Joanna Wane is a Senior Feature Writer for Lifestyle Premium for the New Zealand Herald.
Based in the Auckland newsroom, Joanna Wane has spent the past four decades as a specialist feature writer, working on newspapers and magazines in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. She has also co-directed two television documentaries. Before joining NZME in 2020, she was deputy editor at North & South magazine, where she was named feature writer of the year (long-form) in 2017 and a finalist for feature writer of the year (short-form) in 2019. With a particular focus on social issues and the arts and culture sector, she has won multiple travel writing awards, including travel writer of the year in 2017, and best journalist in both the lifestyle and current affairs categories at the Magazine Publishers Association's Media Awards.
![‘This is real life’: A Kiwi nurse shares her story from inside Afghanistan](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
‘This is real life’: A Kiwi nurse shares her story from inside Afghanistan
At 37, Catherine Flanigan has worked in some of the most troubled parts of the world.
!['I love it now': Sonia Gray on why ADHD is the best part of her](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'I love it now': Sonia Gray on why ADHD is the best part of her
After a lifetime of struggle, she and daughter Inez are celebrating their wins
![25 of the best lifestyle and entertainment interviews of the year so far](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
25 of the best lifestyle and entertainment interviews of the year so far
While you enjoy a long weekend break, catch up on some of the best stories of 2024 so far.
!['The story chose me': Lucy Lawless' new doco uncovers the dark, untold story of a fearless Kiwi legend](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'The story chose me': Lucy Lawless' new doco uncovers the dark, untold story of a fearless Kiwi legend
The Xena star and first-time director takes on real-life warrior princess Margaret Moth.
![Auckland teacher forced to fly to Sydney every week to access lifesaving cancer treatment](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Auckland teacher forced to fly to Sydney every week to access lifesaving cancer treatment
How Kiwis are missing out on 'wonder drugs' coming down the pipeline.
![Two tank shells, five girls in a bedroom - only one survived](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Two tank shells, five girls in a bedroom - only one survived
Why a bereaved Palestinian doctor is coming to NZ to share his message of hope.
![Delphinium Days: Derek Jarman exhibition opens at Gus Fisher Gallery](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Delphinium Days: Derek Jarman exhibition opens at Gus Fisher Gallery
The enduring legacy of an artist, activist and canonised 'saint'.
![Can hypnotherapy break the cycle of emotional eating?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Can hypnotherapy break the cycle of emotional eating?
How the virtual gastric band can curb irrational cravings and weight gain.
![Jodie Rimmer: Why it's time for women in their 50s to start acting their age](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Jodie Rimmer: Why it's time for women in their 50s to start acting their age
'I’ve had lots of coffees with friends where we're grumbling about our faces falling off.'
![Opinion: Donating a kidney could save a life - but would it shorten mine?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opinion: Donating a kidney could save a life - but would it shorten mine?
OPINION: Joanna Wane looks at why sometimes it’s easier to give than receive.
![Exclusive: US bestseller Ann Patchett on life, love and the curse of beauty](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Exclusive: US bestseller Ann Patchett on life, love and the curse of beauty
'I married the first guy who asked me out to dinner.'
![Being Jacinda: Actor Sophie Hambleton on playing the loved - and hated - former PM](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Being Jacinda: Actor Sophie Hambleton on playing the loved - and hated - former PM
'Imagine hearing people outside your place of work baying for your blood.'
![The demise of Tuesday Night Community Kai, where homeless people found belonging](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The demise of Tuesday Night Community Kai, where homeless people found belonging
'The system is broken. It’s very, very, very broken.'
!['Hurtful and unfair': Father of comedian James Mustapic lashes out over TVNZ show](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Hurtful and unfair': Father of comedian James Mustapic lashes out over TVNZ show
'How did I abandon him when he was 3 years old?'
![Why are Kiwis still so obsessed with Jane Austen?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Why are Kiwis still so obsessed with Jane Austen?
From Regency radical to pop-culture icon, still trending 200 years after her death.
![Why (almost) everything you’ve been told about back pain is wrong](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Why (almost) everything you’ve been told about back pain is wrong
Christchurch expert Antony Bush on his new mythbusting book.
!['Viagra for the heart': A sizzling dive into the science of sex and chemical attraction](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Viagra for the heart': A sizzling dive into the science of sex and chemical attraction
A provocative play asks where love sits, in the heart or the brain?
![Ditching the 9 to 5 stranglehold: An expert tells how](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Ditching the 9 to 5 stranglehold: An expert tells how
The #WorkSchoolHours founder talkin' about a workplace revolution.
!['I Love Dick' writer Chris Kraus on aliens, anorexia and her disastrous NZ flop](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'I Love Dick' writer Chris Kraus on aliens, anorexia and her disastrous NZ flop
Failure is laid bare in a new play at the Auckland Arts Festival.
!['A soldier among the dead, dying': Kiwi surgeon reveals bizarre and bold operations](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'A soldier among the dead, dying': Kiwi surgeon reveals bizarre and bold operations
A man was admitted after swallowing 35 fish hooks.
![The true story behind one of Britain's worst miscarriages of justice](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The true story behind one of Britain's worst miscarriages of justice
Ex-IRA activist Richard O’Rawe's new play on his 'tortured' childhood friend.
![Boy: A tragic story with a controversial Kiwi connection](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Boy: A tragic story with a controversial Kiwi connection
David Reimer's "unfortunate experiment" and the Kiwi sexologist who destroyed him
![The Cantabrian adding a touch of Kiwi class to British musical royalty](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The Cantabrian adding a touch of Kiwi class to British musical royalty
Chris Bruerton sings his way in the Grammy Award-winning King's Singers.
![King Lear meets Succession in a Samoan family's fight for control](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
King Lear meets Succession in a Samoan family's fight for control
Power, politics and an ailing patriarch collide in a new bilingual play.
!['Retraumatised in front of her rapist': The searing one-woman play that puts justice on trial](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Retraumatised in front of her rapist': The searing one-woman play that puts justice on trial
The women putting our legal system on trial and the play telling their story.
![Kiwi parenting coach's advice on the 'impossible task' facing parents](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Kiwi parenting coach's advice on the 'impossible task' facing parents
Can you keep your kids at a healthy weight while making sure they love their bodies?
![Dancing with myself: Lusi Faiva brings her life story to the stage](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Dancing with myself: Lusi Faiva brings her life story to the stage
'This isn’t sad disability porn.'
![How a former NZ men's netball captain found his way to star on stage and screen](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
How a former NZ men's netball captain found his way to star on stage and screen
Kruze Tangira is one half of the hottest theatre show in town.
![Niwa Whatuira: The drag queen, the showgirl and me](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Niwa Whatuira: The drag queen, the showgirl and me
The ex-con son of a famous drag queen goes to work on K Rd.
![Feuds, fat-shaming and fabulousness: Inside the 90s aerobics scene](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Feuds, fat-shaming and fabulousness: Inside the 90s aerobics scene
Kiwi choreographer Jack Gray reveals his dark, sequinned past.
![White gold: The Kiwi mum making breast milk skincare](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
White gold: The Kiwi mum making breast milk skincare
"You can just slap some on and be pretty sure it’s going to do some good.”
![Money expert's best investment advice for beginners in 2024](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Money expert's best investment advice for beginners in 2024
Investing for beginners and an inside guide to this year's key financial trends.
![Trinny Woodall on boobs, Bunny and her global beauty empire](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Trinny Woodall on boobs, Bunny and her global beauty empire
“Influencer? I hate that term. I really hate that term!”
![The age of anxiety – why the snowflake generation is right to be worried](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The age of anxiety – why the snowflake generation is right to be worried
"The notion that it's a kind of psychological weakness is completely absurd."
![Sigourney Weaver: "Women hold the world together"](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sigourney Weaver: "Women hold the world together"
Forty years after Alien, the Hollywood A-lister is still playing kick-ass roles.
![Kiwi pole vault star Eliza McCartney on her remarkable comeback](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Kiwi pole vault star Eliza McCartney on her remarkable comeback
'I'd come home after a training session where I couldn't do anything and just cry.'
![Stopping the clock: My 12-month mission to knock years off my age](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Stopping the clock: My 12-month mission to knock years off my age
The final countdown is on for Joanna Wane, who's put her life on the line.
![The man behind the magic of Footrot Flats: A son's final farewell](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The man behind the magic of Footrot Flats: A son's final farewell
'Dad was very highly principled and highly motivated to a level I just couldn’t match.'
![Assaults, abductions and abandonments: On the front line at NZ's largest wild bird hospital](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Assaults, abductions and abandonments: On the front line at NZ's largest wild bird hospital
"He was absolutely beautiful. We all loved him. He died after three or four nights.”
![Why heritage champion Paul Baragwanath is praying for a Christmas miracle](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Why heritage champion Paul Baragwanath is praying for a Christmas miracle
"When it all looked hopeless so many times, something would come through."
![People spend a lifetime dreaming of Uluru: We can be there in six hours](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
People spend a lifetime dreaming of Uluru: We can be there in six hours
Joanna Wane falls under the spell of this ridiculously magnificent hunk of rock.
![From Auckland to Abbey Road: 'Basically I work for the Beatles!'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
From Auckland to Abbey Road: 'Basically I work for the Beatles!'
Julia Morris, the daughter of Kiwi music royalty, on the songs that have shaped her life.
![Challenges, support, success: Theresa Gattung, Ladi6 and Kiri Nathan in conversation](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Challenges, support, success: Theresa Gattung, Ladi6 and Kiri Nathan in conversation
“I always lean in to my sisterhood. I call them my unpaid advisory board.”
![The truth is out there: Cult director David Blyth's alien abduction musical Night Freaks](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The truth is out there: Cult director David Blyth's alien abduction musical Night Freaks
"Sometimes you have these moments where the fabric of reality suddenly tears."
![Trinny Woodall on boobs, Bunny and her global beauty empire](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Trinny Woodall on boobs, Bunny and her global beauty empire
“Influencer? I hate that term. I really hate that term!”
![Brokenhearted: Whina director's new doco about Kiwi surgeon's lifesaving work with Palestinian children](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Brokenhearted: Whina director's new doco about Kiwi surgeon's lifesaving work with Palestinian children
“It’s not driven by politics. It’s not driven by anything other than humanity."
![Albert Wendt: 'As you get older, it’s more frightening because you’re getting closer to the end. Kaput!'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Albert Wendt: 'As you get older, it’s more frightening because you’re getting closer to the end. Kaput!'
The angry young man of Pacific literature at the age of 84.
![From first love to the ultimate betrayal: Famous kisses that made history](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
From first love to the ultimate betrayal: Famous kisses that made history
"We just wanted to get it over with."
![Devils in the desert: An Outback adventure in Australia's Red Centre](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Devils in the desert: An Outback adventure in Australia's Red Centre
Joanna Wane explores the extraordinary desert landscape of Alice Springs.
!["Your body might get older, but that desire to move doesn’t change"](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
"Your body might get older, but that desire to move doesn’t change"
At 63, dancer Shona Wilson is the Ice Queen in a contemporary take on Giselle.
![Kiwis can fly: The story of Aotearoa's aviation history as you've never seen it before](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Kiwis can fly: The story of Aotearoa's aviation history as you've never seen it before
"Seeing those boats lift off the water reminds me of giant clumsy swans."
!['Painted with curses': The royal scandal that inspired Andrea Hotere's debut novel](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Painted with curses': The royal scandal that inspired Andrea Hotere's debut novel
Artist Ralph Hotere's daughter takes on the world's most mysterious artwork.
![Draining the disinformation swamp: How to decode the dark forces trying to influence your vote](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Draining the disinformation swamp: How to decode the dark forces trying to influence your vote
"The higher you rate your own intelligence, the more susceptible you are."
![Sweet music: The extraordinary woman behind a legendary 18th-century love affair](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sweet music: The extraordinary woman behind a legendary 18th-century love affair
Emilie: more rom-com than earnest period drama
!["If you can take over a train station, what if we take over a whole country?"](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
"If you can take over a train station, what if we take over a whole country?"
Global design leader Liza Enebeis and her digital mission to take over the world.
!["She was angry and biting and ready to attack"](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
"She was angry and biting and ready to attack"
Singer-songwriter Danica Bryant on the passionate women who've shaped her career.
![How to live longer: DNA, wellbeing and ageing](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
How to live longer: DNA, wellbeing and ageing
Joanna Wane talks to the scientist studying the effects of age.
![Opera star Madison Nonoa: 'The life I have now would blow her mind'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Opera star Madison Nonoa: 'The life I have now would blow her mind'
A bittersweet homecoming and the Samoan grandmother who sacrificed everything
![Architect-turned-artist Volker Hawighorst: Saving the world one plastic bread tag at a time](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Architect-turned-artist Volker Hawighorst: Saving the world one plastic bread tag at a time
"What does it mean to throw something away? It doesn’t go away from this Earth."
![The Front Lawn remembered: Dragging Kiwi culture off the farm and into the suburbs](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The Front Lawn remembered: Dragging Kiwi culture off the farm and into the suburbs
"New Zealand in the 80s was quite blokey. There was a kind of compulsory manliness."
![The new doco that begins with a question: Can I give birth in the ocean?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The new doco that begins with a question: Can I give birth in the ocean?
“Why did we have to fight so hard to get the birth that feels so right?”
![Fighting for her life: Mea Motu on defending her world title, how boxing set her free](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Fighting for her life: Mea Motu on defending her world title, how boxing set her free
'My whole life was a secret ... but I don't want that to define who I am.'
![Blood bags and burlesque: "Everyone craves a bit of darkness, don’t they?”](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Blood bags and burlesque: "Everyone craves a bit of darkness, don’t they?”
Enter the world of Draculas — if you dare.
!['No matter how near death you might be, there's a warmth. How quickly it turns'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'No matter how near death you might be, there's a warmth. How quickly it turns'
Talking life and death with intensive care specialist David Galler, star of a new play.
![Sigourney Weaver: "Women hold the world together"](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sigourney Weaver: "Women hold the world together"
Forty years after Alien, the Hollywood A-lister is still playing kick-ass roles.
![The age of anxiety – why the snowflake generation is right to be worried](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The age of anxiety – why the snowflake generation is right to be worried
"The notion that it's a kind of psychological weakness is completely absurd."
!['Never been a better or a more dangerous time to be trans' - Kiwis tell their stories](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'Never been a better or a more dangerous time to be trans' - Kiwis tell their stories
Trans Kiwis tell their stories in an 8-part video series
![Basmati Bitch: A power fantasy for South Asian women](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Basmati Bitch: A power fantasy for South Asian women
“It feels good to be bad, sometimes. It feels really f***ing good”
![An audience with the Pope: How Shakespeare nearly caused a scandal at the Vatican](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
An audience with the Pope: How Shakespeare nearly caused a scandal at the Vatican
"Only a swift bit of diplomacy prevented an international incident."
!['In my single generation, things that once held shame now hold pride'](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'In my single generation, things that once held shame now hold pride'
Devon Murphy-Davids had a picture-perfect life — until she turned her world upside down.
![Murder or misadventure: A Hollywood scandal plays out in the Viaduct](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Murder or misadventure: A Hollywood scandal plays out in the Viaduct
"Was it the salted almonds and champagne?"
![Cosi fan tutte: Seduction, scandal and the power of sisterhood](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Cosi fan tutte: Seduction, scandal and the power of sisterhood
Two new-generation divas on how opera is reshaping women's stories.
![She who would be king: Beatriz Romilly on power, politics and the nature of evil](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
She who would be king: Beatriz Romilly on power, politics and the nature of evil
"Does someone have to be completely destroyed to realise what a jerk they’re being?"
![The Many Faces of King Lear](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The Many Faces of King Lear
From Brian Cox to Glenda Jackson, some famous faces have portrayed Shakespeare's King Lear over the past three decades.
![Gabrielle Zevin, the game-changing author with a $2m film deal](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Gabrielle Zevin, the game-changing author with a $2m film deal
“No one gets to tell you that’s not love”
![Controversial or culturally savvy: The globalisation of Samoan tatau](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Controversial or culturally savvy: The globalisation of Samoan tatau
"Even though this is deliberate, accepted violence, it’s still bloody. It still hurts."
![The terror and ecstasy of psychosis: Two doctors tell their stories](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
The terror and ecstasy of psychosis: Two doctors tell their stories
“It was like a tipped-up cosmic jigsaw puzzle and I had to put back the pieces.”
![Bowie to Bollywood: The music that shaped a Mutton Bird](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Bowie to Bollywood: The music that shaped a Mutton Bird
"Other people play gym bangers when they’re exercising. I listen to old Bollywood music."