museum blew my mind. It is one of the best books I've ever read. It is an incredibly space-making book. What I've loved about all three of the writers I've talked to is they way they expand the form they are working in. It seems really fitting that we are finishing this mini-series with poupeh's work.
poupeh missaghi پوپه میثاقی is a writer, translator, and editor. Her debut book trans(re)lating house one was published in 2020, and her second book, Sound Museum, is forthcoming in 2024 (both from Coffee House Press).
Her most recent translation In the Streets of Tehran, a book of witness narrative about the current Woman Life Freedom uprising in Iran, was published by Bonnier Books, UK, in October 2023. She also has another novel in translation, Boys of Love, forthcoming in 2024.
An assistant professor of literary arts and studies at the University of Denver and a faculty mentor at Pacific Northwest College of Art MFA, she is currently based in Denver, Colorado.
You can read more about poupeh at her website
I also probably need to let you know that poupeh and I recorded this episode on June 5 2025, so although we touch on some of the violence facing the world this was recorded before the Israeli and US strikes on Iran.
Thanks heaps for everyone who has listened to these podcasts. I'll be back with another podcast in early June.
Action: Peace Action Wellington
I wanted to thank a very local group.
Peace Action Wellington is a grassroots activist group based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington in Aotearoa/New Zealand that works for peace and justice throughout the world, with a special focus on the New Zealand government’s involvement in international affairs.
They stand for peace with justice and self-determination.
I'm incredibly grateful to the digest of political action Peace Action Wellington send out every week. There is a lot happening and this is the way I stay in touch with action in my area.
One of the best ways to stay in touch with Peace Action Wellington is to follow them on Facebook and sign up to their weekly newsletter.
Peace Action Wellington on Facebook
Action Extra: Fundraising for Queer and trans art classes
The amazing Sian Quennell Torrington runs a beautiful group of projects to build art communities.
Sian says:
I am fundraising for Queer and trans art class, and club, and to be able to keep doing these projects…. funding has gotten real hard, so I've set up a Patreon where people can support from $5 a month. I always have free places, and I see how these spaces help our LGBTTQI+ communities so much. All ages, all together, all making things feel a bit easier through creative community.
You can support this work at the Queer and Trans art projects Patreon
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
On June 10, my book Audition came out in the United States with Coffee House Press and Canada with Strange Light
To celebrate this, and with massive support from Laura Graveline at Coffee House Press, I've recorded three special episodes of Better off Read which feature three of my favourite writers published by Coffee House Press.
In this first special episode I get to talk to Zeke Caligiuri. Zeke is a writer and activist from South Minneapolis. He is the author of This is Where I Am, published by University of Minnesota Press, a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. Caligiuri has won multiple awards through the PEN Prison Writing Contest and is the cofounder of the Stillwater Writers Collective, the first all-prisoner created and facilitated collective in the country.
I was really excited to talk with Zeke. The book Zeke co-edited American Precariat: Parables of Exclusion is one of my favourite books of the year. It's an incredible selection of writing about the precariat classes. I'd recommend it to everyone.
Zeke offered as a beginning point for our conversation an amazing passage from The Hours by Michael Cunningham.
One of the best ways to keep up with Zeke's events and writing is by following them on Instagram
The next podcast will be out this time next week.
Action: People Against Prisons Aotearoa
People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA) believes that everyone has the ability to change. No one is born a criminal. When someone has hurt others, that does not mean they are destined to keep hurting others for the rest of their lives. If people are treated with dignity and respect, and given the resources they need to survive and thrive, we can live in a less violent and more peaceful society.
If issues of justice and incarceration interest you PAPA are organising all sorts of activism and education at the moment and one of the best places to stay in touch and get involved is by following PAPA on there social media channels:
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
On June 10, my book Audition comes out in the United States with Coffee House Press and Canada with Strange Light
To celebrate this, and with massive support from Laura Graveline at Coffee House Press, I've recorded three special episodes of Better off Read which feature three of my favourite writers published by Coffee House Press.
In this first special episode I get to talk to Danielle Dutton whose astounding Praire, Dresses, Art Other was published by Coffee House Press in 2024. I love Danielle's work so much. There is this astounding hum to it that chimes with all the things I love - formal experimentation, language made new, visceral and emotive rendering of land and art. Danielle is always doing something interesting and she is one of my favourite people in the world to talk to. I was really grateful to get to talk to her here.
Danielle brought an amazing sculptural work by Eileen Agar as a starting point for this discussion about Danielle's work and writing in general. The work is Marine Object by Eileen Agar and you can see it by clicking this link to the Tate website
The next podcast will be out this time next week.
Action: KILL THE BILL! The closing date for submissions on Regulatory Standards Bill is 1.00pm, Monday, 23 June 2025
The point of the RSB is to try to make all future governments follow a rigid set of ideological “principles” handpicked by David Seymour when they are making laws.
These principles would:
- Exclude Te Tiriti o Waitangi entirely.
- Require the government to pay corporations if new rules impact their property, even if those rules are to stop pollution, protect nature, or prevent harm to people and communities.
- Prioritise private property and “individual freedom” over environmental protection, public safety, and indigenous rights.
You can make a submission here
You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee
Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.