Steve Braunias

Senior Writer at New Zealand Herald

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Articles

Central Otago, pretentiously

4 days ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

And so to the best and most striking illustrated coffee table book of the year so far by a long stretch.
The secret diary of . . . Christopher Luxon in China

1 week ago | odt.co.nz | Steve Braunias

You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image. OpinionMONDAY"Where are your slippers?" Amanda said. "You'll need your slippers."Much is at fate for the destiny and wellbeing of New Zealand as I head to China this week to deliver a set of deliverables. "I can't find your slippers," she said.
Bestselling books at Matariki Weekend

1 week ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

NONFICTION1 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $59.99)“She wrote it without a ghostwriter,” her husband marvelled on social media this week, as though that was something amazing for an author to accomplish. Never mind; it’s one of the best books of the year, not exactly artful but a well-crafted memoir of one of the most interesting New Zealanders of the past 100 years.
The secret diary of .. Luxon in China

1 week ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

MONDAY“Where are your slippers?,” Amanda said. “You’ll need your slippers.”Much is at fate for the destiny and wellbeing of New Zealand as I head to China this week to deliver a set of deliverables. “I can’t find your slippers,” she said. Other great helmsmen from history must have felt the same excitement and sense of purpose as they prepared to carry the hopes of their people and sit down to make sure they get share of mind. “Your feet get so cold in air-conditioned hotel rooms,” she said.
How to destroy 500,000 books

1 week ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

The trucks and the industrial strength paper shredders with rows of 330 sharp-toothed knives on spherical roller bearings operated by hydraulic drives are set to roll out this week and destroy 500,000 books from the National Library—an end point in a long, controversial policy which will forever be regarded by many critics with despair and disgust. Objections to the massive cull managed to prevent the shipping of the books to the Internet Archive.
The Secret Diary of .. Mike Hosking's struggle

2 weeks ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

Mike HoskingI’ve struggled with the Jacinda Ardern book. It seems to have pages in it, quite a few pages, and that’s a sure sign, isn’t it, of a narcissistic disorder. And these pages have words. You guessed it –a lot of words. I said to my wife, “Kate,” I said, “what are we supposed to make of it?”I owe it to my Newstalk ZB audience of hundreds of thousands to make sense of the book. And so we picked it up, and we shook it, wondering whether the words would fall off the page.
Speaking of Michael Forbes

2 weeks ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

A new literary event in Auckland feels like crumbs from a rich man’s table, looks like crumbs from a rich man’s table, and quacks like crumbs from a rich man’s table, but some crumbs are a lot better than no crumbs at all when it comes to patronage of the arts. Ockham Residential, principal sponsors of the national book awards, are also behind a small, perfectly formed venture at The Nix in Grey Lynn.
Justice with heart: Steve Braunias at NZ’s court for the mentally ill

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Steve Braunias

Home / The Listener / New ZealandBy Steve BrauniasNew Zealand Listener·9 Jun, 2025 06:00 PM11 mins to readSubscribe to listenAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Already a subscriber? Sign in hereListening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. ‌SaveShare this articleReminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.
Catholics close Hard to Find

2 weeks ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

Iconic Auckland secondhand bookstore Hard To Find is being evicted by the Catholic Church – eight years after the church performed a “miracle” by saving the bookshop. “I am devastated, heartbroken, stressed, pissed-off, and disappointed,” said Warwick Jordan, one of the great heroes of the New Zealand book trade. He has managed Hard To Find for 45 years and is the custodian of over half a million books. He employs five full-time staff and two part-time.
The secret memoir of .. Jacinda Ardern

3 weeks ago | newsroom.co.nz | Steve Braunias

THE PRESCHOOL YEARSMy childhood was happy, but I became aware that others were not so well-off. At daycare I campaigned for longer nap times. Nothing came of it. THE PRIMARY SCHOOL YEARSI was a sensitive child. The sight of a rainbow always made me cry. The colours were so lovely but they faded so fast.