Wireless Books

Dunedin Life in 1857 - Everyone interested in early Dunedin will know of the book The Old Identities which was written by early settler James Barr but for us his true claim to fame is being one of the group who organized a series of lectures which gave the Athenaeum Library & Mechanic's Institute the financial means to relaunch in 1859. Also Christine has two large piles of new books to try and review before time is up. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

We love K M - We do love KM and by KM we mean Katherine Mansfield. We talk about how reading NZ short stories aloud has deepened our appreciation of them and Beth gives us a little sample by reading some of The Doll's House for us (bliss). Also heaps of new books. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Finding Roderick Finlayson - One of the delights of our Tuesday lunch time NZ Short Story readings is finding forgotten authors. Roderick Finlayson was just as important as Frank Sargeson in the push for New Zealanders to write as New Zealanders but over time he has been forgotten. We talk about him in this show and suggest him as someone worth studying for any budding literary academics. Also some new books to review. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Table Commodities - Learn of the great Dunedin butter shortage of 1919 when crowds of people thronged outside butter factories to buy rationed supplies. So who did get the butter? Plus new book reviews. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Being on the Right Side of History - What does being on the right side of history actually mean and is it even possible? Are dead white men automatically to blame or is it more complicated? We raise the questions but are not sure that we know the answers. Then new books and finally Christine shares her near death experience on one of the new Barnes Dance Crossings. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Loose Women Talk Back - Men have been getting up on their soapboxes and complaining about the morals of the modern woman for a very long time. An interesting change seen in the ODT's 100 years ago column is after WWI women had the confidence to talk back and tell the worried male to pull his head in. A small but important step on the long winding path to equality. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Maud West, Lady Detective - We all know what a private detective looks like, a hard drinking man who walks the mean streets of life and has the scars to prove it but in the 1920's one of London's top private detectives was a woman Maud West who had just as many secrets as her clients. Historian Susannah Stapleton tracks down the real Maud West and it is a story that will surprise - one of those you could not make it up true stories. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Votes for Women - We may have been the first but who was the last - to give votes to women? A surprising number of countries dragged their feet over this issue. Also new books to review. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Gloria Vanderbilt's fortune - She is best remembered now for starting the designer jeans industry but as a child Gloria Vanderbilt changed British history. We talk about her life and loves. Also there are more new books to review. And learn about Christine's rodeo career - finished before it even began. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Tolkien at the beginning - Lots of great new books to review and then we talk about the early years of J R R Tolkien the great writer of The Lord of the Rings. There is even more of interest about his early life than the new film lets on. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

We remember Doris Day discussing the real life grit behind the sunny image. Plus we have more new books to talk about.

New Books - We have new books! Plus an insight into the domestic lives of the super rich (they really are not like you or me) and why a 100 years ago young women preferred to work in a factory and go to the pictures every night rather than do domestic work in other peoples homes - hard to believe but true. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Rosalie's first novel - Rosalie Ambrogio the previous Head Librarian at the Athenaeum has published a novel called Port Adventure and it is one of the books we review in this show Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

Even more Fergus Hume - We go back and cover more details about Fergus Hume and his best selling The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

More Fergus Hume - We have talked about Fergus Hume before on the show but a new book about him reveals a lot more about how his massive best seller The Mystery of a Hansom Cab came into being and the shifty characters involved in getting it before the public. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz