Conversations

At 48, Bill Hayes moved to New York. He took up photography, and never anticipated the surprise of falling in love with his neighbour, Dr Oliver Sacks,  a neurologist, a naturalist and a university professor. (R) Doctor Oliver Sacks became famous for writing case histories of his patients in books, including The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, and An Anthropologist on Mars. At 75 years old, Oliver had never been in a relationship, until he fell deeply in love with his neighbour Bill Hayes, who was decades younger than him. Bill and Oliver lived together until Oliver Sacks died in 2015, in his early eighties. Further information Bill's memoir Insomniac City was published in 2017 by Bloomsbury. This conversation was recorded at the 2017 Sydney Writers' Festival. The producer was Nicola Harrison and the Executive Producer was Pam O'Brien.

Louise Philip had just scored her breakout role on Australian television, in Bellbird, when a horrific car crash threatened to derail the life she was forging for herself. (R) Louise was 15 years old when she convinced her parents to let her drop out of high school to become an actress. She had just scored her breakout role on Australian television, but within a few months a terrible car crash threatened to derail the life that she was forging for herself.  Louise broke her back and permanently lost the use of her legs, and she was told that the silver screen was no longer a place for her. But Louise fought to get back to work, and thrived on Australian television sets for years until she did something else that people told her was impossible -- she became a mother. Only after Louise became a mother did she have the perspective to deeply talk to her father, who was driving the car when it crashed all those years ago, about grief, guilt and forgiveness. This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2024. The producer was Nicola Harrison and the executive producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores disability, tv acting, Australian television, disability access, discrimination, grief, guilt, motherhood, family, love, tragedy, resilience, forgiveness.

As a little girl growing up in Brisbane in the era of the White Australia policy, Lindy lived through the pain of always feeling different but then she began using it as fuel for her art. (R) It took her many years to find the power in what she calls the 'tearing' in her identity. She began to make work based on her own family story, and her Zen practice. Lindy is now one of Australia's leading contemporary artists. This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2022

At 25, Peter Goers lost both of his parents after the commercial plane they were travelling in crashed into a suburb of New Orleans shortly after take off. Suddenly, he was required to drop everything to fly to America and identify their bodies, he also spent time the relatives of the other 143 passengers that died in the tragedy. For many years Peter's reaction to losing his parents was expressed through a reckless regard for his own life, before finally learning how to live with himself and the defining tragedy of his life. Peter Goers is a retired ABC broadcaster, he presented The Evening Show on 891 ABC Adelaide for over 20 years. This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2023. It was produced by Nicola Harrison and Eliza Kirch is the Executive Producer. Further Information Peter's memoir, In the Air of the Afternoon is published through Wakefield Press.

For 45 years, George Palmer harboured a secret. He spent every spare moment composing classical music, and then shoving his scores in his bottom drawer. Until one day, almost by pure chance, that music saw the light of day. As a young man, George had dreams of becoming a renowned classical music composer, but when he walked into university, he didn't feel like he belonged in the music department. George left after his first week, and followed a school friend into the law department. At first, George was not inspired by the law, but he ended up falling in love with the human side of the justice system. For the next 45 years, he climbed the ranks from barrister, to Queen's Counsel, and finally to judge in the NSW Supreme Court, where he had ultimate responsibility for all adoptions in the state. But through all those years in public life, George had a secret "vice". Every spare moment he had was spent at his piano, scribbling down choral works and orchestral scores that he never intended anyone to see or hear. He never spoke about composing with his colleagues, friends or family, until one day George's talents were uncovered through chance and tragedy. George's latest work The Drover's Wife - The Opera is playing at Brisbane's QPAC until 22 May, and then will be staged at Sydney's Opera House in August, 2026. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores World War Two, family origin stories, spies, British intelligence, hearing loss, late in life career changes, second career, protective list, adoption, foster care, Supreme Court, legal system, justice system, judicial system, commercial law, Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, opera, contemporary classical music, contemporary Australian composers, Indigenous stories, Leah Purcell, stage adaptations, books, writing.

From muscle paralysis and sleepwalking, to the power of our subconscious, Dr Sutapa Mukherjee takes you into the secret world of sleep. Dr Sutapa Mukherjee is a sleep specialist fascinated by how the time we spend awake is built on the hours we spend horizontal, and totally withdrawn from the world.  She trained initially as a respiratory specialist, but moved into sleep research when she realised how little was known about what happens to us when our conscious mind switches off at night.  Sutapa helps people to overcome sleep disorders, like insomnia, sleepwalking and narcolepsy, which can sometimes come with a condition known as cataplexy: when laughter or another strong emotion causes someone to instantly collapse into sleep.  This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2024 The producer was Meggie Morris and Carmel Rooney was the Executive Producer. It explores sleep, insomnia, sleepwalking, narcolepsy, sleep apnoea, consciousness, cataplexy, mental health, physical health, mental clarity, energy, mood, snoring, respiratory illness, mindfulness, anxiety To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Former AFLW star Moana Hope has spent her life caring for others, including her dying father and her beloved sister Vinny, who has an intellectual disability. It wasn't until Mo was in her 30s that she realised she needed to learn how to love herself. Content Warning: this episode of Conversations contains discussion of childhood abuse, domestic violence and suicidal ideation. Moana Hope grew up with 13 siblings in a two-bedroom housing commission home in Melbourne's north west. As a little girl, she played football with the boys and then with grown women, and in her 20s she took on full-time caring responsibilities for two of her nephews, as well as her sister, who lives with an intellectual disability. This backstory, along with her natural talent for the game and charisma off the field, helped Mo stand out as a star of the women's game when the AFLW was launched in 2017. Mo was a marquee player for Collingwood in the women's debut season. But she retired earlier than she had planned to. Post-AFLW, Mo had a lot of time to think about herself outside of football, and about the chaos and violence that was normalised in her childhood home. But it wasn't until Mo became a mother herself, that she fully reckoned with her understanding of love. Mo shares intimate snippets from her life on Instagram. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores AFL, the Pies, Melbourne, Glenroy, Maori heritage, Cancer, death, grief, caring, queerness, footy, Hawthorne, women's sports, cricket, mother daughter relationships, mother father relationships, personal work, therapy, inner child work, sisterhood, engineering, female business owners, motherhood, sons and mothers, violence, abuse, financial abuse, Essendon, GWS, Richmond, Adelaide. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Australians are living longer and longer, which is on one hand a beautiful thing. But on the other, prolonged old age is wreaking havoc. So how might we respond to this new demographic situation we find ourselves in? Lucinda Holdforth is a writer who specialises in looking at what makes good societies flourish, everything from manners to politics and equality. Most recently, she's set her sights on the unintended negative consequences following the extraordinary increase in life span around the world, particularly in Australia. In the past 50 years, human life expectancy across the globe has jumped from 46 years old to 73, and in Australia that number is even higher -- an Australian born today is likely to live until they are 84 years old. On the surface, living longer is a very good thing. It means more time spent with our loved ones, looking at the stars, feeling the sun, living. But prolonged old age can also be very lonely and painful, and, as Lucinda argues, it is costing society as a whole in many ways. She has seen this firsthand, as a daughter who supported her own parents in their long old age, and has some surprising suggestions about how we could do things differently to ease the impact on our economy, our medical system, our elderly and our youth. GOING ON AND ON: Why our longevity threatens our future is published by Simon & Schuster. This episode was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores the sandwich generation, carers, women caring for parents, the elderly, dementia, Alzheimer's, Bryan Johnson, biohackers, Blue Zone, how to live longer, Mediterranean diet, tech bros, longevity, muscle mass, aging, deterioration, aged care, death, grief, how to live well, writing, books, old age, diseases of the elderly, tax, taxation, ageism, voting rights, voting age, lower the voting age. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

It was love at first sight, when Jack Ashby first set eyes upon a platypus specimen as a young university student. The introduction set him on a lifelong mission to meet these quintessentially Australian creatures in the wild, and redefine their reputation as "weird" or "primitive". He's met many other animals along the way, coming face to face with an elusive snow leopard family in the Himalayas, with wombats and echidnas, and seeing only the eyes of a sloth bear, reflecting his torchlight in a pitch black forest. Further information Platypus Matters is published by Harper Collins This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2022, the producer was Meggie Morris and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores platypus, mammals, zoology, echidnas, Australian animals, Winston Churchill, animal behaviour, Indigenous Australians, baby platypus, the biology and anatomy of platypus, weird animal facts. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Antoun Issa grew up quietly aware of a profound grief in his mother's eyes. As an adult, after living and working in the Middle East, he finally knew how to ask her about surviving the Lebanese Civil War. Antoun is a journalist who grew up in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, after his parents had escaped the civil war in Lebanon in the 1970s. Growing up in Craigieburn as the baby of the family, Antoun was particularly close with his mother. He was always conscious of a deep sadness in his mother's eyes, but was wary of asking her too many questions. As an adult, Antoun went to live and work in Lebanon. There, in the Middle East, where he worked as a journalist, Antoun saw firsthand what happens when the trajectory of human life is interrupted by conflict and violence. Upon returning home to Australia, he was finally ready to ask his mother about the source of her quiet and enduring grief, and what came out of her was a remarkable story of true love, true loss and resilience. Upon returning home to Australia, he was finally ready to ask his mother about the source of her quiet and enduring grief, and what came out of her was a remarkable story of true love, true loss and resilience. REBIRTH: A Love Story from the Depths of War is published by Hachette. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores the Middle East, War, Conflict, Beiruit, Israel, PLO, Palestine, United States, civil war, conflict, refugees, religious conflict, Lebanese Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, Mountains, Maronite Christians, politics and religion, proxy wars, Iran, Iraq, Arab-Isreali, Saudi, Cold War, Arab Cold War, Taif Agreement, political power, relationship, origin story, writing, books, memoir, novel, survival, death, violence, sliding doors. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The Irish novelist has always been open to where life can unexpectedly take him, and the excitement that comes with that kind of freedom. Colm Toibin's first big move was from rural Ireland to Dublin after his father died when he was young.  Then, it was off to experience the wild hedonism and sexual liberation of post-Franco Spain, a pleasant shock after needing a prescription to buy condoms in Ireland. Since then, he's journeyed to Sudan, Los Angeles, New York and beyond. Wherever Colm goes, he keeps a running list in his head of tiny details — observations of seemingly mundane encounters, an offhand comment or the cut of a lady's suit on a train. Every now and then, these details bubble up in Colm's memory and another of his well-loved novels, like Brooklyn, Nora Webster or The Master, is born. This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in May 2025, the producer was Meggie Morris and the Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores film adaptations, death of a parent, grief, Ireland, homophobia, growing up gay, Catholicism, epic adventure, John Crowley, Nick Hornby, Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters, Dublin, immigrant experience, the Irish immigrant experience, family separation, origin stories, falling in love, books, writers, novels, life-story, family dynamics, reflection, loss, funny, comedy, repression, orgies, condom prescriptions, journalism, foreign correspondents. Colm's latest novel Long Island is published by Pan MacMillan. To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Specialist rural doctor, Damien Brown on dramatic rescues, slow interventions and the cases that moved him, including attending to two badly burnt men after a fuel tank exploded on a remote Queensland cattle station.     As a young boy in South Africa, Damien Brown was always interested in science and medicine. His neighbour, the local veterinarian, would let him observe surgery in the workshop, so it was predictable that Damien would end up as a medical doctor. After his parents moved the family to Australia, the call to help others drew Damien back to the very things his parents had tried to shield him from — civil war, crime, absolute poverty and inequity. Damien joined Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) as soon as they would take him as a junior doctor. He worked in Angola, Mozambique and South Sudan.  When he returned to Australia, working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in remote communities in Central Australia and Far North Queensland, he found challenges that were more similar to his previous experience in Africa than he expected. Further information Bush Doctor: A memoir from the beautiful, rugged heart of outback Australia is published by Allen & Unwin. This episode was produced by Rebecca McLaren. The Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. This episode touches on remote Indigenous communities, rural doctor, Royal Flying Doctor Service, South Africa, Angola, South Sudan, civil war, gunfight, safe room, grab bag, remote work.  To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Filmmaker Kasimir Burgess travelled to Mongolia to follow two young men on their gruelling journey to bring 2000 horses to safer pastures during an exceptionally brutal winter.   For centuries, the herders of Tsakhir Valley in Mongolia have protected their horses from the harsh winters by nominating their bravest young men to move them. But the ancient practice has been forced to stop in recent years due to climate change.  Iron Winter documents one community's attempt to revive the tradition by initiating two friends into a rite of passage in danger of being lost. Further information  The documentary Iron Winter had a national cinematic release earlier this year. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the executive producer was Eliza Kirsch. It explores Mongolia horse culture, the Mongolian Steppes, severe weather, ancient traditions and culture, family, mental health, art, films, documentary, viral meningitis, childhood leukaemia, adventure, grief. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The ABC journalist explains how competing, overlapping narratives and outright myths form our understanding of events of the past, featuring an impersonation of Winston Churchill talking about a lemon tree. Matt presents and writes the ABC TV show and podcast “If You’re listening”, where he says he explains the world’s most important stories while hiding in his basement from assassins and authoritarian regimes. He applies his Australian lens on major turning points in history; the villains, visionaries and vanquished and invites us to question what we think we know about the world.  From the assassination of Julius Ceaser to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Matt has uncovered unknown, often bizarre and at times laughable tales swirling in the murky waters of history. Further information If You're Listening: Declassified is published by HarperCollins. You can watch and listen to Matt's program, If You're Listening.  This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It covers world politics, Trump, Putin, Winston Churchill, Matthias Rust, Red Square, Iron Curtain, Soviet Union, Chernobyl, M Gessen, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner Group, Cessna, Yalta Conference, Stalin, Alexander Downer, Papadopoulos, Hillary Clinton, hinge moments, the butterfly effect,  To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Award-winning Australian author, poet and essayist David Malouf died last week at the age of 92, he  spoke with Richard in 2014. The first son of a Lebanese family, David spent his early years in South Brisbane, his vivid memories of life as it was then are captured in his classics, Johnno and 12 Edmondstone Street. Although his father played representative rugby league and was a champion boxer, David pursued a life of letters and during his career he published numerous highly-awarded novels and collections of essays. This episode was first broadcast in March 2014 To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Bonnie Hancock got the idea to paddle around Australia after she stumbled on a book in her local library, the wild adventure ended being a gruelling 12,700 kilometre journey took almost a year to complete.   Along the way, Bonnie met sharks, crocodiles, and sea snakes, she battled unrelenting seasickness and some serious storms.  She also met some fascinating characters and saw the whole of Australia from a very unique vantage point. Further information The Girl Who Touched The Stars is published by HarperCollins This episode was first broadcast in 2024 The producer was Meggie Morris and Carmel Rooney was the Executive Producer. It explores, sea kayaking, Australia, sharks, crocodiles, sea snakes, dangerous storms, hypothermia, endurance, adventure, physical challenge, mental challenge, competition, psychology, mental health, support and friendship. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Professor Daniel Reynaud on the incredible true story of an assuming vicar who turned out to be the most decorated military chaplain in Australian history, who had at one point lived his life on the edge. During World War Two, a self-effacing man named Walter Dexter served as the vicar of a church in West Footscray. Walter was in his 60s and his attempts to take up a career as a farmer and a teacher had failed, and so he’d returned to his earlier vocation as a clergyman. His children regarded their father as apathetic and unambitious, who left a lot of half-completed projects around the house.  But the people who knew Walter when he was younger, called him "terribly brave" and "larger than life" as Walter's earlier life was full of adventure, travel and great danger. Walter's adventures began when he first boarded a ship at 14 years old. By the end of the 19th century, and still a teenager, he’d seen Calcutta, New York, South Africa, Bombay and Tierra del Fuego. Then, during World War One, Walter's courage and compassion under fire made him the most decorated military chaplain in Australian history. Historian Daniel Reynaud has set the record straight about the improbable life of this unassuming vicar, known by the soldiers who loved him as 'The Pinching Padre'. Sailor, Soldier, Vicar, Farmer: The Improbable Life of Anzac Chaplain Walter Dexter is published by Simon & Schuster. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores military history, war, ANZAC Day, Dawn Service, military ethics, world war three, Egypt, Middle East, France, Europe, Germany, travel, sailing, maritime history, fathers, religion, Christianity, Church, biography, books, writing, Australian history, modern history, farming, agriculture, books for father's day. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

At 23 years old, Stephanie Browitt willed herself to stay awake long enough to survive a volcano eruption on New Zealand's Whakaari / White Island. More than six years later, her resilience and sanity remains as strong as ever. The rescue mission to White Island in November 2019 was led by three civilians, who immediately flew from the mainland, as the emergency services deemed the island too dangerous for their trained paramedics to get there. Stephanie clung on to consciousness, despite severe burns to 70 per cent of her body, because she knew she had to get back to her beloved mum, Marie. The blast killed 22 people, including Stephanie's little sister Krystal. Eventually their father Paul also succumbed to his injuries in hospital. During the early stages of Stephanie's fight to recover, her sister's fate was kept a secret to give her something to fight for. After dozens of operations, years of physical therapy, grieving the sudden loss of half of their family, and growing even closer to her mum, Stephanie decided together wither her mum, Marie, to take on the cruise company that allowed them to go to this island despite knowing there was a warning in place. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores natural disasters, survival, grief, death, burns recovery, Turia Pitt, memoir, writing, books, mother daughter relationships, ICU, coma, body positivity, resilience, heartbreak, family bond, love, stories of survival, incredible stories, grief, death, losing a father, big sister, losing a sibling, sisterly bond, Melbourne, cruise ships, near death experience. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The Danish-British author, broadcaster and comedian recalls her unusual early life with glee, including how she came to be holding the hand of Neil Armstrong’s assistant at NASA’s headquarters on July 20, 1969. (R)   Sandi’s interest in the world was stoked from a young age by her father, Claus, who was Denmark’s first Foreign Correspondent, and who was incredibly famous in his homeland. It was her dad who believed experiences were more important than day-to-day schooling, which is how Sandi came to be holding the hand of Neil Armstrong’s assistant at NASA’s mission control on the day of the Apollo moon landing. Sandi's irrepressible curiosity in the world and its people has been a source of renewal for her, from moments of crippling loneliness and homophobia to joyful occasions and performances. Further information Originally broadcast November 2022. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.  This episode references LGBTQIA+, Cambridge, Footlights, QI, The Great British Bake Off, Danish news, NASA, astronaut, moon, space, ovarian cyst, two mums, To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

When the world's most famous dancer offered a young sailor a job as his assistant, Blue Robinson thought it was a joke at first. But what followed was the most fascinating and formative year of Blue's life. Simon 'Blue' Robinson grew up sailing and playing rugby on the idyllic island of Jersey, between England and France. In his 20s, he went further a field, first to London and then Blue started working on yachts sailing around the Caribbean. One evening at a restaurant in St Barts, Blue spotted a man whose face he recognised, and invited him on board the yacht the next day. That man was Rudolf Nureyev, hugely famous for his talents as a ballet dancer, his volatile temper, and for defecting from the Soviet Union. Nureyev took an immediate liking to Blue and spontaneously offered him a job as his assistant. The two next met months later, when Blue found himself side stage in Cleveland, Ohio, helping the legendary dancer undress, and preparing him a thermos of hot tea. This began an extraordinary and transformative year for Blue as the assistant, dresser, masseur, driver, cook, and trusted confidante of history's most iconic and legendary male ballet dancer. Blue's book, A Year with Rudolf Nureyev, is currently being turned into an audio book. He is still working as a writer, helping people write their private memoirs. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores ballet, Russia, USA, famous people, the secret lives of celebrities, Tatar, Red Army, Margot Fonteyn, classical dancing, defection, Soviet Union, USSR, The Royal Ballet, HIV-AIDS, health, decline, homosexuality in the 20th century, caring for sick people, carers, memoir, writing books, biography, boats, super yachts, below deck, sexual health, queer icons, STI, first jobs, amazing jobs. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Alex Braczkowski is a big cat expert and for years he's been following a rare group of tree-climbing lions, including the charismatic, enigmatic, three-legged Jacob.   Alex fell in love with animals by accident, he'd just been expelled and while his parents were trying to find him a new school, they made him use his time wisely by volunteering at the Johannesburg Zoo. From there he went to game ranger school, and onto university at a campus nestled in forests at the base of the Outeniqua Mountains, which he shared with dwarf leopards. It was at university that Alex really fell in love with big cats. Eventually Alex became a National Geographic explorer, and for years now has been following a rare group of lions who spend almost all day up in trees, only coming down at night to hunt. One of the lions that has a special place in Alex's heart is known as Jacob. Jacob has already used up many of his nine lives. He has survived been poisoned, trapped, snared and gored by a buffalo, and now gets around on three legs, but is still able to climb trees. This episode was first broadcast in 2023, the producer was Meggie Morris and Carmel Rooney was the executive producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores animals, big cats, lions, animal behaviour, animal photography, South Africa, National Geographic, dangerous animals. To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Hannah Clarke and her three children were killed in an horrific attack that shocked Australia but for Dave Kramer their deaths were personal, he was friends with Hannah and had witnessed her relationship up close.   Dave's own childhood exposure to domestic violence had blinded him to some of the signs that Hannah and her kids were in danger. After Hannah's death, Dave began the difficult work of confronting his past and educating himself on how to recognise abuse and have the confidence to speak out and help. He now helps educate teenagers and young men about respectful and safe relationships and healthy masculinity. If you need to speak to someone  1800respect or 1800 737 732 for the national domestic violence hotline Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 Lifeline on 13 11 14 MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978 Further information smallsteps4hannah This episode was produced by Jen Leake, the executive producer was Eliza Kirsch. It explores domestic violence, coercive control, violence against women, violence prevention, safe and respectful relationships, grief, mental health, trauma, drug use, behavioural science, psychology,  To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Author Helen Pitt has written a history of the iconic fun park and it's a tale bound up with con men, crooked cops, and developers who have long wanted to snatch up the prime piece of waterfront real estate. Millions of people have happy memories of walking through the teeth of the gigantic face on the edge of Sydney Harbour but it wasn't the first Luna Park in Australia, that honour goes to the Melbourne version which opened a decades earlier. But the tale of Sydney's Luna Park is arguably the most dramatic and it's one of only two amusement parks in the world protected by government legislation.   Helen Pitt's book is called Luna Park: the extraordinary story of the showmen, shysters and schemers who built Sydney's famous funk park is published by Allen And Unwin. This episode of Conversations explores Luna Park, amusement parks, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, history, show rides, engineering, the Great Depression, the Ghost Train fire, tragedy, historical preservation, waterfront real estate, protest, Martin Sharp, the Big Dipper, protein spills.

When Sonia Henry signed up to work as a GP in a remote mining town in the Pilbara, the experience changed almost everything she believed about Australia. An unfortunate romantic entanglement just before her final exams left her questioning everything, just as she was about to qualify as a doctor. To escape her life in Sydney, she signed up to work in some of Australia's most far-flung medical clinics. While working as a GP in places like the Pilbara, outback NSW, the Northern Territory and Broome Sonia had many experiences with her patients which completely altered how she saw Australia. Content Warning – suicide and adult themes. Listener discretion advised. Further information Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is published by Allen and Unwin Lifeline on 13 11 14 MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978 Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 Headspace on 1800 650 890 Doctors' Health Advisory Service is a 24 hr support line for doctors, medical students, dentists, veterinarians and students of these professions.

Jane Messer grew up with a loving father who never really understood why as a child his mother left him and his older sister at a boarding school, so she decided to find out the full story and prove that he was in fact, loved. Her father Michael was born in Berlin in the years between the two world and to escape Nazi Germany he was sent to live in England as a child. There were a few fleeting visits but then Michael didn’t see his mother again for another 13 years and he always said she never loved him. As Jane grew older and became a mother herself, she knew there had to be more to Bella’s story and so she went on the trail from pre-war Berlin to Tel Aviv to Melbourne, to try to understand the choices made in extraordinary circumstances.  Further information Jane Messer's family memoir is called Raven Mother  This episode of Conversation explores family history, the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, suicide, boarding school, Palestine, the Nakba, Berlin, World War 2, immigration, the British Mandated Palestine, memoir.

Novelist Emma Pei Yin ran away from Hong Kong as a teenager to start fresh in Australia. But she found herself repeatedly drawn back home whenever she put pen to paper. Emma grew up in England and Hong Kong. But her life in Hong Kong wasn’t so much about the neon skyscrapers as it was about her family’s ancestral village, tucked away in the New Territories. Emma spent her school holidays there with her grandparents, learning how to take care of the family cemetery and joining in Chinese Festivals. Sometimes her grandfather would share his memories of the Second World War, when the Japanese military invaded and occupied Hong Kong. As Emma became into a teenager, her relationship with her parents deteriorated. She eventually decided to leave them and Hong Kong, coming to Australia to make a life for herself as a writer. But whenever she wrote, Emma found herself drawn back to Hong Kong; to the hundreds of islands, the fishing villages on stilts, the mountains, woodlands and beaches – all the things that tourists who think of Hong Kong as a city of neon lights and free Wi-fi don’t know about. Content warning: This episode of Conversations contains discussion about sexual assault. Help and support is always available. You can call Lifeline 24 hours a day on 13 11 14. Emma's debut novel, When Sleeping Women Wake, is published by Hachette and was recently awarded the 2026 Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, the executive producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores family dynamics, multiculturalism, China, Hong Kong, modern history, writing, books, literature, historical fiction, Japanese occupation, World War 2, assault, victim-blaming, abortion, filmmaking, black sheep, family honour, London, forgiveness.

Writer Cynthia Banham on discovering the shocking truth about her great-grandmother, reckoning with buried family secrets, and the criticisms mothers face from others and sometimes most harshly, from themselves. Cynthia Banham grew up hearing the story of her great-grandmother, Natalina, who had supposedly been orphaned in Italy in the 19th century. But when Cynthia became a mother herself she felt compelled to look for the real story of her maternal line, which suddenly stopped three generations back. What she found shocked her -- a period of time when infant relinquishment was so common, the era became known as the 'century of foundlings', and her great-grandmother was one of them. She had not been orphaned, as the family thought, but abandoned by a nameless mother. Cynthia took off to Bologna, Italy with her own young family in tow to find the truth. Along the way she uncovered the stories of 'bastardini' (a home for bastards), literate midwives, epigenetics and possible incest. Cynthia also stood in the house where Natalina was born, and came to terms with her own harsh judgement of herself as a mother. Mother Shadow is published by Upswell. Richard also spoke to Cynthia in 2023 about surviving the 2007 Garuda plane disaster in Indonesia. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores ancestry, epigenetics, anthropology, family history, writing, books, orphans, adoption, child abandonment, truth, journalism, parenting with a disability, mothers in wheelchairs, self confidence as a mother, self criticism as a mother, marriage, love, mothers and sons, school communities, Indonesia, Garuda Indonesia Flight 200, memoir, modern history, travel, family bonding, wild gardening.

Toxic people are around us in our workplaces, our families and our dating lives. Research psychologist Leanne ten Brinke is here to tell you how to spot them, and get rid of them from your orbit. Leanne ten Brinke is a research psychologist whose special area of expertise is what she calls 'dark personality types'. These are particularly cruel, malicious, manipulative people who lack empathy, people who are psychopaths, narcissists or sadists. Psychologists estimate than one per cent of any population shows serious levels of psychopathy. They walk among us in our workplaces and in our relationships, they could be an gaslighting partner, a narcissistic parent or a colleague who's a bully. There are also more serious cases, like abusive husbands or murderous mothers. Leanne also makes the point that any one of us is capable of losing our moral bearings or enabling malicious people by cheering them on, hiring them or voting them into office. But there are ways to resist them, and make your own life the better for it. Poisonous People: psychopathy, narcissism, manipulation, sadism: how to resist them and improve your life is published by Simon & Schuster Australia. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores toxic relationships, is my partner a narcissist, what to do about my narcissist mother, what to do about my toxic boss, how many psychopaths are there, sadism, serial killers, morality, amorality, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, sociopath, Patric Gagne, anti-social personality disorders, thriller, scammers, dating world, escaping abuse, peaceful living, finding peace. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Born with a magnificent voice, Opera star Teddy Tahu Rhodes fought against his destiny for years until a letter he'd been avoiding reading changed everything (R)

Dr Nada Andric wants to improve the health of people who are marginalised in the community and their access to healthcare. She works at the Reverend Bill Crews GP clinic, a place where people who might be completely off the database of society can get help. Whether they're facing homelessness, dealing with mental health issues, addiction, or simply don't have a Medicare card or passport to their name.  This year, the clinic in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield turns 40. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores health care, addiction, homelessness, poverty, doctors, domestic violence, mental health, society, Reverend Bill Crews. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Two-time World Debating champion Bo Seo on how love and listening can improve how we disagree, so we're not at each other's throats online and offline (R). When Bo was 8 years old, he and his parents migrated from Korea to Australia.  Bo was a quiet boy and sometimes felt overwhelmed at school.  But in Year Five, something happened which changed his life: one of his teachers introduced Bo to debating. Debating became a way for Bo to excel socially and academically.  He went on to win world titles for Australia and for Harvard University. Now Bo is sharing insights from the strategy, structure and history of debating to try to encourage all of us to disagree better. Originally broadcast in May 2023. Good Arguments is published by Simon and Schuster. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores keyboard warriors, how to argue well, communication skills, how to disagree without offending, writing, responding not reacting, self reflection, how to get your point across, books, agreements, disagreements, law, lawyers, legal industry, author, journalist, Harvard University, community building, how to build community, how to have constructive conversations, political divide. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Stephen Grosz has welcomed people into his office for more than 40 years, and believes our greatest task in life is to see ourselves and others with more clarity, in order to live more easily and with more please. Stephen has sat with people as they have shared their darkest fears, strangest dreams and their most explosive love affairs. Through thousands of hours of these conversations, he has tried to help patients understand themselves so they can live with more ease and with greater satisfaction. Stephen believes our greatest task in life is to see ourselves and others with more clarity. That's the quest that his driven his work dissecting compelling stories of love, desire and heartbreak from his consulting room. Love's Labour is published by Penguin. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jennifer Leake. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores therapy, love, marriage, relationships, writing, books, analysis, counselling, introspection, looking inwards, how to self reflect, how to survive heartbreak, what do I do with desire, how to live a fulfilling life, how we lose and find ourselves, United States, University of California Berkeley, Oxford, Institute of Psychoanalysis, mental wellbeing, University College of London. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Writer Tanya Heaslip on swapping life on an Alice Springs station for the fairytale streets of Prague, and the remarkable parallels she found between these two magical worlds. Tanya was in a pub in London in 1989 when she watched on the television as the Berlin Wall came down. She was the tail end of a solo backpacking trip, which didn’t quite live up to what she’d imagined it might be as a little girl growing up on a remote cattle station near Alice Springs. But Tanya booked to go to Berlin the very next day, beginning an obsession with learning about what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. Several years later she would return to Europe, this time to the East, to the Czech Republic. There in fairytale Prague, not long after the Velvet Revolution, Tanya would fall in love with the city and into a relationship with an older man. And she would draw unexpected parallels between the magic and isolation of Prague and that of Central Australia – their people and their stories. Tanya has written several memoirs about her life from the great expanse of the Northern Territory, to the cobbled streets of Prague. Alice to Prague, An Alice Girl and Beyond Alice are published by Allen & Unwin. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores country Australia, rural Australia, boarding school, Northern Territory, mustering cattle, expat Australians, Eastern Europe, Soviet Union, Fall of the Wall, travelling Australians, falling in love, grief, grieving, relationships, love for country, central Australia, Adelaide, bullying, studying law, working in the legal system, teaching English abroad.

The late Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung Nation Rhoda Roberts lived through great loss and grief, in the midst of becoming one of Australia's most influential cultural leaders in the arts (R). Content Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this episode of Conversations includes the names and voice of someone who has died, used in accordance with the wishes of their family. Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO, a guiding force in Australia's arts scene and the woman who coined the term "Welcome to Country", died in March at the age of 66 after being diagnosed with cancer. Rhoda grew up with the lessons her father taught her and her siblings about ignoring racism in their town and not allowing themselves to become victims. Rhoda is a member of the Bundjalung nation, Widjabul clan of Northern New South Wales and South East Queensland; and her father grew up on a mission near Lismore, where his family fought to maintain their language and culture. Rhoda had a twin sister called Lois, but their relationship was shattered just days before their 21st birthday, when Lois was left with a brain injury in an horrific car crash. Rhoda went on to become an actor, journalist, broadcaster, director and festival programmer. It was during her role as creative director of the Awakening segment of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony that her sister Lois went missing. Six months later, Rhoda's fears were realised when a hiker found a body in the bush. Originally broadcast in September 2016. Listen to Rudi Bremer's episode of Awaye about the legacy of Rhoda Roberts. This episode of Conversations was produced by Pam O'Brien. It explores grief, death, tragedy, traumatic brain injury, TBI, First Nations, Aboriginal Australians, racism, prejudice, fathers and daughters, sibling relationships, losing a sister, performing arts, Aboriginal arts, race relations, family trauma, Lismore, Northern Rivers. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Nick Orchard on how a tough childhood, mental health issues, couch surfing and hip hop have helped him learn how to help others recover from burnout and impostor syndrome. When Nick was growing up, his mum struggled with her mental health and when he was on a date as a teenager he got the worst call of his life, and went to be with his mum when she needed him most. Nick turned to the Melbourne hip hop scene for a sense of community and purpose. It’s also where Nick would go looking for a couch to sleep on after he found himself with no permanent home to go to. Just when things hit rock bottom, a call from a stranger helped turn his life around. Nick eventually landed a very big job in government, but that imploded in burnout and he found himself in a different, despondent place - driving 130km down a deserted road, with no memory of how he got there. That experience flicked a switch in him, and today he uses what he has learned to help others as a burnout coach. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores mental wellbeing, executive burnout, bouncing back, mental health, mental illness, childhood trauma, boxing, purpose, meaning, life, counselling, boxing, professional coach, senior management, anxiety, impostor syndrome, leadership. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Melina Marchetta grew up in Sydney in a close-knit Sicilian family, but she never wanted to be seen as 'that Italian girl'. Years later, she drew on her story to write an Australian classic (R). Growing up, Melina lied about the fact she was forbidden to go out on the weekends, and instead told her friends she had to attend lots of weddings. At 19 years old, she visited Italy for the first time and met her great aunts, still grieving the siblings who had left for Australia decades earlier. Melina was working in the Commonwealth Bank when she began writing the novel inspired by her family's story. Looking for Alibrandi was rejected five times before it was published some years later. Then it became an Australian classic. Originally broadcast in April 2019. Melina's latest novel The Place on Dalhousie was published by Penguin in 2019. And her latest children's book in the What Zola Did series, was published in 2022. This Conversation was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores Australian literature, writing, books, memoir, semi-autobiographical, novels, youth literature, teen literature, romance, coming of age, migrant stories, Italian-Australian stories, movie adaptation, Pia Miranda, Kick Gurry, Anthony LaPaglia. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Tracy Drain is Chief Engineer of the Europa Clipper, a NASA spacecraft currently travelling to Jupiter on a journey that will take six years. Europa is one of Jupiter’s four largest moons, and scientists believe there could be an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust. Having water would make Europa one of the best places to look for signs of life in the solar system. Tracy Drain has worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab for more than two decades. She is also a National Geographic Explorer and was in Australia for the World Science Festival in Brisbane. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the executive producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores NASA, robotic space travel, Jupiter, Jupiter's moons, Europa, The Europa Clipper, mechanical engineering, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, Star Trek, Nichelle Nichols, Uhura, solar system, mechanical engineering, AI, Mars Reconnaisssance Oribter, Keiper Project, Alien life, Earth-like planets, asteroids, moon landing, the space race, SpaceX, Elon Musk. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Together with his husband, Vinko Anthony runs a matchmaking agency for gay men looking for the type of enduring commitment and love that they found. As part of his role as matchmaker, Vinko shares what he's learnt about love and listening through the ups and downs of his own relationships. Vinko grew up on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, where he spent a lot of his childhood with his Nonna. The two of them would walk together for hours in silence, listening deeply to the birds, the waves and the wind. Then, when they got home and sat down to eat, VInko and his Nonna would listen to each other. Vinko took these lessons in listening and love very seriously, and he brought them with him when his family migrated to Australia and also into his vocation as a matchmaker. When Vinko finally got the courage to tell the love of his life a secret he had been hiding for five years, he had to trust that all that love and listening would be gracefully given back to him. Vinko has written a book about his love story and his matchmaking business. It's called All In: How to Make Love Stick. Vinko and his husband, Andrea, co-founded a dating agency called Beau Brummell Introductions, for gay men in Australia, the US, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores dating, online dating, homosexuality, growing up gay, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Italy, Puglia, travel, STI, living with HIV, falling in love, relationship advice, dating agency, matchmaking, masculinity, affair, love, listening, how to date, finding true love, travel, business, falling in love, family, coming out, mardi gras, love at first sight, building a business with your partner, HIV/Aids, Prep, communicating in relationships, commitment, long-term relationships, how to communicate with your partner, reactivity, how to listen, accepting yourself, how to find love, dating apps, tinder, hinge, bumble, grindr, feeld. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Stephanie Wood was new to online dating when she met a sweet man named Joe. But within weeks, she realised 'farmer' Joe was not who he claimed to be (R). Stephanie was a successful and well-travelled journalist when she met a sweet man named Joe online. They spent many romantic weekends away and discussed a future where they would live together in the country. But after months of his last minute cancellations and no shows, Stephanie finally ended the relationship. What she discovered next was a shocking tale of deceit and manipulation. Once she began telling her story, Stephanie realised there were hundreds of other women, and a few men just like her. Fake is published by Penguin Since Sarah first spoke with Stephanie in 2019, her story has been turned into an acclaimed TV series starring Asher Keddie. Stephanie's newsletter Vamp is available on Substack. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores online dating, dating apps, catfishing, the Tinder Swindler, betrayal, deceit, love, relationships, modern dating, grief, dating for women, manipulation, narcissism, is my partner a narcissist, gaslighting, is my partner gaslighting me, ripped off, lies. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Charles Lomu on being privileged to see love in action in his grandparents, how a spiral into grief and anger led him to periodic detention, and how cutting hair today helps him steer young men away from a dark path (R).  When Charles was born, he was lovingly given to his grandparents, in the Tongan adoption custom of pusiaki. He lived a gentle, religious life in Tonga, and saw love in action through his grandparents' care. The family moved to Australia, where Charles grew to be an up-and-coming Rugby League player. When grief shook his family, Charles turned down a dark path, which ended in periodic detention in jail. Originally broadcast July 2022. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. This episode of Conversations explores masculinity, love, boyhood, manhood, toxic masculinity, mentoring boys, family life, sports, men in sports, grief, trauma, trauma response, manosphere, Louis Theroux, HSTikkyTokky, Waller, Sneako, men for boys to look up to, recidivism, incarceration, criminal justice system, repeat offending, turning your life around, father figures, grandfather. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Benjamin Gilmour describes the hectic work of saving lives, and what it's like to bring people back from the brink of suicide. (R) Ben was been a paramedic for twenty six years and was based in inner Sydney for more than a decade. A regular working week for Bondi's ambulance crews would see them called out to cardiac arrests, drug overdoses, domestic disputes, and to suicides. Their patch included a notorious cliff known as 'The Gap', where it would often be Ben’s job to convince people to come back from the edge.   Content Warning This episode deals directly with suicide, and may be distressing for some people. Please do seek help if you need it. There is always someone who can talk with you. If you or anyone you know needs help Lifeline on 13 11 14 Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 BeyondBlue on 1300 22 46 36 Headspace on 1800 650 890   Further information Originally broadcast January 2020. The Gap was published by Penguin. Listen to Benjamin's conversation with Sarah on directing his feature film, Jirga, in Afghanistan (2018). This episode was produced by Michelle-Ransom-Hughes and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It deals with suicide, mental health, mental illness, PTSD, mateship, colleagues, work friends, The Gap, cardiac arrest, first on the scene, front line workers, ambos, ambulance, paramedics, emergency, 000. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

When Anna Ferguson was a little girl she was badly hurt in a roller coaster accident. Although she made a full physical recovery, emotionally everything was different, and for many years she couldn't understand why she remained either angry or numb. Anna was 10 years old when she went with her family to the Melbourne Royal Show. Anna was excited to ride a roller coaster for the first time, but something went wrong on the ride, and Anna and her sister were trapped for hours. Both of them needed major medical treatment, and while they made a fully physical recovery, overnight Anna changed from a happy, outgoing little girl into a child carrying a lot of anger and resentment. As the years went on, Anna realised she was still carrying the legacy of that accident in her nervous system. So she set about bringing her nervous system back into balance, first through becoming a champion Muay Thai fighter, and then by going to university to study psychology.  Anna is now a counsellor who specialises in teaching people practical ways to get regulate their nervous system - whether that's by calming or by energising it. Anna's latest book, 21 Days To A Less Anxious You is published by HarperCollins. You can read more about Anna's work at her website. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores mental health, mental wellbeing, dysregulation, neurodivergence, cancer, terminal cancer, brain tumour, parenting, regulated parenting, vagus nerve, trauma, PTSD, childhood trauma, how to regulate yourself, breath work, meditation, tapping, yoga, Anna the anxiety coach, depression, fight, flight, freeze, fawn, the wellness industry, psychology, Muay Thai, boxing, fighting, exercise for mental health, carers, caring for a spouse, the NDIS, therapy, overwhelm. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Military strategist Jennifer Parker on the story behind the biggest disruption to oil supplies in world history, happening now in the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf has a particular geographical importance to the world, as the land on one side belongs to Iran, and the country has a history of using it to pressure its enemies in times of conflict. A quarter of all oil production passes through it so disrupting that flow can have an enormous impact on the global economy. Right now, in response to heavy bombardment from the U.S and Israel, Iran has effectively shut down this waterway by attacking commercial vessels trying to get through.  Jennifer Parker served for more than 20 years as an officer with the Royal Australian Navy and has travelled through the Strait of Hormuz during her multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf. She is currently an associate at the ANU’s National Security College and a fellow at the Lowy Institute.  This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Produce is Nicola Harrison. It explores Iran, The Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, conflict, war, global oil production, the US, Israel, war, attacks, commercial shipping, Royal Australian Navy, China, US submarines, international law, Donald Trump, the Persian Gulf States, global economy, fuel prices, drones, ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons, Russia, Venezuela.

Jenny Briscoe-Hough on the uncomfortable truths which saw her set up Australia's first ever not-for-profit funeral home (R). After her mother died, Jenny Briscoe-Hough had an epiphany about the business of funerals. Although her family brought in their own flowers and had a simple service, the bill came to $11,000. A short time later, Jenny began thinking about setting up a not-for-profit funeral service in her local area. With the help of a documentary and a crowdfunding campaign, she and the community of Port Kembla raised more than $120,000 to buy an old fire station in town. This is now where Tender Funerals operates, helping families prepare their dead for burial or cremation. On the day of the funeral, family and friends can wash and dress the body themselves, bring flowers from their own gardens, and run the service the way they want it. Learn more about the Natural Death Care Movement. Watch the trailer for Lynette Wallworth's documentary which helped begin the funding campaign. Watch the Australian Story episode about Tender Funerals. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. The executive producer was Pam O'Brien. It explores death industry, funerals, grief, grieving, how to grieve, Western attitudes towards death, funerals, ritual, charity, crowd funding, power of community, dying, how to die well, mothers, daughters, filmmaking, Lynette Wallworth, after life. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

From wearing red stilettos on her first day of university and travelling solo into rural Egypt, to relocating to the United States with four kids in tow, Margie Warrell created her own life for herself off the dairy farm. Margie grew up on a dairy farm in Victoria, the eldest daughter in a big Catholic family.  It was assumed she would either enter the convent or marry a farmer. But Margie knew she wanted a very different life. First, she branched off into the big smoke to go to university; then she packed her terrible backpack from the Army Disposal Store for a yearlong solo adventure around the world. Margie went on to survive an eating disorder, an armed robbery, and family tragedy to create her own big, bold, beautiful story. Now, she helps other people make big, bold choices for their lives. Content Warning: this episode of Conversations includes reference to eating disorders, armed robbery and suicide. Margie's latest book is called The Courage Gap, and is published by Berrett-Koehler. You can find more information about Margie's work and her other books at her website. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores farming, agriculture, invisible siblings, moving out of the country, motherhood, miscarriage, eating disorders, bulimia, anorexia, marriage, expatriate life, Washington DC, politics, Congressional chiefs, leadership, coaching.

Writer Tony Birch with tales of his Fitzroy childhood including his grandmother Alma's 'op shop fever', his love for pine cones and blankets, and the macabre holiday he lived through when he was 5 years old (R). Tony grew up in inner city Melbourne in the 1950s and '60s. His grandmother taught him to waste nothing.  So Tony and his siblings would scour the streets for bottles, lead and copper to sell, and for wood from demolished houses to use for firewood. His grandmother even ran a sly grog shop on Sundays to make extra money. One day, however, Tony was sent to spend Christmas with a nice middle-class family in a leafy suburb. When they insisted he stay on with them, he began plotting his escape. Tony's short story collection, Dark As Last Night was published in 2021 by UQP. Tony's other books include Women and Children, published in 2023, and his latest book Pictures of You. This episode of Conversations explores Australian life, Melbourne, Thrift Shops, Saving, grandparents, frugal living, social history, social life in Australia, families, origin stories, books, writing, Australian literature, short stories, penny pinching.

Writer Drusilla Modjeska has built a career exploring the extraordinary lives of pioneering women writers and artists, who have never stopped asking important questions about gender, freedom and expression. Drusilla was born in England right at the end of the Second World War. She was raised to be a well-behaved and self-effacing young woman, in a very conservative time in history. But Drusilla escaped this version of herself by marrying very young and moving to Papua New Guinea, and then to Australia. On the other side of the world, her eyes were opened to different ways of being, and Drusilla went on to build a big career exploring the lives of pioneering women writers and visual artists. In writing about the lives of women artists, Drusilla was eventually led to writing about her own mother, Poppy, whose creativity and independence were stymied by marriage and who was committed to a psychiatric institution when Drusilla was 12 years old. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores surrealism, surrealist art, art of the Pacific, Claude Cahun, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Clara Westhoff, Rainer Maria Rilke, Marcel Moore, Gabriele Münter, Kandinsky, Lee Miller, Dora Maa, Picasso, painting, World War 2, boomers, conservatism, trad wives, feminism, manosphere, Louis Theroux, toxic masculinity, equal rights, misogyny, psychiatric treatment for women, institutionalised, women of world war 2, The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, the fany. To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

New York Times columnist and author M.Gessen on the slow strangulation of democracy, happening right now in Trump's America.   M Gessen grew up in the Soviet Union and migrated to the US as a teenager before returning to Russia in the 90s to cover the country's brief attempt at democracy and then the slow slide back into autocratic rule under Vladimir Putin. M's insight into the mindset of the autocrat offers some clarity on why such leaders do the things they do and how they see the world. This Conversation was recorded at the Brisbane Powerhouse, as part of the Brisbane Writers Festival. Further Information  M Gessen is an author and New York Times columnist, their latest book is Surviving Autocracy This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan, Nicola Harrison is the Executive Producer. It covers US politics, President Donald Trump, democratic institutions, the Soviet Union, state terror, state tyranny, Vladimir Putin, journalism, protest, ICE, Minneapolis, autocratic rulers, power, dogma, mindset, democratic freedom, voting in elections, Hannah Arendt, Milan Kundera, mutual aid, organising. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Colin's band, Men At Work, was one of the biggest acts of the 1980s. Their first album shot the band to international fame. Then quite quickly, everything unravelled, and Colin had to begin again (R). Colin's band, Men At Work, was one of the biggest acts of the 1980s. Their first album shot the band to massive international fame, giving them two simultaneous number ones on the US charts, for album and single. Along with Who Can It Be Now? and Overkill, another enduring hit for the band is the song, Down Under, a song now marked by a tragic legacy. Men At Work enjoyed just four years of intense success, but according to Colin, they band was "over before it began", and they officially broke up after just three albums. When his status as a global star evaporated almost overnight, Colin had to rediscover his origins as a solo performer, re-build his audience, and himself. Songs played in this episode: Overkill, Who Can It Be Now, and Waiting for My Real Life to Begin. Colin's Hay's fifteenth studio album, Now and the Evermore, was released on March 2022. Find details of Colin's 2026 tour on his website. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores music, Aussie music, Aussie Rock, pub rock, INXS, recording, music industry, fame, fortune, life after fame, relationships, heartbreak, brief, origin story. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

When Megan Gilmour's son was 10 years old, he spent nearly two years in isolation at the Sydney Children’s Hospital. The months he missed at school didn't just affect him academically.  Megan, her daughter and her husband all relocated from Canberra to be with Darcy in Sydney as he underwent life-saving medical treatment, and lived at hospital. Over his many months in hospital, Darcy missed a lot of school.  What worried Megan wasn’t just that he was falling behind academically, it was his loneliness and the way he was losing connection to his friends and his community. Over time Megan watched how Darcy’s sense of belonging vanished because he wasn’t physically at school. So along with two other mums she met through the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Megan decided to do something about it. Not just for the kids who are missing out of school because they are in hospital, but for the growing number of kids who are away from school for a whole host of reasons. Megan is the CEO and co-founder of Missing School, and she was the 2025 ACT Australian of the Year. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores chronic illness, sick kids, school non attendance, school refusal, my kid doesn't want to go to school, young carers, neurodiverse children, autism, ADHD, AuDHD, learning difficulties, childhood cancer, blood disorders, lonely children, invisible siblings, parenting, motherhood, online learning, COVID, digital schooling, bone marrow transplant. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

It was a Sunday night in the garage of their family home when journalist and author Kate Legge found out her husband of 30 years had been cheating on her for decades. After a downward spiral as she came to terms with the news, the two of them took a road trip to Broken Hill to investigate the four generations of cheaters in his family line. The process led Kate to look into the murky waters of how love was expressed in her own family, with an intellectually frustrated mother who could be surprisingly cruel. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It covers topics including marriage, divorce, cheating, infidelity, relationships, alcohol, lies, counselling, research, memoir, family history, writing, psychology. Further information  Infidelity and Other Affairs is published by Thames and Hudson Kate Legge's new book coming out in April is series of essays on food and friendship called Delicious, published by Allen and Unwin. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities. I

Lisa Petty began her dance career in 1980s New York, intoxicated by the grime and flamboyant life of the city. She witnessed countless friends lose their lives to AIDS,  and the lessons she learned in closeness have stayed with her.   As a young woman, Lisa Petty was visiting her aunt in a retirement home when she started to speak to the older people there about the role of wartime dance halls in their lives. These were stories of luminous intimacy.  The old men and women’s faces would light up as they remembered being close enough to attractive strangers to smell them, to move together with music, and to have a few hours reprieve from the stress of war. These stories inspired Lisa’s masters studies and she moved to New York to pursue a career in dance. There, she found a friend soulmate in a man called Raymond, and they lived together for several years, before and after he became sick with AIDS. After Lisa returned to Melbourne, she left her dance career behind and began working as an intimacy and movement director, helping performers to channel their character’s energy and translate that into the language of touch. Further information This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.  It covers topics including intimacy, touch, single mum, AIDS, New York, Kaposi sarcoma, dance, intimacy co-ordinator, movement coach, theatre. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

For the last decade or so we’ve looked on as the United States has radically changed itself, but the UK has been changing too as it continues to struggle with economic stagnation and the fallout from Brexit. The British people, famous for their aversion to radical and emotional politics, have embarked on a course which was supposed to take them back to the comforting certainties of the past, but has instead, brought them into an uncertain new world. It began with the huge shock of Brexit, then the constant turnover of Prime Ministers including Liz Truss whose term in office was famous outlived by a head of lettuce. In 2025 British Labor won government in a massive landslide, which saw many hope things might settle down, but now Kier Starmer is hanging on by his fingernails. And for those looking to the monarchy for a sense of continuity and national unity, that’s not going well either. So what on earth has happened to the land of toast and tea?  Ian Dunt is a British political journalist and author of How Westminster Works and Why is Doesn't  Ian is also a regular contributor to Late Night Live on Radio National. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores British politics, Brexit, the financial crash, austerity, David Cameron, The Conservative Party, referendum, European Union, New Labor, populism, government services, the UK-US alliance, Christianity, Marxism, puberty, disillusioned, dogma, ideology, psychedelic, journalism, political discourse, British public school system, elites, power, Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, immigration. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

In the 1990s, Glenn Jarvis was living in London working for a very powerful American corporation called Enron. He was under a huge amount of stress at work, when his mental health began to spiral downwards.   In the late 1990s Australian Glenn Jarvis won a job in London with Enron, a giant American energy and investment corporation. Life was exhilarating and he made lots of friends. But after a time Glenn began to notice some very odd transactions at Enron. Giant amounts of money were flooding in to the company that simply couldn't be accounted for. Glenn took it up with with his bosses, but they didn't want to know. In part because of the questions he was asking, Glenn's reputation at work began to change, and his mental health began to deteriorate. He had a psychotic episode, and spent the next 2 years in and out of mental health units in Australia and the UK. Eventually he found himself back in town of Queanbeyan where he grew up, with no job, no money, and few friends who understood what he'd been through. His family stuck by him, but things were difficult, and he ended up in supported accommodation. Across the road from where he was living was a local Bowling Club. He would go there and buy a single beer most nights, and eventually befriended some of the regulars. With the help of these elderly friends, and meaningful work, Glenn began a slow and painstaking climb back into an entirely different kind of life.

The former Kings Cross street kid on his time in prison, recovering from an alcohol-induced brain injury, the puppy called Sunny who showed him what love is and how buying car parking spaces set him up for the rest of his life. Warning: This episode contains sensitive topics and reference to physical violence against women. John Howard came from a dysfunctional and often violent home in the outer suburbs of Sydney, and when he was able to, he ran away to the dank but promising Kings Cross of the 1960s and 70s. He would see Abe Saffron having dinner at the local Bourbon & Beefsteak joint and John found himself doing odd jobs for his sex worker friends in exchange for somewhere to sleep. John was caught up in a horrific assault and in the following years he found himself in jail and then drawn to drinking. At his lowest point he was rescued by chance by a passing taxi, and taken to hospital to recover from an alcohol-induced brain injury. As he was recovering, it was a toy poodle puppy called Sunny who showed John what love and affection were — and from there he was able to build his life for the first time. Further information You can call the National Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence counselling service on 1800-RESPECT or 1800-737-732.  This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.  It covers topics like homelessness, alcoholism, prison escape, solitary confinement, toy poodles, lesbian separatism, disability support pension, brain injury, Callan Park hospital, Rozelle Hospital, getting sober, quitting alcohol, Kings Cross, street kid, sex workers, drug use, drug addiction, prostitute, Bourbon & Beefsteak, Abe Saffron, The Coconut Grove, doggy poo bags, pooper scoopers, Potts Point. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Kate McClymont is chief investigative reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, she has won 10 Walkley Awards for her work on some of the biggest crime and corruption cases in NSW. She grew up on a farm in NSW, and during university, funded her start in Sydney by setting up a busking booth in Kings Cross. Passers-by would pay her to answer a question, have an argument, or verbally abuse them.  Kate's start in crime reporting came from an early job writing for a gossip column.   She was instructed to cover a wedding of a family member of known criminal figure, George Freeman. Kate compared the sequins in the bridal party's outfit to a bullet-proof vest, and received the first of many death threats throughout her career.  She has exposed the crimes of politician, Eddie Obeid, former Health Services Union boss, Michael Williamson and financial fraudster, Melissa Caddick, among many more. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan and the Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores crime, investigative journalism, newspapers, police, corruption, politicians, Eddie Obeid, Melissa Caddick, fraud, murder, defamation, court cases, police, lawyers, timelines, research, contacts, financial fraud, death threats, award winning journalism, the Sydney Morning Herald, Four Corners, Chris Masters, Sydney, NSW To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

For years, Brendan Cullen was known around Broken Hill as the happy man who ran thousands of ewes across tens of thousands of hectares with a smile. What they didn't see was the guy crying in a room by himself, drinking himself stupid, thinking he wasn't providing enough for his family.

Filmmaker Lynette Wallworth on how nearly dying as a little girl set her on a lifelong path to interrogate out-of-body experiences, spirituality and what really happens to us when we die. When Lynette was a little girl, she had a near death experience on her grandparents' property. Her father brought her back from the brink and what she saw and experienced there, on the edge of death, came back with her. For years, Lynette struggled to talk about what happened so she made paintings and artworks trying to make sense of this experience. But when she started visiting remote Indigenous communities here in Australia and abroad, in the Amazon, that she finally found some sort of language for describing the scientifically unprovable.  There, in cultures where out of body experiences are accepted as either spiritual or possible through the use of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and ayahuasca, Lynette stopped feeling weird. Her latest film investigates how doctors in Melbourne are turning to psychedelic drugs to help ease their terminally ill patients towards death, and in the process learn that "we weren't put on earth to run around in fear". Edge of Life will be available to stream on Binge from 28 March. Currently, you can watch it via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fetch and YouTubel; or organise your own cinema screening via Fan Force. You can find more information about Lynette and her films at her website. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores death, dying, grief, medical trials, shamans, hallucinogens, science, psychology, psychiatry, acceptance, palliative care, caring for the dying, nursing, art, filmmaking, philosophy, shrooms, magic mushrooms, the immortality key, religion, spiritualty, quacks, health and wellness industry, tripping, epiphanies, film. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The chief conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra on the chair of spikes which accompanied his early musical career, and why he doesn't tone down his Italian self for work (R)   During his Suzuki lessons in Turin, Italy, a young Umberto Clerici was sitting up straight on a chair full of spikes, lest his posture slip. Umberto chose the cello as his instrument, mainly because it wasn’t the violin, which sounded like a cat in a washing machine when played by the older students in his neighbourhood. Throughout his career playing in orchestras around the world, Umberto has gone to great lengths to let the music filter through him, to embody the meaning behind the notes, to learn what the composer thought or felt. Today Umberto Clerici is the chief conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.   To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The act of care and service through food has been incredibly important to Besha Rodell throughout her life, from her first, euphoric experience of a fancy restaurant at age eight, to the aftermath of September 11. Today Besha is the chief restaurant critic at The Age. The thrill of a fancy restaurant first imprinted itself on her psyche when she was a girl, treated to dinner at Stephanie's iconic spot in Melbourne. As a teenager, Besha was transplanted to her mother's native USA and got her first job in hospitality — and found her people — in North Carolina. A stint in New York followed, where Besha witnessed September 11 in real time. Eventually Besha started a family with her boyfriend, Ryan, in North Carolina and the family found they were living under the poverty line.  They got by thanks to a government food voucher program. Shortly after, Besha's blog posts, written for fun, gained traction and she was given her first assignment in food writing. Further information Hunger Like A Thirst is published by HardieGrant. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode covers food, restaurants, restaurant critic, Stephanie's, Stephanie Alexander, Narnia, Melbourne, North Carolina, 9/11, September 11, migrant, not fitting in, government cheese, hospo, acts of service, behind the pass, line cook, pastry chef, methadone, coming off methadone, heroin, addiction, loving an addict, New York Times, food reviewing. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Naomi Mourra grew up as a door-knocking Jehovah's Witness but at 21, she realised Doomsday was not upon her, and left the religion for good. As a child, Naomi  thought she was going to live forever. She was told the end of the world was coming, but she would survive the apocalypse and live in paradise for eternity, because she was special. She spent her youth in Western Sydney, preaching these same beliefs to neighbours, strangers, and classmates because Naomi was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. Now, though, she describes herself as the city's only Lebanese, lesbian, ex-Jehovah’s Witness. Naomi says she “woke up”, and it wasn’t until she realised Armageddon was not actually coming, that she truly started to live. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores religion, Jehovah's Witnesses, dogma, family, Western Sydney, Armageddon, faith, leaving a religion, culture, sexuality, stand up comedy, lesbian, Lebanese culture, apocalypse, school, education, strangers, freedom, neighbours, strangers To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Tony Tan’s parents pinned their hopes on him when they sent him from home in Malaysia to Melbourne to become a white collar professional in the 1970s. There he found “funny smelling cigarettes”, a lovely man called Terry and a destiny he couldn’t escape. Tony was exposed to deep, rich flavour and the precision of cooking from a young age. His mother was a chef in Malaysian colonial kitchens and Tony would often accompany her to work, where he would sometimes receive a single golden, dripping roasted potato, or pinch the meat from a leftover kitchen carcass. He was a precocious child — known as Little Chilli — always wanting to know how certain cooking techniques worked.  His parents didn’t want him to follow them into the world of food, so they sent him to study at university in Melbourne, with hopes that he would ascend to the world of white collar work on behalf of the family. He had his first introduction to Lygon Street in the 1970s, and university couldn’t keep him away from the world of food. Further information Tony Tan's most recent cook book, Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class is published by Murdoch Books. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode covers food tours, Kuantan, SBS, Shakahari, Stephanie Alexander, char siu, Tatler's, cooking school, Asian cooking class, roast chicken with soy sauce, recipes, sexual awakening, gay marriage, Trentham, regional Victoria. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

We rarely stop to wonder who invented the wheel, the alphabet or the printing press but so much of what feels fundamental to daily life was once a bold, untested idea, and someone had to think it up first. In The Shortest History of Innovation, Andrew Leigh traces that long thread of human ingenuity from ancient breakthroughs through to the inventions reshaping our world today like the car, social media and artificial intelligence.  He also debunks some of the myths about how these things into the word and what happens when they collide with humanity. The Shortest History of Innovation is published by Black Inc Books. The executive producer of Conversations is Nicola Harrison This episode of Conversations explores history, ancient civilisation, the industrial revolution, medical breakthrough, human progress, invention, innovation, human psychology, AI, penicillin, the wheel, cutlery, vaccines, nuclear bomb, nuclear energy, medieval history To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Psychologist Dr Tracey Westerman on her groundbreaking work transforming mental health outcomes for Aboriginal communities (R)   Dr Tracy Westerman grew up in the Pilbara, where suicide and mental health issues have deeply scarred Indigenous communities. So this Nyamal woman decided to do something about it. Nyamal woman Tracy Westerman grew up in some of the most remote parts of Western Australia, moving from a station to a town called Useless Loop, eventually landing in the mining town of Tom Price. Tracy, the daughter of an Aboriginal mother and a white father, became the first person educated entirely in Tom Price to go on to University. When she arrived in Perth, she had never been on a bus or on an escalator, but she was fired up to study psychology. Tracy wanted to use the skills she learned in the city to deliver practical mental health care to Aboriginal people, and to help entire communities reeling from the impact of suicide and other mental health issues. Along the way to obtaining her doctorate, Tracy has become a business person, the WA Australian of the year, and she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal. Her next mission is to build an army of Indigenous psychologists to continue the work she's already started. Further information Jilya is published by University of Queensland Press. You can learn more about Dr Westerman's work here. To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The iconic folk duo met at an audition for the only country music band at a prestigious jazz school in Boston. They immediately clicked, and joined the rich lineage of Americana artists that stretches back centuries. In their 20s, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings discovered they had something special when they sang together, a sort of eerie emotional resonance that is usually confined to the blood harmonies produced when siblings sing together. Ever since they've been making music together which draws on the bluegrass, country and folk traditions they love. In their historic recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee (which has withstood three tornadoes in the last century), they craft haunting songs about the ugly and beautiful parts of humanity. For Gill and Dave, the DNA of folk music is something we can all contribute to, and which contributes to all of us. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are currently touring Australia's eastern states. You can find information about where and when they are playing on their website. Their seventh studio album is called Woodland, named after their indestructible studio.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores music, recording, career musicians, Woody Guthrie, The Carter Family, Lead Belly, revival folk, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Emmy Lou, Dolly Parton, Southern America, United States, Pete Seeger, Love, relationship, natural disaster, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Odetta, Harry Belafonte, Rhiannon Giddens, banjo, guitar, mandolin, true crime, murder ballad, Revival, Time (The Revelator), Soul Journey, The Harrow & The Harvest, All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone), Grammy Awards, Grammys, songwriting, Coen Brothers, O Brother, Where Art Thou? To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Growing up, John Marsden found school incredibly difficult and, as a teenager, spent time in hospital after a breakdown. This difficult early life profoundly shaped his work as a writer and educator of young people. With the help of a therapist, he began to recover, but it took him many years to find his place in the world. Eventually he studied teaching, then in his mid-thirties John began to write. John wrote over 40 best-selling novels for young adults and used his profits to buy bushland on the edge of Melbourne and open a primary school. At Candlebark, students call teachers by their first names, and are encouraged to take risks, John also founded a high school called Alice Miller. In 2024, John Marsden died at the age of 74, this interview was recorded in 2018. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison, the Executive Producer was Pam O'Brien. it explores education, strict parenting, teaching, all boys private school education, emotional breakdown, psychiatric care, therapy, counselling, studying teaching, writing, writing for young adults, running an independent school, risk taking, being an author, legacy. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Dan Richards investigates the multifaceted realm of night-time. Hear about when he survived a brush with death, a treacherous journey on a Scottish ferry, shadowing a search and rescue team, and the comfort and exquisite agony of new parenthood.   The writer and broadcaster argues that night-time is universal in that everyone goes through it, but there are so many different experiences of the dark. He has met the many people who work, helping others and doing the invisible organising that keeps our communal world turning while others rest. Dan says the night is a place of encounters — both magical and disturbing. Further information Dan's book Overnight: Journeys, Conversations and Stories After Dark is published by Allen & Unwin. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode touches on sleep, covid, COVID, covid-19, hospital, emergency workers, NHS, ICU, frontline workers, search and rescue, dreams, outreach workers, homelessness, moominland, the shipping forecast, BBC, new fatherhood. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The legendary surfer has grieved the deaths of her adoptive mother, stepmother and birth mother. Only later in life did she realise her drive to win came from a place of loss, and Layne needed to look inward to find her place off the podium. Layne is a legendary surfer who is the first person ever to win six consecutive world titles. Since her childhood spent on Sydney's Northern Beaches, Layne has loved being in the water but it wasn't until later in life that she realised her relentless drive to win came from a confusion about who she belonged with on land. Part of her drive to prove her worth and her place came from her experiences of loss. When Layne was 6 years old, her adopted mother Valerie died. Then, her step-mother Christina died after a long battle with breast cancer. Twenty years after Layne reconnected with her birth mother, Maggie, she flew to America to be by Maggie's side as she took her last breaths. Losing three mothers in one lifetime caused Layne to equate motherhood with loss and abandonment.  But after retiring and learning to slow down, Layne turned inward and finally found herself along the way. Content warning: this episode of Conversations contains discussion of adoption and grief. Layne's memoir Beneath the Waves was written with Michael Gordon and published in 2009 by Penguin. Her latest book, Awake Academy, was written with Tess Brouwer and is published by Penguin. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores grief, cancer, death, dying, surfing, pro surfers, Manly, Freshwater, Hawaii, Ken Bradshaw, Kelly Slater, Molly Picklum, Stephanie Gilmore, Kirk Pengilly, love, marriage, stepmother, motherhood, menopause, slowing down, fitness later in life, introspection, awake academy, meditation, beach, ovarian cancer, brain haemorrhage, fatherhood, Tess Brouwer, elite athletes, professional athletes. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

After a painful divorce, Charlotte Ree began to piece her broken heart back together by cooking for her neighbours (R)   Charlotte Ree grew up in a family full of love, but with its own particular challenges.  Her mum struggled with mental illness, which meant Charlotte grew up very quickly. Charlotte met the man who would become her husband when she was 19. Within a few years, they married, but money became a major source of pain in the relationship. One night on a boat, Charlotte realised her marriage was over. Divorce was a devastating turning point for her, and at the same time she found herself living alone in Sydney's lockdown. Eventually Charlotte decided to find a unique way out of her heartbreak; by cooking for her neighbours.   Some time later, she also found the courage to look for love again. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison, the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores family history, mental illness, relationships, looking for love, love stories, modern love, divorce, recovering after divorce, cooking, baking, unusual family stories, strange family history, family history, lockdown, Covid lockdown, loneliness, solitude, eating, starvation, nourishment, cooking for one, cooking neighbours, baking cakes, cakes, cake batter, broken heart, mending a broken heart, food as love, finding love after divorce, finding love again, healing from a broken heart, men and women, dating apps, life on the dating apps, strange stories from dating apps, recovery from heartbreak, cooking as a cure for pain, cooking for love, cooking for your life, cooking, mothers, complicated mothers, complicated mother daughter relationships, unconditional love, acceptance, accepting your parents. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Philosopher and writer Eamon Evans on humanity's relentless and impossible pursuit of happiness through materialism, social media and self help, and why the kindest and best people have been 'crushed by life' a couple of times. Eamon started to think more deeply about happiness and contentment in his 20s, after a bout of serious depression. He realised that trying to be happy all the time was paradoxically making him miserable, and says that's true for most of us in this modern world. Eamon began to trace the history of human's infatuation with being happy. What he found was that the story of humanity was tied up with other pursuits like survival, honour, virtue and discipline until very recently. Only in the 20th century did people start wanting to stop to smell the roses all the time, but Eamon says a permanent state of happiness impossible and emotionally counterproductive. In fact, our obsession with being happy is actually making us sad, and on top of that, it's making us sad about the fact that we're sad—a concept called 'meta-unhappiness'. Eamon acknowledges misery can sometimes be pathological, and it's important that lifesaving progress has been made on creating spaces here people can speak out and seek help. But in terms of daily, natural feelings of struggle, he says it's better to accept these as a normal part of human life, and look upon seasons of misery as miracles that build character, make us kinder, and more interesting. The Importance of Being Miserable is published by Simon and Schuster. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores advertising, marketing, smart phones, addiction, dopamine, serotonin, Gen Z, glimmers of hope, gratitude, being grateful, how to be grateful, gratitude journal, Buddhism, enlightenment, Mad Men, advertising, capitalism, mental health, mental wellbeing, self help books, religion, industrial revolution, greed, property, wants versus needs. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Judy grew up on a farm in north-east Victoria. When she was seventeen, a family tragedy saw her thrust into life as a farmer for the first time. Being a young farmer led her into local politics, and eventually into a burgeoning friendship with a lanky, much-loved local politician named Tim Fischer. On their first date, Tim took Judy to the Tocumwal Debutant Ball, and it was a disaster. But despite the age difference, the two of them eventually fell in love and started a family. When their first son, Harrison, was diagnosed with autism Judy became an advocate for people on the autism spectrum. The family is still grieving Tim, whom they lost to leukaemia in 2019. But Judy is now working to make her beloved family farm, ‘Grossotto’, a sanctuary for vulnerable adults. Learn more about Care Farms. Listen to Tim Fischer in conversation with Richard Fidler. Watch the 2018 Australian Story about the Fischer Family. This episode was produced by Nicola Harrison, Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores love, marriage, relationships, Auspol, local politics, country Australia, regional Australia, rural communities, motherhood, age gap relationships, grief, death, grieving a spouse, neurodivergence, autism spectrum disorder, raising children with autism. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The world's leading eucalyptus expert, Professor Steve Hopper, on what science and culture say about these spectacular trees, and how Noongar elders in WA's South West led his 'second education' in botany. Australia is one of the richest places on earth when it comes to botanical biodiversity. Tens of thousands of species of trees and flowers have developed over millions of years of isolation. But perhaps the most iconic of all native flora is the humble eucalyptus. From Queensland's ancient rainforests and the alpine region of New South Wales, to the wilds of Tasmania and the granite outcrops of coastal Western Australia, gum trees are synonymous with the Australian landscape. There are 900 different species of eucalyptus, from giant gums close to 100 metres tall, to tiny wee mallee trees the same height as a kindergartener.  Steve Hopper has recorded more than 100 of those species, and believes there are still more waiting to be found. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores botany, climate change, extinction rates, gum trees, eucalypts, California wild fires, biodiversity hotspot, Australia's native flora, koalas, mallee, jarrah, karri, ancient trees, dinosaurs, Australiana, Western Australia, Great Southern Blue Mountains, Tasmania, South West of WA, Albany, Stirling Range, Snowy Mountains, red gum, stringy gum, Australian wildflowers, Kew Gardens, London, the United Kingdom, Joseph Banks, environmental exploitation, Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous healing, eucalyptus oil medicinal properties, dreaming, conservation, gardening. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

UK writer Zadie Smith became a world-wide sensation with the publication of her first novel White Teeth when she was 24. Now aged 50, she's bringing her trademark intelligence and wit to the subject of midlife. Her latest work is Dead and Alive, a new book of essays, where she writes about black British history, paintings, politics, our online lives and getting older. She also talks about up growing in North West London and where she's returned to live with her own family. Zadie will be in Australia next month as part of the All About Women festival at the Sydney Opera House on March 8th and at The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on March 10th. Further Information All About Women at Sydney Opera House Zadie Smith at The Wheeler Centre This episode explores growing up in North West London, immigrants, black British history, the internet, smart phones, social media, the technology of the book, mid life, being 50, free university, Cambridge, diversity, academia, tap dancing, painting, politics, being a writer, non-fiction, young novelists, find success at young age. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Jessica Kirkness with the story of her grandparents, who both grew up profoundly deaf in a hearing world, and how she navigated the space in between sound and silence. (R) Jessica grew up in the outer suburbs with a big extended family, with her grandparents living right next door. Her grandparents, Melvyn and Phyllis, were affectionate, kind and wise and Jessica often spent more time after school in their house than her own. But their house was distinctly different. The doorbell never rang, the alarm clock never sounded, and the television was on but the audio was off. Melvyn and Phyllis were profoundly deaf, and they lived in two worlds - among the hearing, and within the deaf community which had its own language and way of doing things. Jessica grew up in that space between two worlds. She felt that her grandparents' lives were both extraordinary and ordinary, and that their deafness was so exquisitely misunderstood that every part of her felt summoned to translate. Jessica has recently written down the story of her life growing up between the two worlds of the hearing and the deaf, as a GODA, or a grandchild of deaf adults. The House with All the Lights On is published by Allen and Unwin. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison, Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores deafness, living with a disability, profound deafness, hearing loss, AUSLAN, language, sign language, CODA, grandparents, love, family, relationships, granddaughter, grandchildren, intergenerational families, mixed families, technology, deaf accent, lip reading, migrants, hearing world, accessibility, head injuries, meningitis, hospital, acquired disability, deaf gain, communication, music, translation.

Saul Eslake grew up knowing he was adopted. For many years he knew nothing about his biological parents, but when he adopted his own children, he began the search for his birth family. What he discovered in his adoption file revealed a very complicated story, and It took him more than two decades to unravel the mystery. En route, he discovered a confected newspaper scandal, a story of British pilots at an orgy, and a complicated divorce. Then years on, he experienced the joy of meeting the siblings he never knew existed.     This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores adoption, family history, secrecy, orgies, pilots, British scandals, unusual family stories, strange family history, family history, adoption records, secrets, family secrets, divorce, pilots, tabloid press, adopted siblings, birth records, adoption process, adoption file, records, rejection, history, crime, fraud, genealogy, blood relatives, siblings, Tasmania, growing up in the UK, data, mystery. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Dave Pearson runs Bite Club, a support service for anyone who has survived a shark attack. Dave’s own brush with death came in 2011, when a three-metre-long bull shark almost took his arm. (R) Dave lived that day, but it’s what happened during his recovery that he didn’t see coming. Dave Pearson was with his mates on the NSW Mid North Coast back in 2011, and couldn’t get in the water fast enough to try out his brand new surfboard. He’d caught a few waves when he was slammed by what felt like a freight train. Under the water, through the bubbles and the shock, Dave saw something huge, brown and grey. Dave survived that day, but it’s what happened during his recovery that he didn’t see coming. He founded Bite Club to support survivors through the mental heath challenges following their shark attacks. Bite Club is a closed Facebook group available to those who have survived an attack by an apex predator. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan, Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores sharks, attacks, bull sharks, near death experience, grief, survival, recovery, water sports, surfing, ocean, water safety, summer in Australia, summer holidays, increasing shark attacks, what to do if you're attacked by a shark. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

In 2007, Vicki McAuley's husband Andrew set off from Tasmania in a kayak, aiming to become the first person to paddle to New Zealand, but a month later authorities received a distress call and then his kayak was found with no sign of Andrew. Vicki and their little son Finn, were waiting with friends and family for Andrew at Milford Sound when the devastating news came through. Further information  Vicki McAuley's book Solo was published in 2010. The documentary about Andrew's attempt is also called Solo, directed by Jennifer Peedom and released in 2008. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores love, mountaineering, sea kayaking, solo sea kayaking, extreme adventure, psychology, adventurer, the Tasman Sea, gale force storms, ocean currents, waves, swells, Fortescue Bay, rescue, kayak design, hypothermia, family, grief, yoga, writing. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Debra Richardson joined the police at age 18 in the 1980s, working undercover as a prostitute and surviving the Russell Street bombing. Years later, she met her foster son, Yuri, who had also survived disaster. Deb and her family met Yuri after they agreed to care for one of the many children brought to Australia for short-term stays following the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. Decades later, a journey to help that foster son, now living in a war zone, ended up helping Deb in ways she never expected. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake and the Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores women in the police force, police academy training, sexism, undercover police work, the Russell Street Bombing, car bomb, PTSD, Chernobyl disaster, Chernobyl children, John Farnham, Russian mafia, Project Yuri, charity, war in Ukraine, aid work, family, foster care. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

From Wollongong to London, via Alice Springs, this is writer Nikki Gemmell on her deeply romantic life, and how she defied expectations to become a famous author. (R) Nikki grew up the daughter of a coalminer father who thought writers were a burden on society, while her mum taught Nikki that only success was worthy of love. So Nikki went above and beyond to prove her beloved father wrong, and to get the attention of her mother through her achievements, publishing 20 books in the process, including the wildly successful The Bride Stripped Bare. Now the mother of four children, Nikki has also been determined to live her own life and raise her own children very differently, being generous with her love and pride for her sons and daughter. Content warning: Please take care when listening as this conversation mentions suicide. Help is always available. If you need to talk, 24/7 crisis support is available from Lifeline by calling 13 11 14. You can also text with them and chat online with counsellors here This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores parenthood, mothers, fathers, attachment, fawning, people pleasing, striving for achievement, accomplishment, writing, books, novelist, coal mining, family separation, divorce, childhood trauma, healing, generational differences, romance, love, mental health, Australian literature. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Professor George Williams was uninterested in school, instead spending his time melting down lead to sell to a nearby scrap yard. Then a special primary school teacher gave him permanent detention, which changed his life. Growing up in Sydney, he was the rebellious child of a single mum who worked in a fruit shop to support the family. George was so disruptive at primary school that no teacher wanted him in class. At first he was flabbergasted at the unfairness of this punishment, but with this teacher’s undivided attention, George began to enjoy learning and found that he was smart. His grades improved, and George became interested in studying Law. He has had a long career in Constitutional Law and working in university leadership. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores tertiary education, international students, online learning, lectures, tutorials, the casual workforce, academics, higher learning, lifelong learning, sandstone universities, student debt, HECS, affordable learning and poverty. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Brisbane teacher and author, Sita Walker on the strong, religious matriarchs who have helped her weather the storm of family tragedy, divorce and the beauty of a new love.   Sita grew up in Toowoomba in Queensland, descended from five powerful women — three aunts, her grandmother and her mum. They were Baha’i women who came to Australia via Iran and India. Tragedy struck the family when Sita was a child, and her matriarchs descended on the home — to cook, clean, and comfort. Sita always saw herself as good Baha’i girl, and she went on to marry a good Baha’i boy and start a family.  When things started to unravel, Sita found herself drifting away from her nightly prayers and accounting for her deeds, and it took a divorce and a new love for her to admit to herself, and her parents, how things had changed. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores faith, grief, religion, Baha'i, grandmothering, losing a sibling, evil eye, Queenslander, youth camp, marrying young, nightly prayers, falling in love, leaving religion, girl dinner, fiction writing, being a teacher, high school teacher, Mary Oliver and poetry. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Rob Hirst, the former drummer for the band Midnight Oil has died at age 70. In 2018 Sarah sat down with Rob for a wide-ranging conversation about music, nature and reconnecting with family (R)

Melissa Lucashenko grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane, where her Aboriginal mother grew plants and her Russian father built an improbable number of sheds in the backyard. (R) Melissa worked as a motorcycle detailer, a house painter, a prison advocate, and a game show contestant before finding her way as a writer.  Her novel, Edenglassie, imagines life in colonial Brisbane in the 1850s.  In it, she tells the story of the Aboriginal warrior Dundalli who was the last man to be publicly executed in Queensland.  But Melissa also explores contemporary Brisbane, highlighting what she calls the "double vision" of Aboriginal people. Edenglassie is published by the University of Queensland Press. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer is Carmel Rooney. It explores colonial Brisbane, Indigenous history and culture, Russian culture, Edenglassie, karate, prison reform, writing, Aboriginal warrior Dundalli, game show contestant, reality tv, house painter, public execution, 1850s Brisbane, history, mixed race families, growing up mixed race. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Kate Rowe's life has been full of wild adventures and hard living. But when she found sobriety, Kate discovered something big about herself. CW: This story contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault and some strong language. Please take care when listening. Ever since she stepped off the boat at Circular Quay as a 20-something 10-pound Pom, Kate has run fearlessly toward outrageous adventure. As a young woman Kate travelled around Australia picking tobacco, hitchhiking and sometimes spent her weekends running riot in Kings Cross. Then in 1974, she tagged along with some random guys she’d met who wanted to walk across the island of Timor.  From there, Kate ventured into South-East Asia, where she began smuggling bricks of cannabis from Thailand into Nepal. But everywhere she went, Kate took herself with her, and so all kinds of baggage from her early life came along for the wild ride. Eventually a cloud lifted, and when Kate found sobriety she realised something big about herself. Content Warning: This story contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault and some strong language. Please take care when listening. How the F*ck Would I Know is published by Power Writers Publishing Group. You can find more information about Kate and her writing at her website. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores trauma, healing, recovery, England, London, disordered eating, eating disorder recovery, substance abuse, addiction, drug trafficking, drug dealing, heroin, opium, alcohol, alcoholism, addiction recovery, therapy, counselling, sexuality, LGBTQI+, queer community, Mardi Gras, 1978, lesbian, women's Lib. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Aaron Tait was 18 when he went to war after September 11. His dad's guidance had set Aaron up with the grit he would need as a military officer, but it took him many years to forgive himself for his role in the war. Aaron comes from a long line of Navy men, and all through his childhood he was waiting until it was his turn to get stuck into life at sea. After basic officer training, Aaron moved through the harsh Navy’s Ship’s Divers course. Then, following September 11 he went to war in the Persian Gulf at just 18. Aaron's job was incredibly dangerous. He was boarding and attempting to control illegal Iraqi oil tankers in international waters, and he narrowly avoided death several times. After his service, Aaron found that his ideas about the Navy had changed, and he set out to rectify what he saw as the terrible part he had played in the war. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores Navy diving, Iraq, war on terror, 9/11, pirates, international waters, humanitarian, family love, being a dad, strong dad, broken men, veterans, war veterans, masculinity, toxic masculinity, leaving the military, ADFA, drinking culture, boy dad, travel. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Hostage negotiation isn't at all like what you see in Hollywood blockbusters. There is no lying, no promise-making, not even any names. Vince Hurley has only one task—trying to make a deep, human connection with a complete stranger. Content Warning: this episode of Conversations contains strong language and descriptions of violent crime. Vince Hurley is a criminologist at Macquarie University and a passionate advocate for ending violence against women. He brings nearly three decades of policing experience to the job. For 29 years, Vince was an operational police officer in the outer suburbs of Sydney, investigating domestic homicides, assaults, home invasions and drug trafficking. In that time, Vince was shot at, stabbed in the hand, and pushed off a building. But his most challenging work was the shifts he pulled as a hostage negotiator. Vince worked for 12 hours at a time, trying to literally talk people off the ledge, or to stop them from committing some sort of disastrous violent act. Hostage negotiation isn't at all like what you see in the cinema. There is no lying, no promises, not even any names. All Vince has to go on is trying to make a human connection with someone without knowing anything about them.  This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores policing, police work, violent crimes, police culture, violence against women, domestic violence, femicide, Lindt siege, hostage negotiation, suicidal ideation, terrorism, murder, retiring, academic, universities, Macquarie University, late career change, Western Sydney, educating teen boys, hidden violence, child abuse, cops, police officer. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Navigator Will Oxley expected the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race to be a challenging one. But when he and his crew met with 12-metre waves and 80km/h winds in Bass Strait, Will knew something was about to go horribly wrong. (R) Will Oxley learnt the art of celestial navigation in his 20s and he is now one of the world’s leading ocean race navigators. He has competed in the Sydney to Hobart race many times. He was navigating during the 1998 race when a freak storm hit off the coast of Eden. Will’s yacht was up-ended by a giant wave. He and his crew found themselves trapped upside down for five long minutes, before another wave pounded them back upright, then broke the mast. He’s also raced around the world 5 times, including the 10 months he spent sailing the wrong way round, against the winds, while skipper to a crew of sailing amateurs. Since we first spoke to Will he has competed in many more Sydney to Hobart races. In 2025 he sailed in his 21st on SHK Scallywag.  Will spends most of his time sailing in Europe on a quite radical yacht called Raven. It's semi foiling and 111 feet long. You can see the boat Will describes as a 'very cool yacht' on the Baltic Yachts Facebook page. This episode was produced by Nicola Harrison. The Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. This episode explores the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race, yachting disasters, yacht races gone wrong, dangerous seas, disasters at sea, yachting navigation, sailors, sailing, who goes in the Sydney to Hobart race, 2025 Sydney to Hobart, Bass Strait, crazy brave, adventurers, men who love boats, yachties, sailing race, Raven, radical yacht, foiling, fast yacht, yachting men, men of yachting, very cool yacht, 111 foot yachts. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities

Rafael Bonachela was born in the dying years of Franco’s Spain, into a patriarchal culture that didn’t appreciate little boys who wanted to dance.  As the eldest of four brothers, his father expected him to be an example of academic achievement and bravado. This hardline approach slowly drove his father away from the family, though when it came time to say goodbye, Rafael saw an unexpected side of him. At the age of 17, when the wide world beckoned, Rafael left his home country without a backward glance, grasping with both hands the opportunity to become a professional dancer. After a last ditch attempt at becoming a choreographer, he received an email from Kylie Minogue. And the rest is history.

Justin Heazlewood fled a complicated early life in Tasmania searching for fame as an artist on the mainland but then moved back to his home town of Burnie, and realised community is where you find it. For years he imagined his hometown as somewhere he had to leave, especially if he was going to be any kind of artist. And there were other, more personal reasons that made staying in Burnie complicated. Justin's Mum has schizophrenia, and growing up he was often forced into the role of being her carer. It was something he did his best to hide from his friends and other people in his life. So after school, Justin headed to the mainland and began a life as a comedian and a songwriter. But a few years ago, he found himself returning to his home town for good.  This episode of Conversations explores mental health, caring for parents, parents with mental illness, small towns, leaving your hometown, big city life, regional Australia, creatives in regional Australia, mother son relationships, returning home, community, fame, triple j, bedroom philosopher, radio, writing, music, musicians, learning guitar, grandmothers. Get Up Mum is published by Affirm Press and Justin's new book, Dream Burnie, celebrates the creative humans like him making art far from the big cities, and some of the teachers who recognised the young artists while they were at school. You can learn more about Justin's book Dream Burnie online. The Young Carer's Hotline is open Monday-Friday on 1800 422 737

For journalist Kate Halfpenny, moving to a beachside town during Melbourne's lockdowns seemed like the perfect way to unwind and escape her huge mortgage. Then she had to contend with the triple whammy of perimenopause, her husband's alcoholism and distance from family and friends. For the first time in her life, Kate had an empty house, no job commitments and no city life to distract her. She was able to indulge daily in her love of boogie boarding and surf-side walks with her dog, Maggie. One day at the beach, Kate saw her elderly father struggling in the surf. Kate's husband Chris was in the water next to him, but was acting strangely and couldn’t manage to haul him out of the dangerous water. That evening, Chris confessed his alcoholism to Kate and the couple faced the inevitable decisions they would have to navigate, together and apart. Further information Boogie Wonderland is published by Affirm Press. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode of Conversations deals with good divorce, Melbourne covid lockdowns, seachange, addiction, alcoholism, supporting an alcoholic, women in media, perimenopause, midlife, being alone, boogie boarding and relationships.

The artist Loribelle Spirovski on her unusual childhood in the Philippines, meeting her father for the first time at 7 years old, and making her way as one of Australia's most exciting young painters. Loribelle Spirovski grew up in the Philippines, with her mum and her extended Filipino family. Her Serbian father, whom she had never met, was in Australia, driving taxis and waiting for the visa that would allow him to bring Loribelle and her mum to join him. Loribelle didn't meet her father until she was 7 years old, and when she saw him for the first time at Manila Airport, she was shocked by how hairy his arms were and the way he smelled just like she did. Eventually, the family was properly reunited in Sydney, Australia, where Loribelle had to navigate family and cultural ties, where she found love and where she made her way as one of Australia's most exciting young artists. This episode of Conversations explores painting, creativity, writing, books, love, marriage, Simon Tedeschi, William Barton, the Archibald Prize, art education, art teaching, chronic pain, chronic injury, identity, memoir, family dynamics, origin stories, refugees, Serbia, former Yugoslavia, music, piano, singing, language, mothers, fathers, long-distance relationships. White Hibiscus is published by Upswell. You can see some of Loribelle's art at her website and on her Instagram page. In July, 2025 Loribelle won the People's Choice Award for the 2025 Archibald Prize for a portrait she painted with her fingers of Kalkadunga musician William Barton. To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Felicia Djamirze grew up in the criminal underworld, then became a beauty queen. But her life outside the pageant circuit was mired in the world of drugs, bikie gangs and violence.(CW: graphic discussion of domestic violence and crime)  Felicia Djamirze is a counsellor, an advocate for women's justice, a three-time Miss Australia winner and a convicted drug trafficker. Felicia grew up surrounded by drug abuse and crime in a rough part of Sydney. Her family was marked by addiction and connections to the criminal underworld. As she got older, Felicia attracted a lot of attention for her looks, eventually finding the world of beauty pageants, which she thought was her way out. But behind the scenes, Felicia's life was far from glamorous. While living with a partner who was in a bikie gang, she survived severe domestic violence. Then, during her next relationship she was caught up in an horrifically violent encounter with the Queensland Police when they burst into her home to arrest her partner for dealing meth. Felicia admitted her involvement and was convicted for drug trafficking. In the aftermath, she retrained as a counsellor and mental health advocate.  She now aims to use her experiences to help others find a way out of the justice system and re-enter, unashamedly, into the real world. Further information Content warning: this episode of Conversations contains descriptions of domestic violence.  Help and Support is always available. If you are experiencing Domestic Violence 1800 Respect is available 24 hours a day on 1800 737 732. For support with PTSD in Australia, Lifeline (13 11 14) and Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) offer crisis support. Accessory, written with Erin O'Dwyer, is published by Affirm Press. This episode of Conversations was produced my Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores crime, conviction history, police brutality, bikies, meth, substance abuse, epic origin stories, family dynamics, relationships, prison, outlaw motorcycle gangs, arms dealing, ice, Russian mafia, Hells Angels, Bandidos, Rebels, Comancheros, Finks, and Mongols. To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

When Anh Nguyen Austen was a small girl, her family fled South Vietnam on a boat which met a once-in-a-century storm in the South China sea. When all on board thought hope was lost, they were rescued.

For Professor Kelvin Kong, the ear is our most beautiful organ. Kelvin is a proud Worimi man and an ENT surgeon at the forefront of medical innovation. For Professor Kelvin Kong, the ear is our most beautiful organ. It's vital to how many of us understand each other, and how we understand ourselves. The proud Worimi man is the third doctor in his family, and is now an ENT surgeon at the forefront of medical innovation. He performs highly intricate lifesaving procedures, and also more simple medical interventions that are equally as impactful, because by tending to untreated ear disease in children, he can change the entire trajectory of their lives.    Further information Originally broadcast in September 2022. In 2023, Professor Kong was named NAIDOC Person of the year for his work treating the ear disease Otitis Media amongst children in indigenous communities

When Professor Mandyam Srinivasan began studying bees almost 35 years ago, we was interested in learning how bees landed so elegantly, and avoided colliding in mid-air. What Mandyam discovered was a complex and astounding system of vision and flight, which is now being applied to machine vision and robotics. He and his team at the Queensland Brain Institute built an autonomous aircraft, without GPS or radar, that flies like a bee. The technology could have widespread applications for surveillance, rescue operations, defence, and planetary exploration. Further information Mandyam Srinivasan is now Emeritus Professor at the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland. The episode of Conversations covers neuroscience, bees, sensory neuroscience, the study of bees, intelligent machines,

As a marine molecular biologist, Dr Nerida Wilson spends a lot of her time getting acquainted with the mysterious creatures lurking in the dark depths of the sea. From nudibranchs, to sea dragons and a UFO-looking spiral that's around 150 feet long, Nerida doesn't need to know why these weird and wonderful creatures exist, that they made it here in the first place is enough. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris and the Excecutive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It covers marine life, research, science, nudibranch, sea horse, oceans, discovery, deep sea life and exploration.

When Lee Berger entered the field of palaeoanthropology there was a one in 10,000,000 chance he would discover anything 'worthwhile' digging around South Africa. But this real-life Indiana Jones kept bucking the odds. First, he found a pair of hominid teeth in southern Africa, and then after a fossil-hunting dry spell, his 9-year-old son Matthew found the jawbone of a completely new hominid species. A few years later came Lee's most extraordinary discovery yet: a nearly inaccessible cave filled with skeletons of another new hominid species, which seemed to be violating all the rules. The story of what happened in this cave revolutionises what we understand about the origins of our own human species. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores human history, archaeology, Africa, caving, exploration, science, modern history, evolution, biology, bones, forensics, media, journalism, what to study, curious kids, curiosity, podcasts for kids, fascinating science, fascinating history, research, human mysteries, anthropology. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Dr Culum Brown is a leading researcher in the field of fish cognition, his research has shown that even that smallest fish are capable of learning and can retain memories for months. His fascination for fish stems from growing up in parts of south-east Asia, where he would spend every possible hour in the ocean with a snorkel. As an adult, Culum's marine biology studies around the world have revealed many facts which challenge our common understanding of fish. Within schools of fish, there is often a strict social hierarchy which can include forms of bullying. His research into Port Jackson sharks has revealed a lot about their social lives as 'puppies of the sea'. He work has also revealed that sting rays have especially good memories and can distinguish days of the week. Further information Find out more about Culum's work

Dr Campbell Costello's work as a vet has taken him out of his family's station in North Queensland to places as far flung as Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Patagonia. He's acted as the official vet for a sled race in Alaska, for epic horse races in Mongolia and Argentina, and he has run a cattle station in the former Soviet Union. But after a family tragedy, Dr Costello got his pilot's licence so he could service Australian communities and stations in the country's most remote corners. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, the executive producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores animals, adventure, veterinarians, animal welfare, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, the Andes, Central Asia, horses, dogs, flying, getting your pilot's licence, learning to fly, outback Australia, top end, Northern territory, Queensland, travel, travel for work, death of a parent, farm accidents, grief, loss, love, family, Middle East, South America, far flung places, places less travelled, vet mental health, podcasts for kids, kids who love animals. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.