In 'The brown writers in the room', a new essay written for The Spinoff Book, Ātea editor Leonie Hayden asks why written journalism is ignored by Māori media funding bodies when it is the axis of mainstream media. She speculates on whether institutions are making space for young Māori keen to write about the world around them, and looks at our rich Māori literary tradition. "Māori broadcasting is our voice and it's strong. But Māori media needs a pen too." Here Spinoff editor Toby Manhire introduces Leonie Hayden, who reads the post, one of the many that appears in The Spinoff Book alongside dozens of other entertaining, edifying and just plain eccentric pieces of writing, with the best of The Spinoff’s first five years and a host of new material, as well as sumptuous new illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff Book, published by Penguin Random House New Zealand, is available everywhere books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's election year in New Zealand, so what better time to gaze back at the last one, when the campaign was turned on its head by the Labour Party's 11th hour decision to replace Andrew Little with Jacinda Ardern. In "The Change Maker", Spinoff editor Toby Manhire revisits the epic, helter-skelter election of 2017, and its promise of transformation. Here Leonie Hayden introduces Toby Manhire, who reads that chapter, which appears in The Spinoff Book alongside dozens of other entertaining, edifying and just plain eccentric pieces of writing, with the best of The Spinoff’s first five years and a host of new material, as well as sumptuous new illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff Book, published by Penguin Random House New Zealand, is available everywhere books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2017, Alex Casey took her mum to see Sensing Murder star Sue Nicholson at conference space at the back of a motel lodge in West Auckland. It was as hilariously awful as she expected, but also extremely sad. "Every second person in the room had been crying, the feeling of both desperation and relief palpable as Sue babbled her way through various vague messages," Casey wrote. "For most people, it seemed like this was enough." Here Spinoff editor Toby Manhire introduces Alex Casey, who reads that post, one of the many that appears in The Spinoff Book alongside dozens of other entertaining, edifying and just plain eccentric pieces of writing, with the best of The Spinoff's first five years and a host of new material, as well as sumptuous new illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff Book, published by Penguin Random House New Zealand, is available everywhere books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How far would you go to save your future – and those of your children? Early in 2019, staff writer Alex Braae joined members of direct-action climate protest group Extinction Rebellion as they gatecrashed the local head office of a global oil company. His piece sets out what happened, but also captures what the future feels like for a millennial whose hopes have been upended by the climate crisis. "Our parents were optimistic that each year could offer something better than the last," he writes, "but we know we are the generation that can never say that again." Here Spinoff editor Toby Manhire introduces Alex Braae, who reads that post, which appears in The Spinoff Book alongside dozens of other entertaining, edifying and just plain eccentric pieces of writing, with the best of The Spinoff's first five years and a host of new material, as well as sumptuous new illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff Book, published by Penguin Random House New Zealand, is available everywhere books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late March 2019, Madeleine Chapman spied her Everest, and she climbed it. "All 123 chip flavours in New Zealand ranked from best to worst" was one of The Spinoff's most viewed, and certainly most controversial posts of the year. The response was so overwhelming that it needed its own response from the author. Here Spinoff editor Toby Manhire introduces Madeleine Chapman, who reads that post, which appears in The Spinoff Book alongside dozens of other entertaining, edifying and just plain eccentric pieces of writing, with the best of The Spinoff's first five years and a host of new material, as well as sumptuous new illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff Book, published by Penguin Random House New Zealand, is available everywhere books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices