The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Psychologist John Aiken is best known for matchmaking and advising the contestants on Married at First Sight - but he's got a new project lined up. Lessons on Living is a three-part series inspired by the late Nigel Latta, with the original book being released last year on the day he died. John Aiken explained that he's carrying on the conversation Nigel started, and it's very different to what he's used to. "It was a chance to really deep dive on some of the key elements to building resilience, and doing it by interviewing really powerful Kiwis, and also doing experiments and also getting to know Nigel's nearest and dearest." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's all sorts of new and exciting ideas happening in the world of travel - and even New Zealand-made developments are getting credit. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton explored the benefits and opportunities that come with bigger projects like Etihad Rail and Viking's new hybrid hydrogen powered cruise ship. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee. She wrote the wonderful book Pachinko some years ago and this is another masterpiece. John Koh is a South Korean businessman who’s badly betrayed by his boss and struggles to find another job, in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He’s most concerned about the future of his kids, and the family move from Seoul to Sydney and then to Los Angeles looking for the good opportunities which never come. The next generation get involved in a hagwon, which is essentially a cramming school for students – but unlike the typical hagwon which is entirely driven by the desperate need for academic success, they’re more interested in developing well rounded and less stressed students. Partita by Barbara Kingsolver. Author of the equally brilliant The Poisonwood Bible and Demon Copperhead amongst others. Lydia Bohusz is a young, naïve, supremely gifted pianist who leaves Appalachia for college where her prodigious musicality promises a brilliant future - until an affair and its…

This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist Simon Wilson and host of The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! New data shows over a third of young Kiwis are not enrolled to vote - two weeks ahead of enrolment closing. Are we doing enough to engage young people? How important is it that we get young people enrolled and voting? Do we think the law change to stop election day enrolments will have an impact on this election? National has recently announced they'll be campaigning on students being required to stay at school until they complete year 11, rather than being able to leave when they turn 16. It also wants more uniform school start and finish dates. Do we think this is a good idea? Do we see this working for voters? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 11 October. 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.

Frozen vegetable yellow curry with crispy pork Cook time: 60 minutes Prep time: 20 minutes Serves: 6 400gm Brined pork belly 2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 cups frozen mixed vegetable 2 cups fresh spinach leaves 1 cup of curry paste 2 can coconut cream 1 cup vegetable stock 2 tbsp brown sugar 3 tbsp thai fish sauce Juice of 2 lemons 1 cup mint leaves 1 cup coriander leaves Curry paste 1 onion, peeled & diced 6 garlic cloves, peeled 2 stalks of lemongrass 1 knob ginger 2 tbsp curry powder 2 chilli, you choose! 1 cup of coriander stems, left over from the leaves 1/4 cup sunflower oil 1 tsp salt 6 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves (optional) Pre-heat a oven to 170*c Place the brined and dried pork onto a oven tray and place in the oven for 1 hour. To finish, turn the oven to grill to crisp up the skin. To make the curry paste, bend all the ingredients together until smooth. Heat a cast iron fry-pan. Add in the yellow curry paste and fry over a medium heat until the paste become fragrant. Add the coconut cream along with…

The state of the health system is a big talking point in this year's election, but there's debate to be had about preventative steps as well. Despite the well-documented benefits of preventive measures, many people fail to engage in proactive preventive health behaviours - and there's also societal factors that add to declining health, like housing, income, and food systems. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara unpacked the debate further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if one of the simplest ways to improve your marriage wasn't couples counselling, a romantic holiday or an expensive date night, but something as ordinary as going for a walk together? New research published in the journal Family Relations suggests that couples who exercise together may communicate better, resolve disagreements more peacefully and experience less conflict in their marriages. The study looked at nearly 1,700 married couples that were part of a larger research project called the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study, which investigates relationships during the early years of marriage. They examined two different types of physical activity: exercise that husbands and wives did individually, and exercise they participated in together. They then compared those exercise habits against three measures of relationship health: Communication: How well couples talked, listened and understood one another. - Conflict resolution: How effectively couples worked through…

The Celebrity Traitors UK is back for another season - where UK stars need to guess each other's motives for a cash prize for the charity of their choosing. The first season was well-received, but what can this new season offer viewers. Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained further - and whether this show could be a good distraction during a busy election season. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mental Health Awareness Week is set to get underway for another year, with this year's theme being 'Belonging Matters.' More Kiwis are reporting feeling lonelier than ever, according to new data - and schools, workplaces and other communities are being encouraged to give people opportunities to connect. Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson says economic troubles, global tension and lack of trust are pushing us all away from each other. "That has created a climate of blame, and finger-pointing - we know that there are worsening levels of trust around the world and that is also affecting New Zealand. All of that tends to push people away from one another." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The election season is well and truly under way, with the first debates of the campaign taking place last week. The cost of living, the health system and education were among some of the major issues discussed on the campaign trail. Former Minister and commentator Peter Dunne says the first leaders' debate fell 'flat' and it's still a very close race for both major parties. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks have ensured the Bledisloe Cup's air miles are limited for another year. The 50-19 win over the Wallabies at Eden Park has extended the run to at least 25 years between series wins for the Australians, who last defended the Cup in 2002. Former All Black and Sky Sport commentator Jeff Wilson says the Kiwi side will have learned some lessons following their string of losses to the Springboks. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The election is a month away and enrolment is due to close in two weeks - but new data shows a significant number of eligible young Kiwis aren't enrolled. Recent data from the Electoral Commission shows only 63.4 percent of people aged between 18 and 24 are enrolled to vote, and questions have been raised. On a Roll campaign volunteer Adriana Bird says this age demographic is more mobile, meaning updating their enrolment details can fall by the wayside. "This age bracket is very mobile when it comes to updating details as well, you often have young people that are moving flats, moving accommodation, moving in and out of halls that struggle with kind of knowing how to navigate the system in that way." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are some crimes so horrendous that finding the right words to describe them is almost impossible. The 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas, in which Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 others, is one of them. Hasan was convicted and sentenced to death. Now, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says his execution by firing squad, scheduled for December 3, will be livestreamed so the public can watch. The reasoning, apparently, is that people need to understand there are serious consequences for crimes like this. Really? I think we already understand. There can be no argument about the enormity of what Hasan did, or the devastation inflicted on the victims, their families and colleagues. The justice system has imposed its ultimate penalty. But why do we need to watch? What does livestreaming an execution actually achieve? Is it about transparency? Or has the business of justice, or vengeance, become a performance, with the execution the grand finale, the final episode? I have never watched a beheading.…

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, one filmmaker has made a start on depicting history as it continues to unfold. The Wizard of the Kremlin is an adaptation of the book of the same name and it follows the political landscape of post-Soviet Russia and President Vladimir Putin's resulting rise to power. French filmmaker Olivier Assayas says making a movie about modern history comes with risks and concerns - since the world can change in five minutes these days. "You're dealing with a battleground that's very much alive, and anything can happen, including major events that would make your movie worthless or pointless. I always had in the back of my mind - okay, we're shooting, we're rewriting this, we're preparing this, we're shooting this, where will we be in a year?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Tony Robinson has made a name for himself as an actor, an author and a historian - and he's set to bring his stories to New Zealand shores for another tour. Following the success of his tour in February, he's set to bring An Audience with Sir Tony Robinson: The Regional Encore Tour across New Zealand this November. Robinson says he's looking forward to experiencing the 'variety' all of New Zealand's cities can offer him, especially in the regional areas. "It's the same with my career - when I'm doing something, it's like part of my brain's going, next one, next one, what happens next?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stations by Louise Kennedy. Róisín and Red are kids in the same small Irish town, some years later meeting up again in a precarious London squat where Red has discovered booze and drugs and sidelines Róisín who has to make her own life. For 25 years they’re haunted by each other, and what might have been. Nothing But the Truth by Stuart Greive KC. With over five decades working in law, few have had as much experience of New Zealand courtrooms as Stuart Grieve KC. Having had a front-row seat for many of the most notorious cases in our recent history, he's also seen the evolution of our legal systems and society over the years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 4 October. 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.

Royal Caribbean recently acquired a 50 percent stake in operator ​Sandals Resorts International for $3 billion. This move is aimed at expanding Royal Caribbean's land-based offerings for tourists in order to boost travel spending and give people more experiences. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says this will likely lead to a mix of land and cruise-based all-inclusive experiences for travellers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist and broadcaster, Wilhelmina O’Keeffe, and Coast Day host, Lorna Riley, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Green Party has announced plans to introduce an overnight rail service between Auckland and Wellington, a passenger rail between Christchurch and Dunedin, and to extend the Te Huia train route to Tauranga. Do we support this? Will this be good for tourism? Price gouging is back in the news again, after the Electric Avenue music festival in Christchurch sold out. People were re-selling tickets at marked-up prices and one Airbnb property manager cancelled a client's booking and re-listed it - from $1032 to $9210. What do we make of this? Can we really regulate price gouging? Jobseekers are sounding the alarm over 'ghost interviews' that harvest data to train artificial intelligence. There's calls to ban these - how concerning is this development? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the recent opening of Auckland's CRL, more local pubs and restaurants will see a boost in potential visitors, and Mike's compiled his recommendations for a CRL food and drink adventure. The Waitemata station features the Queen's Rooftop Bar, the Te Waihorotiu Station is close to the Irish bar Father Teds , and for the Karanga-a-hape Station, Mike recommends the Lebanese Grocer. Maungahau Station, or Mt Eden, features the Galbraith Alehouse - with a big selection of brews to choose from. From there, Mike recommends getting off at Morningside, where you'll find the Urbanaut Brewing Co just across the road. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine your phone suddenly flashes with an emergency alert in the middle of the night and you must leave your home immediately. What do you grab? Researchers have been investigating what people would want to take with them during a disaster as part of the Wellcome Trust-funded After the End project, which is investigating how people experience and recover from crises. 1,000 adults were asked to imagine receiving an emergency alert telling them to leave their home immediately and take enough supplies to last for the next three days. They were then asked what they would want to take with them. Most participants forgot to pack essential survival items including food, water, essential medicines, cash, important documents and batteries or power banks. Only four people out of the 1,000 surveyed reported being already fully prepared for a disaster with a pre-packed emergency bag. Then, the researchers asked if they could take one more item what would it be. Their answers didn't simply list more survival equipment…

The line-up for Laneway 2027 has been released, with Fontaines D.C., Slayyyter, Adéla and Hayley Williams set to headline. The event will take place at Auckland's Western Springs on February 21, and pre-sale tickets will be available from October 7th. Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall unpacked the full line-up, and noted this will be the first New Zealand performance for some acts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government books were opened up last week, and they unveil a somewhat more promising outlook ahead of the election. The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update shows the planned 2028/29 surplus - will be nearly $2 billion dollars bigger than forecast, and the Crown will borrow less. Political commentator Brigitte Morton says the focus is now on Labour to respond to this with their own announcements and financial updates - including their pay equity plan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Australia's ban on credit and debit card surcharges took effect, and it's sparked debate as to whether we should follow suit. National expressed interest in implementing a similar rule with the Retail Payment System (Ban on Merchant Surcharges) Amendment Bill, but it appears to have stalled following backlash. Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young says this ban led to Australian businesses increasing prices - and it's likely Kiwi businesses will have to do the same if these changes were made. "In such a tight environment, everyone's struggling - consumers are struggling, businesses are struggling - that 2 percent or 2 and a half percent or 3 percent can make a difference around whether a business survives or doesn't survive." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2026 election season is well under way, with ACT officially set to get their campaign going this weekend. According to the Herald's most recent Poll of Polls, ACT is on 8 percent support - but leader David Seymour isn't fazed by this figure. Seymour says they're up to 11 percent in the most recent poll, and the figures in the Poll of Polls are 'questionable' - given how Opportunity performed. "There's never been a poll where they've done better than ACT - you say we're on 8, the latest polls has actually got us on 11... it uses a very questionable formula." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I thought I would distract myself from talk of tax, fiscal holes and pledge cards by heading to Tauranga to help my parents pack in preparation for a move from a house into an apartment. I am a bit of a hoarder. Not in an unhealthy way. My hoarding is very organised - in plastic boxes and tucked out of sight - but I do hold onto things longer than is practical. Walking into my parents half packed house and observing the number of boxes piling up I realised the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. This is not the first time my parents have downsized and they’re very good at having a clean out, and yet my mother still keeps finding children’s paintings, athletics club certificates and school reports. Turns out I placed first in the 100m and 400m in 1980 at the Eastern Suburbs Amateur Athletic Club - that’s as good as it got when it came to my athletics career. I played a ‘child’ in the Jill Proudfood School of Ballet Christmas Recital in 1982 according to the programme my mother still had. And I…

Kiwi comedian Joseph Moore has been working behind the scenes as a writer on many iconic TV shows like Taskmaster, 7 Days and Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee - and he's hit the big time overseas. Earlier this year, he got chosen from hundreds of applicants to write for the new Saturday Night Live UK - and he's proven popular, with his 'Pub Song' skit going viral. He says he'd already moved to the UK with his wife, comedian and actress Laura Daniel, but he didn't expect to score something like this. "When we moved, we didn't know that SNL UK even in the works, let alone that it existed - but it was never going to happen...so to have landed here has surpassed anything that we were imagining." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 27 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.

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult. This is Jodi doing what she does best. It’s the story of Molly Fitzgerald and her husband Jesse (he was a character in Jodi’s much loved book My Sister’s Keeper and there is a reference to that previous work in here, although it wouldn’t matter if you haven’t read the previous book - it’s just a nice continuation for anyone who did). Molly’s mother died in the Twin Towers in the 9/11 attacks and she’s made her career working in emergency response. But things aren’t quite what they seem and a serious incident sparks the discovery that everything that Molly and Jesse had thought to be true was in fact a lie. That Woman by Silvia Cartwright. She is of course a notable New Zealander - she was our first female High Court Judge and our second female Governor General. She chaired the Cartwright Commission in a major enquiry at National Women’s Hospital, and was a judge of war crimes in Cambodia, along with many other achievements throughout her long career. This is her revealing story…

The school holidays have gotten underway, with many Kiwis jetting off for the break. Air New Zealand has recently confirmed Rarotonga is now the most popular South Pacific destination for Kiwi travellers, and travel expert Megan Singleton has looked into why this is. She highlighted the accommodation choices, the food, the beaches and snorkelling tours - with plenty of options available for all kinds of travellers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Resident Economist at Opes Partners Ed McKnight and host of The Front Page Chelsea Daniels joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The election campaign has officially launched and the big Leaders Debates are due to take place - with the first one happening on Thursday October 1st. Do we see these upcoming debates changing the minds of prospective voters? Or are these just for political nerds? Meta's new smart glasses are officially available in New Zealand. Is this a sign technology has gone too far - or has the horse bolted? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all want to live long and healthy lives, but there's a difference between living longer and living longer well. Biological age measures the health and functional state of your cells and tissues, reflecting how well your body is aging compared to your chronological age. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further, and revealed the sleep and nutrition steps to take to improve biological age. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike's chicken enchiladas Cook time: 40 minutes Prep time: 15 minutes Serves: 4-6 4 flour tortilla wraps 3 cups shredded left over chicken 1 large onion, peeled and sliced 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 can black beans, drained 2 cans diced whole peeled tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp dried mixed herbs 2 tsp smoked paprika 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp chilli powder Salt and cracked pepper 1/2 cup soft feta, crumbled 1/2 cup grated cheddar Salt and cracked pepper Coriander for garnish Salad greens for the table Pre-heat oven to 180*c Heat a large cast pan over a medium heat and add in the oil. Then the onions and garlic. Sauté until they start to caramelize. Add in the spices and herbs and sauté for a further minute before adding in the whole peeled tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook out for 10 minutes and reduce slightly before turning off to cool. Remove about 1 cup of sauce and set aside for later. With the remaining sauce add in the drained beans, shredded chicken and crumbled feta. Season.…

What if one of the simplest ways to improve students' grades wasn't more homework, tutoring or extra study, but instead paying them to go to bed? Research published in the Journal of Political Economy tested exactly that in an experiment involving more than 1,100 university students. The researchers offered some students US$4.75 if they managed to get at least seven hours of sleep on a weeknight and it worked! Rather than simply asking students when they went to bed, each participant was given a Fitbit. The devices measured movement and heart rate, allowing the researchers to estimate when students fell asleep, when they woke up and how long they slept. Students were monitored before the intervention to establish their normal sleeping patterns, followed by four weeks of experimentation and then another one to five weeks of observation afterwards. At the beginning of the study, students managed at least seven hours of sleep on only around 43 percent of weeknights. Then the researchers divided them into…

Taylor Swift recently expanded The Life of a Showgirl, and dropped four new songs last Friday. The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore came with the songs Patient Zero, Cleveland!, Pink Clouding, and Babylon. Entertainment correspondent Chris Henry says these songs were recorded after the album's initial release, and there's speculation she's trying to get more attention on the project ahead of next year's Grammy's. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irish singer-songwriter and former Boyzone member Ronan Keating has launched his latest tour, and he's set to play in Auckland and Christchurch in March 2027. Since launching his music career as a 16-year-old, Ronan has 19 albums across both the band and his solo career and sold over 45 million albums. He says it's been a long time since he brought an international tour of this size and scale to life, and he's looking forward to it. "It's special, because it's tricky out there at the moment for artists and for people being able to afford tickets - a lot of tours are being cancelled, etc. So for me, it's a risk, it's always a risk putting on a tour, but the reaction has been unbelievable." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both major parties are kicking off their campaigns today in Auckland, with Labour and National hitting the trail to reach out to voters. Labour made an appearance at the Ōtara markets on Saturday - and a familiar face from the Ardern era made an appearance alongside Hipkins. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper said the emergence of former Labour Speaker Trevor Mallard could remind voters of the previous Government, and the party should try keep their distance. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The election race has gotten into full swing, with both parties set to hold their campaign launches today. Labour's event in South Auckland is set to take place this afternoon, and it's likely some new policies will be unveiled ahead of the election. Labour's campaign chair Kieran McAnulty says Chris Luxon is out of touch with the average New Zealander, and they'll be calling out the Government's broken promises. "We're gonna be targeting the fact that unemployment is up and that homelessness is at the highest level it's ever been and that for 70 percent of New Zealanders last year, their wages did not keep up with the cost of living. So take your pick." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The election race is officially under way, and National has revealed how they plan to address the opposition's policies. Both National and Labour are holding campaign launches today, with plenty of new announcements set to be made. National campaign chair Simeon Brown says voters should know the left-bloc wants to tax, borrow and spend more. "We cannot have a capital gains tax, a wealth tax, an inheritance tax, a land tax on top of your rates - these are the issues at stake as the work we've done, but also the risk that there is with a Labour-Greens-Te Pati Māori-Opportunity Government." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The school holidays are upon us again, the clocks changed for daylight saving this morning, and this week saw the final sitting of the House before the election. You know what that means - stump speeches are being refined, hustings are well under way as the debate comes out of the House and into the public arena. Let the entertainment - or as one Newstalk ZB listener called it this week, the nonsense - begin. It actually feels like we’ve been in campaign mode since politicians returned to work after the new year, but from this weekend the campaign starts in earnest. Parliament will be formally dissolved on Thursday, but essentially - we’re all go from now. And that means it’s time for my favourite part of any general election - the televised debates. The first of a variety of debates is on Tuesday and they’ll roll through until November 5th on all the main news outlets. The main attraction are the Leader’s Debates between Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins, of which there are three. But are these debates…

Dame Silvia Cartwright has been a trailblazer for women in the fields of law and justice, and she's detailed her life story in a new memoir. She was one of two women studying law at Otago University in the 1960s, and went on to become New Zealand's first female High Court judge and the second woman to hold the role of Governor-General at a time when the sector was overly male. She's been on an extraordinary professional journey, which she's detailed in her new memoir That Woman. "I do remember reading, or at least glancing at a book about Roman law when I was about 14 - but I think it was a process of elimination. In those days , if a woman studied at university, the options were fairly limited to teaching, nursing, or - being Dunedin - medicine." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actress and singer Keala Settle was launched into international stardom thanks to her role in The Greatest Showman as the bearded lady, Lettie Lutz. She sang the film's biggest hit This Is Me, which won a Golden Globe and got an Oscar nomination - and it ensured the Tony-nominated actress became a household name. Keala Settle spent a lot of time in New Zealand visiting family as she grew up, and she's set to return to our shores for the WITCH musical theatre premiere of Sunset Boulevard at the Wellington Town Hall. "I'm just excited to go back - and then just forgot that there's this actual job that I had to do. So it could be overwhelming, if I let it be. But I'm just trying to keep my wits about me as much as I can and lean on everyone that's around me." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon. Fiction, based on the real life of Grace O’Malley who lived in the 16th century and gained renown as a fiercely independent woman and a fearless pirate who controlled an army of men, key maritime routes and trade in the west of Ireland. Suffering English rule, she bowed to no one and her story is extraordinary. This is by the author of The Frozen River which is one of my favourite books in recent years. Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley. Readers of Agatha Christie will be familiar with Miss Marple, her village living amateur detective about whom many books were written. Lucy Foley has now produced a new Miss Marple story, authorized by the Christie estate - in which Miss Marple finds herself in a flash hotel high in the Alps where murders occur and of course her sleuthing skills come to the fore. It’s a real homage to the original author, and fans of her work - but also readers discovering them for the first time - will find much to enjoy. LISTEN ABOVE See…

Travel expert Megan Singleton recently went to the Cook Islands and she's revealed how to make the most of one small island - described as 'heaven on Earth'. The tiny island of Aitutaki is about 220km north of Rarotonga, and easily accessible on a short flight from the region. Megan says you'd need three or four days on the island to see all that it has to offer - and outlined her recommendations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir and journalist, TV producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! National has proposed to, if elected, break up Foodstuffs in a bid to bring down food prices for Kiwi consumers. Has National made a mistake with this policy? Does this completely go against the party's values of ambition and hard work and success? Do they also need to take a look at banks or petrol companies? Labour's Chris Hipkins recently claimed smaller parties shouldn't be able to veto National and Labour working together amid calls for more bipartisanship for key issues like the NZ-India trade deal or the teen social media ban. Do we think Hipkins has a point here? Would the benefit of the two major parties agreeing and working together outweigh any negative? Wahs fever is on the rise - how excited are we for tonight's big game? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 20 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.

September marks a big period of change, as the weather gets warmer and the days get longer. It's the perfect time to shake off the winter blues and get outdoors, especially with daylight saving due to kick in next weekend. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fired broccolini with grated ginger, parsley and parmesan Cook time: 10 minutes Prep time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 1 pkt broccolini Flaky sea-salt 2 knobs ginger 1 cup flat leaf parsley 1 cup finely grated parmesan 4 tbsp olive oil Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and plunge in the broccolini. Cook until just under. This will take 2 minutes. Remove and plunge into iced water to stop the cooking. Drain once cold and place the cauliflower into a large bowl, drizzle with oil and season with salt. Char-grill over embers or on a hot BBQ. Place back into a clean bowl. Peel the ginger and grate finely with a mircoplane and add to the broccolini. Chop the parsley and add into the broccolini and finish with the Parmesan, olive oil and extra seasoning. Season and toss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As New Zealand heads towards what could be a drier-than-usual summer, here's an unusual way we might save water - stop flushing the toilet quite so often. The old water-saving advice goes: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow.” The problem is that many of us find an unflushed toilet really unpleasant. Now researchers at the University of Surrey have investigated a surprisingly simple solution - a pellet that dissolves in the toilet, turns the water blue and masks the smell after you wee. Their results found that the biggest barrier to flushing less might not actually be habit, it might be worrying about what other people think. In the study the researchers recruited 20 adults and gave each a dispenser containing 70 Wizso pellets. For one week, participants used the pellets at home as part of their normal bathroom routines. Drop one into the toilet and it dissolves, colouring the water blue and releasing a fragrance designed to mask odour. The idea is that after urinating, you leave the toilet unflushed without the…