In this issue

fit for purpose, how to get what's best for you from the wellness boom
New books, the juicy reads to look forward to in 2023
Photos of 2022, our pick of year's most stunning images

Man of actions

It was more than 30 years ago that, as a recruit at the Sydney Morning Herald, I was told a wild story by a knockabout, cocky bloke in a faded jean jacket and lefty T-shirt from inside the central Sydney headquarters of the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

2 mins

That was the year that was

The year 2023, like 2020, 2021 and 2022 before it, was a strange one for humanity. That there would be no relief became evident in the early hours of the New Year, when Twitter owner and chief executive Elon Musk banned all other Twitter users from the platform after the 16th poll asking whether he should step down as CEO concluded that, yes, he actually should.

2 mins

How to cut the road toll

It's time we stopped making excuses for the appalling deaths on our roads. It's not because of bad weather, bad roads, old cars, \"bloody tourists\" or the Covid vaccine turning drivers blind. If we drove well, the previous factors would be taken care of, but instead we choose to drive badly. (Not you and me, of course; our driving is exemplary. It's the other couple of million who are the problem.)

2 mins

A cut above

In the second of a series on artefacts that tell the story of Aotearoa's past, historian JOCK PHILLIPS explains the relevance of these killing knives.

5 mins

All very well

From ice baths to mindfulness retreats, the wellness industry is booming. Maybe it's time we started to question why that might be.

10+ mins

Taste the history

Celebrating \"the great mumble jumble\" that is Middle Eastern food is what Israeli-born restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi has in mind for his upcoming trip down under.

9 mins

Happy ever after

Romance fiction sales are booming internationally, and a Kiwi author is among those cashing in.

5 mins

Make room on your shelves

MARK BROATCH previews what's coming in books in 2023.

3 mins

Coming up roses

The US city of Portland has suffered its share of blights but keeps the faith in its crowning glory.

4 mins

Occupied

The peg bag's missing from the inside back left corner of the tent. Which is where Bryan always puts it, because the thing about camping is that it all turns to custard if you don't maintain strict order around routine and storage.

4 mins

Not for resuscitation

The dinner trolley rattled past Maud's cubicle without stopping.

5 mins

The yoga teacher

Your posture is not your fault,\" he told me, his hand below mine.

5 mins

Zoom

Lucinda sat high in her neighbour's plum tree and practised kissing with her friend Trudi. They ate plums and kissed once, a peck on the lips. They laughed, ate more plums, and dropped wet red stones to the earth. The almond-shaped pits bounced, tap tap tap on the branches, leaving bloodred marks drying in the summer heat. A light wind riffled the mass of leaves shading Lucinda and Trudi from the view of their neighbour Mr Bock, or so they thought. They spied him through gaps in the branches walking past his kitchen window. What they didn't know was that Adam Bock had seen them alright. He'd watched them every day for the past week stealing in through the broken fence after school, climbing his tree, eating the plums, kissing each other. Every day they kissed, just the once, a glance. \"Girls will be girls,\" he told himself, remembering his own childhood summers.

4 mins

Trigger effect

The Covid vaccine can cause short-term changes in period timing and heaviness, but this is probably just the immune system doing its job, researchers say.

4 mins

Drink this

For most amateur athletes, plain water is sufficient for hydration - high-sugar/highsodium sports drinks just aren't necessary, say researchers.

4 mins

Taken as red

River Cottage head chef GELF ALDERSON creates knockout salads using simple, seasonal ingredients.

5 mins

Top of the pile

Do you think the social world naturally falls into a hierarchy or has society just evolved that way?

3 mins

Smart move

Freeview makes a bid to stay in the picture.

3 mins

Game for it

Why the creator of the acclaimed Chernobyl has a new show based on a video game and why the Mandalorian is starring in it.

4 mins

Bring on the binge

The coming year promises no shortage of epic genre shows.

4 mins

In his mum's footsteps

Playing Steven Spielberg's mother meant being led on a merry dance. Michelle Williams tells RUSSELL BAILLIE.

4 mins

Catch of the day

After years of supporting roles, actor Kerry Godliman has finally got the lead in a whodunnit series in which she plays a seafood restaurateur who turns private detective.

4 mins

Read all stories from New Zealand Listener

New Zealand Listener Magazine Description:

The New Zealand Listener is New Zealand’s highest-selling and best-read current affairs magazine. Each week the Listener brings you the latest commentary and insight from award-winning writers and columnists.
An energising read, full of witty insight and award-winning investigative journalism, this is the magazine that has been setting New Zealand’s agenda since 1939.