The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

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News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

3D AGO

Astrid Jorgensen: Pub Choir founder on her new book Average At Best

Astrid Jorgensen used her love of communal singing to build Pub Choir - a concept she took all the way to America's Got Talent. The idea involves turning a theatre of regular people into a choir and with Jorgensen's tuition and a PowerPoint, any group can sing a three-part harmony. She used her experience to craft a memoir - Average At Best. "Can everyone learn to sing and win a Grammy Award? Absolutely not. But can everyone physically sing? Yes! If you can talk, it's the exact same mechanisms that help you to sing." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 min
3D AGO

Ken Follett: author on his new book Circle of Days

Ken Follett's made a name for himself as an author of historical epic novels - and he's got a new one out. After starting his career as a thriller writer in the 70s, Ken’s decision to write The Pillars of the Earth in 1989 set his career on a different trajectory, and it paid off. Pillars has sold over 27 million copies and to date remains his most famous novel - and his total book sales now sits around 198 million copies globally. Ken’s latest book, Circle of Days, is another historical epic built around the mysteries of Stonehenge. "They didn't leave anything written, they didn't do many cave paintings and so all we've really got is what the archaeologists dig up out of the ground. My policy is - I find out what's known, what the historians feel confident about. And what isn't known, I'm entitled to make up." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 min
3D AGO

Whitcoulls Recommends: Culpability and Mother Mary Comes to Me

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger. When a self driving car crashes, a family’s lives are thrown into chaos. In the aftermath, questions are raised about responsibility for the accident and where the ethical line between human culpability and the technology is drawn. The people in this family are all keeping secrets from one another, and as these are thrown into the spotlight this book just gets more and more compelling. I couldn’t put it down. Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 with The God of Small Things which was fiction – this new one is a memoir, about her life, and specifically about her relationship with her mother who was a singular, difficult woman who is referred to throughout the book as Mrs Roy. They had a challenging relationship – Arundhati said her mother was her shelter and her storm – and there are loads of fascinating and entertaining stories and anecdotes in the book. It’s a terrific memoir. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 min
3D AGO

Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on how to properly pre-book flights and accommodation

It's common for people to want to build a trip around a big event, but waiting for the flights and hotels to line up can be tricky. Booking things at the last minute can add on a bunch of extra costs, so BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton revealed how you can get ahead and make a booking. She also revealed how to make the most out of a cancellation policy - read more about her travel tips here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 min
3D AGO

The Sunday Panel: Did Winston Peters make the right call?

This week on the Sunday Panel, resident economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, and Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed New Zealand wouldn't recognise a Palestinian state at this point in time. Are we surprised by this? The All Blacks managed to turn their luck around and beat the Wallabies 33-24 at Eden Park - and claim the Bledisloe Cup. But would it mean more if we won it over three matches? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 min
3D AGO

Erin O'Hara: naturopath and wellness expert reveals how menopause and hormone changes impact inflammation

Inflammation can be caused by a number of factors, but new research has found there's a link between the condition and hormone changes in women. Loss of oestrogen can affect joints and the connective tissue that 'glues' your skeleton together, and the changes in hormones can result in general muscle aches, pains and stiffness. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 min
3D AGO

Full Show Podcast: 28 September 2025

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 28 September. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 57m
3D AGO

Mike van de Elzen: Throw-out roasted vegetable salad

Throw-out roasted vegetable salad Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes 6 parsnips, carrots, courgette or buttercup & cut into long wedges 2 tbsp cooking oil Heat oven to 180 degrees. Place the vegetables into a large bowl and toss through oil and spiced salt. Then into a roasting tray ensuring all the veggies are single layer. Bake for 20 minutes before tossing and cooking for a further 5 minutes while you make the chickpea salsa. Once the veggies are cooked and whilst they are still hot, toss through the chickpea salsa, garnish and serve. Spiced salt: 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder 1 tsp sea salt Warm chickpea salsa: 1x 330 ml can chickpeas, washed, rinsed and dried 2 tomatoes, finely diced ½ cup parsley, roughly chopped (reserve some for garnish) 3 cloves garlic, crushed 5 tbsp sunflower oil 1 lemon, juiced & zested Salt and pepper Heat a frypan and add a touch of oil, quickly sauté chickpeas until they are golden and crunchy. Place into a bowl and combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 min

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02/09/2023

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News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.