Saturday Morning for Saturday 12 December 2015

8:12 Adam Spencer: numbers

While studying for a PhD in Pure Mathematics at Sydney University in 1996, Adam Spencer won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Raw Comedy Championship. Over the next decade, he hosted breakfast radio shows in Sydney, and appeared on television. Following the success of last year’s Big Book of Numbers, he has recently published two books: Adam Spencer’s World of Numbers (Xoum), and (for children) Adam Spencer’s Enormous Book of Numbers (Xoum).

9:05 Tony Merriman: sugar, gout and genes

Tony Merriman is a Professor in the Biochemistry Department, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, and an associate investigator at the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiversity. His research takes a genetic approach to understanding the biology of human disease.

9:45 Shakespeare with David Lawrence: Twelfth Night

David Lawrence is director of The Bacchanals, a Wellington theatre company he founded in 2000 to explore text-based theatre and redefine classic works. Their latest production is A Christmas Karel Capek at BATS (to 19 December). David will discuss Shakespeare's last comedy, Twelfth Night.

10:05 Anthonie Tonnon and Nadia Reid

Anthonie Tonnon is a songwriter and performer based in Auckland. His acclaimed second album, Successor, was released this year, and included the Silver-Scroll-nominated song, Water Underground. Nadia Reid is a songwriter and performer based in Dunedin. She released her debut album, Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs, independently in New Zealand at the start of the year, and it has since been picked up for release in Australia, the United States, and Europe. Anthonie and Nadia will be joined by Melbourne musician Darren Hanlon for an urban folk tour next year, visiting Oamaru, Port Chalmers, Christchurch, Okarito, Barrytown, Auckland, and Wellington (3-12 March).

11:05 James Crow: vegan treats and the homeless

Auckland mates James Crow and Tom Holden founded their company Tommy and James five years ago, to produce the dairy-free Nice Blocks range. Their Little Island Coconut Creamery now produces Little Island Nice Cream and Little Island Coconut Milk. James Crow is also the founder of Gimme Shelter, a think-tank project working on ideas to secure permanent housing for homeless in New Zealand. 

11:45 Kate’s Klassic:  Essays by George Orwell

Kate Camp has published five collections of poems, most recently Snow White’s Coffin (VUP). She will discuss Essays by George Orwell, selected and introduced by John Carey.

This Saturday’s team:

Producer: Mark Cubey
Wellington engineer: Lianne Smith
Auckland engineer: Jeremy Ansell
Dunedin engineer: Dave Howell
Research by Infofind

Music played in this show

Artist: De La Soul
Song: The Magic Number
Album: 3 Feet High and Rising
Label: Tommy Boy, 1989
Broadcast: 8:50

Artist: Anthonie Tonnon
Song:  Mt. Cargill
Album: Successor
Label: Canape King, 2015
Broadcast: 10:20

Artist: Darren Hanlon
Song: Punk’s Not Dead
Album: Hello Stranger
Label: Can, 2002
Broadcast: 10:30

Artist: Nadia Reid
Song: Reaching Through
Album: Listen To Formation, Look For The Signs
Label: Spunk, 2015
Broadcast: 10:40

Artist: Courtney Barnett
Song: Depreston
Album: Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Label: Milk, 2015
Broadcast: 10:55

Artist: Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
Song: Ice Cream Man
Album: Rock’n’Roll with the Modern Lovers
Label: Beserkley, 1977
Broadcast: 11:05