The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey. Set in England in 1979, identical 13 year old triplets are part of a Government scheme where they’re constantly monitored and medicated. They’re overseen by Mothers Morning, Afternoon and Night who teach them from the Book of Knowledge, keep records in the Book of Dreams, and write up their misdemeanours in The Book of Guilt. There’s a slow, insidious creep to the narrative and when the Minis...

Tens of thousands of travellers have descended on the city of Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff. 

The region's had its' share of time in the spotlight over the last couple of weeks - but BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton says there's plenty to explore and experience no matter what.

She outlined her tips and recommendations here.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, ZB Wellington mornings host Nick Mills and broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton joined in on a discussion about the following issues...

With all the discussion around the importance of work-life balance going on, there's been additional questions raised about what that looks like for women.

Many women are navigating the dual pressures of career advancement and family responsibilities, which creates a...

Autumn veggie soup with lemon garlic bread 

Cook time: 30 minutes 

Prep time: 15 

Serves: 6 

2 tbsp sunflower oil  

1 medium onion, chopped  

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed  

3 carrots, peeled and diced  

1 cup chopped celery  

4 bay leaves  

400gm can whole peeled tomatoes  

400gm can cannellini beans, drained 

1 ltr water & 1 stock cube  

½ tsp toa...

Utes and SUVs make up 9 out of 10 of the most popular cars on our roads - but a new study has revealed the safety risks they pose.

Research from the journal Injury Prevention shows that a pedestrian or cyclist is 44 percent more likely to be fatally injured if they are hit by an SUV or light truck (LTV), compared with smaller passenger cars.

For children, the stats are even more bleak - a child hit by a SUV or LTV is 82 percent mor...

Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John and Florence Welch are among a list of stars calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to update existing copyright laws to protect them from AI.

A letter signed by more than 400 British musicians, writers and artists and addressed to the Prime Minister says failing to give them that protection would mean them 'giving away' their work to tech firms.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains what the letter cal...

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 11 May 2025, author Kaliane Bradley opened up about the creative journey that led to her successful debut novel, The Ministry of Time.

Kiwi actress Robyn Malcolm is feeling pretty excited after After the Party got nominated for a Bafta - she joined Francesca to discuss.

Francesca speculates about what Donald Trump's latest tariff-based announcement could mean ...

A Queenstown brewery has put New Zealand on the global sake map for the first time.

The country’s first and only dedicated sake brewery has taken home a gold award for its handcrafted Drip Pressed Junmai Ginjo as part of the Tokyo Sake Challenge.

Zenkuro Sake director Richard Ryall says this award comes as the brewery celebrates its 10-year anniversary.

"It's been an amazing journey for us to reach this point - and 10 years has jus...

The 2025 Bafta Awards ceremony is set to take place, and one Kiwi star is feeling hopeful following her recent nomination.

Robyn Malcolm's After the Party has been nominated for Best International Series - and she's feeling pretty thrilled about it. 

This follows the show picking up a record haul of nine awards at the New Zealand Television Awards last year. 

Robyn Malcolm says she's 'blown away' by the impact of the seri...

The Government's pushed their new pay equity changes through - and it's prompted some noticeable backlash.

The Bill, halting pay equity claims and raising the threshold to lodge a claim based on gender discrimination, passed this week under urgency.

Hundreds of protestors turned up outside Ministerial offices around the country in opposition.

NZ Herald political reporter Jamie Ensor says these changes left Kiwis feeling 'blindsided...

Access to mental health support is a constant problem - but one Kiwi start-up is working towards a solution.

Between the shortage of qualified professionals, long delays and high costs, plenty of New Zealanders aren't getting the help they need.

oVRcome specialises in VR Exposure Therapy - and the start-up is expected to showcase the technology at Melbourne’s Digital Health Festival.

oVRcome founder Adam Hutchinson says the company...

Experts have voiced support for Labour's new bill requiring more reporting around tobacco lobbying - and there's growing calls for more transparency.

Reports also indicate alcohol lobbyists have been given input into health policies. 

Transparency Internat...

This week, a new disaster movie was announced. There isn’t a script yet, because no one knows how it’s going to end - and when it was announced, no one knew how to react. If there was ever a global WTF moment in film, it was Trump’s announcement of a 100 percent tariff on films coming into the US which have been produced in foreign lands.  

As is often the case with President Trump, he asks a good question but comes up with th...

Karoline Tamati, known to Kiwi music fans as Ladi6, is back with her new single Lightbulb - and she's confirmed there's more to come.

Her upcoming new album Le Va is her first big musical project in seven years.

This album promises to be a deeply personal project, as it was written as a tribute to Tamati's late mother. 

"We had a very specific theme for this next record - which was that we wanted it to be more indicative ...

David Nicholls is a critically acclaimed author and BAFTA-winning screenwriter - and he's set to make an appearance at this year's upcoming Auckland Writers Festival.

His bestselling book One Day sold millions of copies and went on to become a successful hit series on Netflix.

Off the back of his latest hit novel, You Are Here, Nicholls plans to address Kiwi fans - and open up about the pressures of success.

"I've written a lot of ...

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende. Any new book from the wonderful Isabel Allende is a treat, and this is no exception. It begins in 1866 when an Irish nun becomes pregnant after an encounter with a wealthy Chilean who turns his back on them, and the baby and her mother have to fight for their place in the world. The child, Emilia del Valle, eventually becomes a writer and a journalist, and is eventually sent to cover t...

After 11 years of operating in New Zealand, Ubers can now drop passengers off out front by the doors at Auckland Airport's domestic terminal.

Instead of walking a couple hundred meters from the domestic terminal and through the car rental garage, people in Ubers can enjoy the same convenience as the taxi and shuttle bus riders.  

BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton unpacked this latest announcement - and gave a brief update ...