Better off Read

Pip Adam
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Books
  • Updated Monthly

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

  1. 16h ago

    Ep 161: Asher Emanuel and pip adam talk about The Valley

    i'm really grateful to Asher for taking the time out of a really busy month to chat with me about writing The Valley: Crime and Punishment in a New Zealand City published by Bridget Williams Books (BWB) There are quite a few places to see Asher talk about the content of The Valley. Most recently Asher appeared on Q & A with Jack Tame In this conversation i was keen to talk to Asher about how he wrote the book. i was particularly interested in the journalism as a form. As someone who has spent a bit of time with people who live in prisons, i am always a bit anxious about a work of journalism that investigates justice and specific people in the justice systems. i started The Valley by reading the 'About the Research' section at the back of the book and felt a degree of hope. i think this is why i wanted to talk to Asher about process. Asher has made decisions around narrative, voice, citation and other elements of writing that mean this book is a compelling work of long-form journalism and one that de-centers the author and lets the people of the work speak for themselves. Obviously, as Asher says, the idea of complete objectivity is a myth. However this book does a great job of resisting dominant journalistic and literary solutions in a way that produces something unlike a lot of other 'true crime' i've read. i've found it hard to work out how to talk about this book. At first i thought it was a work that offered the reader an opportunity for compassion. But i think now, what it offers through it's literary choices is something far more profound - information. i think in the absence of editorializing the book gives us a clear picture of the way things are, making it very hard to say every again, 'I didn't know.' We can disagree on the causes and solutions but The Valley makes it very hard to disagree on what is happening in our neighborhoods, on our streets, in our courts and prisons. i also just want to say thanks so much to Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui | Central Library where i've recorded the last three episodes. i can't say loudly enough how great it is to have you back and how wonderful it is to be able to record in one of your awesome meeting room spaces! Action: Citizens Advice Bureau | Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa and Community Law i wanted to highlight the work of two organisations that support people in finding information and advice. Asher suggested these two. Citizens Advice Bureau | Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa say: We are a nationwide, but locally based, community organisation. We help people to know and understand their rights and obligations, and how to use this information to get the best outcomes. We provide people with the confidence and support they need to take action. We use insights from our clients’ experiences to work for positive social change. Citizens Advice Bureau | Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa website Citizens Advice Bureau Petitions Wellington Council To Restore CAB Funding Community Law says: Legal problems can be serious and frightening, and for many people lawyers are completely unaffordable. But everyone has the right to high-quality legal help – that’s where Community Law comes in. Community Law New Zealand website Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley says: We provide initial legal advice only at our drop-in sessions and community outreach clinics. If you require ongoing legal assistance with your legal issue we will help you find an appropriate lawyer. Community Law Wellington website You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.

    1h 13m

  2. May 27

    Ep 160: Joseph Trinidad and pip adam talk about Lucky Creatures

    It was so great to catch up and chat with Joseph Trinidad about his new book Lucky Creatures (Te Herenga Waka University Press, 2026) Reading Joseph's work makes me so excited about reading and speaking with Joe about his practice has made me excited about writing. Thank you Joseph. Joseph's book of essays is one of the best reading experiences i've had this year. It's an incredibly beautifully crafted work which demonstrates Joseph's immense narrative talent. The book as a whole is so satisfying in its journey - one of those the whole being greater than the sum of its parts works. And then, as well, on a sentence-level the essays in Lucky Creatures evoke strong emotions through perfectly rendered sensory details. Lucky Creatures is also a work that stretches the genre of non-fiction and maybe even helps us question the dominance of realism as a form in non-fiction and the essay. i just can't recommend it strongly enough. In our conversation i make particular mention of Joseph's essay 'No eggs in the Nest' which is about having children. i mentioned (with the help of Joseph) Ocean Vuong's book Time is a Mother. What i love about Vuong's book and maybe also Joe's essay is the way both ungender the activity or role of 'mother'. It prompted me to re-read this amazing conversation: On Death, Music and Motherhood: Björk & Ocean Vuong in Conversation that you can read in AnOther magazine. In this conversation Vuong says to Björk: 'What I realised with your music – and this album [Fossora] especially – is that we all have a mother, but we also have people, friends, family who mother us. Mothering is also an act without gender as well as a biological reality – it’s both.' i've put together a sample of some of the writers and writing Joe talks about in this conversation: * Maxine Hong Kingston * Chris Tse * Lana Lopesi * Rose Lu * Ashleigh Young * Wellington Film Society * Carly Rae Jepsen * Chris Price * SZA * Chris Schultz * Kieran McLean * Jess McAllen * Flora Feltham * The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Svetlana Alexandrovna Alexievich 'Grist for the mill: the slow death of New Zealand’s industry towns' by Anna Rankin i also just want to say thanks so much to Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui | Central Library. i can't say loudly enough how great it is to have you back and how wonderful it is to be able to record in one of your awesome meeting room spaces! Action: songs of solidarity (sos) Joseph recommended we highlight the work of songs of solidarity (sos) It's a great idea to stay in touch with songs of solidarity through their website or Instagram account. Last week songs of solidarity hosted a kōrero with Joseph and, friend and fellow writer, Shariff Burke about Lucky Creatures, writing, friendship, and everything in between. songs of solidarity say: “we imagine songs of solidarity (SOS) as the space for resistance, resilience, imagination, and coalition building. it is the collaborative space for dreamers – poets, writers, artists, activists, community healers, organisers, and children – who believe in learning/unlearning and collective transformation toward an alternative world – for all.” You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.

    1h 30m

  3. May 5

    Ep 159: Shana Chandra and pip adam talk about Banjara at Unity Books Te Whanganui-a-Tara

    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.

    1 hr

  4. Apr 21

    Ep 158: Eva Wyles and pip adam talk about Deliverywoman at Unity Books Te Whanganui-a-Tara

    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.

    1h 2m

  5. Apr 7

    Ep 157: Jordy Rosenberg and pip adam talk about Night Night Fawn at The Open Book

    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 Summary of Campaigns (PDF) 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

    56 min

  6. 12/07/2025

    Ep 156: Ray Shipley and pip adam talk about a tarot deck and 'My Body is a Horror Film'

    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.

    1h 5m

  7. 11/03/2025

    Ep 155: Jo Randerson, Sarah Maxey and pip adam talk about Secret Art Powers: How Creative Thinking Can Achieve Radical Change

    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

    58 min

  8. 07/31/2025

    Ep 154: liz breslin and Pip chat about a pair of scissors

    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.

    1h 5m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Pip Adam
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Better off Read

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