The Clean – 10 of the best The Dunedin band had an indelible influence on acts such as Pavement and Guided by Voices. A new oral history by Richard Langston is out now

Was a real pleasure to write about ten of my favourite songs by The Clean for the Guardian to celebrate the publication of Richard Langston's excellent oral history of the band 'The Clean: in the dreamlife you need a rubber soul'.

10/10! 💅

I declare today ‘The Clean Sunday’ with the mighty group on the music box all day. This stunning book about them ‘The Clean: In the Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul’ by Richard Langston is a beaut, out next month. It’s an oral history, too, which is one of my favourite formats for music books.

Writers | Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts

More info here:
www.festival.nz/events/write...

Delighted to be participating in 2 events at the Aotearoa Festival of the Arts in Wellington this weekend: Sat I’ll be reading a new essay I wrote for ‘Letter to My Art Mother’ with 6 other amazing writers. On Sun I’ll be interviewing Charlotte Grimshaw about her new novel ‘The Black Monk’.

Includes a review of Craig Robertson’s Chris Knox biography Not Given Lightly by @steelydass.bsky.social so go get it and then order the book. Out this month in North America.

After more than a decade of tragedy, Christchurch emerges as New Zealand’s most ‘vibrant city’ Christchurch now at the centre of the country’s fastest-growing region as lower house prices, job prospects and thriving cultural scene entice people to the city

My final article for 2025, a scene report of Ōtautahi Christchurch for the Guardian. Done for the year, time for a negroni.

OOO is on! Now for reading for pleasure! Here’s my summer TBR pile. What’s on yours? (Have since added the new Anne Enright, Arundhati Roy and Laura Vincent books to this).
@marigoldatkey.bsky.social @dauntbookspub.bsky.social @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social

THE SAME, by AW from the album THE NERVE

R U Still In 2 It?
Happy THE NERVE release day to AW & associate @stabbiesetc.bsky.social
Can’t get enough of this one. AW plays Dark Room in Ōtautahi next March.

A pleasure to contribute to The Spinoff’s Best Books of 2025 roundup. Happy summer reading!

It was recommended by @steelydass.bsky.social who truly never misses with her picks!

Two of my worlds/interest areas come together in ‘The Silver Book’: Pier Paolo Pasolini & Olivia Laing!

This Band Could be Your Life Hosted by Kiran Dass, this lyrical session sees writers including Damien Wilkins, Brannavan Gnanalingam, Pohlen Newbery, and Claudia Jardine share personal tributes to the music and musicians that sha...

WORD Christchurch festival kicks off on Wednesday 27 August - 31 August! Have you got your tickets yet? I’m
hosting this session ‘This Band Could Be Your Life’ which is perfect for music lovers. Four writers tell us about a band/musician they love. If you’d like any festival recs, I’m here for you!

Sounds like a City of Tales character!

Was so weird, I thought it overrides it too but my phone was on silent and didn’t make the sound!

Getting into the spirit of it. Was he ok?

Far out Motty’s uncle!

Black Sabbath on my grandfather’s farm at the 1973 Great Ngāruawāhia Music Festival in New Zealand. I remember my dad telling me a crack up story about how they burned a massive cross at midnight which shocked the locals but when you saw it up close it was really homemade and dungy.
📸 David Stone

Playing Favourites with Kiran Dass Literary festival director and music aficionado Kiran Dass plays some favourite tunes and shares what it's like running WORD Christchurch.

A real joy to join the divine Susie Ferguson and Mihingarangi Forbes on Radio NZ's Saturday Morning show for Playing Favourites where I selected & chatted about 7 of my favourite songs and talked about WORD Christchurch 2025 and my life in books and music. What 7 songs, though? Listen to find out!

Joy!

Aw yes! So dreamy! Thank you for listening! 💜

Saturday Morning Presented by Susie Ferguson and Mihingarangi Forbes. In-depth feature interviews, current affairs and news across a broad range of topics on RNZ National and online.

WORD Christchurch programme director extraordinaire Kiran Dass @steelydass.bsky.social is Playing Favourites on RNZ Saturday morning tomorrow 11.05am. Tune in! www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...
#WORDChch #pukapuka #WORDChristchurch ^DR

Most weeks, I gaze up at the @praddenkeefe.bsky.social books on my bookshelf and think, “I wish my favourite narrative nonfiction writer had a new book coming soon…” 🙏

A measly 4/10! I bet @secondzeit.bsky.social got more than that.

We all need it! 🙌

The 2025 WORD Christchurch programme is now live and you can browse and book tickets. The theme of the festival this year is JOY!
Love this incisive roundup from @secondzeit.bsky.social at The Press.
As ever, I’m here for you to recommend sessions and books I think you’ll love.
#TheJoyOfWords

Beth & Tina! 🕶️ 💋
Julian St washing line and Grey Lynn white w(h)ine washout patio time forever ❤️

Would love to watch that!

Thank you so much for writing your beautiful book, Adelle! Beyond the inventive fragrance connection, such an evocative working class Gen X memoir of self discovery, identity! ❤️

Book review: Base Notes: The Scents of a Life by Adelle Stripe Kiran Dass reviews Base Notes: The Scents of a Life by Adelle Stripe published by Orion

"Tender, bittersweet... I loved this memoir and have never read anything quite like it."

Thanks to @steelydass.bsky.social at RNZ for her thoughtful review of Base Notes. This really made my day.

www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

@whiterabbitbks.bsky.social