Conversations

The Gamilaroi journalist on the tiny coalmining town that made her and still sustains her, how eating worms led to a job on breakfast TV, and why she's aiming to be a good ancestor in the deep future.Brooke grew up in Muswellbrook, a coal mining town in NSW.She was a smart, high-achieving kid, doing every extra-curricular activity she could fit in.Despite this, she dropped out of high school and didn't finish her education.After a couple of lost years, a kind boyfriend introduced Brooke to the idea of journalism, and suddenly, she was raring to go, earning jobs in the press gallery in Canberra for NITV, and on triple j, reading the news.Brooke was at the height of her career, doing entertainment news on the Today show on Nine, when she made a decision that seemed to come out of left field.In 2024 Brooke suddenly quit her high-profile job to take up an offer to study at Oxford University.Oxford presented the opportunity to complete the unfinished business of her education after being robbed of her academic potential in high school. In continuing to study, Brooke is focused on a life to be a not only a good auntie and sister but also a good ancestor for future generations.Further informationBrooke's book of essays, All of It: Notes on public life, private joy and everything in between was published by Joan, an imprint of Allen & Unwin.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch.This episode touches on the Voice to Parliament referendum, Aboriginal, language, climate change, Indigenous knowledge systems, aunty, ancestors, single mum, DV, domestic violence, work experience, political reporter, Tony Abbott, the news cycle, Canberra, the press gallery, parliament house, UTS, family, nieces, nephews, deep time, deep future, raise the age, age of criminal responsibility, children in prison, children in detention, Socratic method, philosophical argument, economics and politics.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 much loved actor has been on Australian TV screens and theatres for nearly 50 years. (R)Noni Hazlehurst comes from a long line of performers, her parents met while they were part of a touring Variety act in the UK, and her great grandfather was a famous child trapeze artist.Keeping children company on Playschool was one of her best known roles, which she had for 24 years.In Noni’s day, Playschool was recorded in one take, unless one of the presenters swore or was bitten by a rabbit.Further informationNoni's memoir Dropping the Mask is published by HarperCollins.This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2024.It explores acting, theatre, television, marriage, divorce, publicity, children's television, Playschool, Better Homes and Gardens, performing, family, renovations, privacy, legacy. audience, Logie awards.

Political advisor Ed Coper on the cold-blooded machine that is feeding angry people angry content online to make them even angrier, and what we can do about it.Ed Coper is a political advisor and communications consultant who has worked for the Australian Labor Party, and for progressive lobby groups.Over the past few years, he has noticed what everyone else has - people on both sides of the divide becoming increasingly vocal and angry about their politics online.While there's no shortage of things to get outraged about in today's world, no matter where you lie on the political spectrum, Ed argues our rage is being monetised cold-bloodedly by social media platforms.This digital, online machine has planted us in what he calls the era of 'angertainment', where an entire outrage industry is harvesting our worst impulses with algorithms that deliberately trigger the caveman switch in our brains that keeps us alert for potential threats.But there is an antidote.Ed says we need to understand this machine in order to build guardrails that preserve democracy, heal divisions and protect future generations from the "angry clowns" who currently rule the attention economy.Angertainment is published in Simon and Schuster.This episode of Conversations explores politics, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, divisive society, social cohesion, left versus right, attention spans, war, Trump, Putin, Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, elections, World War 3, the future, chronically online, rage bait, internet trolls, keyboard warriors, content farming, bots, Russia, Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Get Up, populism, political ideology, transgender issues, attention economy, MAGA, the woke left, polarised society, family violence, violence against women, misogyny, entertainment industry, Hollywood, nihilism, conservatives, progressives.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 former Canberra Raiders player on hiding his fantasy reading habits as a kid in Western Queensland, the joy of doing hard things, and how books brought him back from the brink. Warning: Discussion of suicide.Luke was a sensitive kid, growing up on a cattle station in Western Queensland. He loved being transported by fantasy novels — following the quests, battles and magic they offered him.Luke found release in these books, beyond the hard work and zipped lips of the strong men he saw around him.Luke didn’t fit into that mould, though he did plenty of work on the farm and loved playing footy. The sport helped him find a place to belong in his world.As a young man, he scored a place in the Canberra Raiders NRL team, and was introduced to the world of gambling.This quickly spiralled into an addiction, and Luke abused drugs and alcohol to numb the pain of this period.Despite being at the height of his young life, and earning hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, Luke couldn’t pay for his groceries. He couldn’t put fuel in the car. He was spending all his money on betting.When things hit rock bottom, Luke relied on the strongest, most loving person he knew — his mum.He understood, somehow, that to get out of the deep hole he was in, he had to find his way back to reading.Further informationLuke is writing his first two fantasy novels, which will be released in early 2027 under Atria Books Australia, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.If you need someone to speak to, you can always call or chat online with Lifeline on 13 11 14.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch.This episode touches on suicide, gambling, having a flutter, addiction, rehab, love mum, strong mum, single mum, horse racing, the trots, syndicate, racing horse, borrowing money, Newcastle, rock bottom, hitting rock bottom, powerless over addiction, hero's journey, MDMA, cocaine, alcohol abuse, relapse, recovery, non-linear journey, toxic masculinity, self help, sensitive man.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.

Jayden Sheridan was just 17 years old when he found out he was going to be a father, and immediately Jayden knew he needed to give his son better opportunities than he ever had growing up in regional Victoria. (R)In Seymour, which is one of the most disadvantaged postcodes in Australia, Jayden experienced homelessness, substance abuse, violence and a general lack of direction. He had no male role models in his life, but he did have the local skate park.It's where he went to feel safe and to feel himself, and Jayden wanted to create that same feeling for his son, and all the other kids in his town of Seymour.What started as adhoc skate lessons quickly turned into Gnarly Neighbours, something far bigger and more impactful than 17-year-old Jayden could have imagined.Jayden has recently been selected as a 2026 Westpac Social Change Fellow. His fellowship involves travelling across the US, Europe and the UK to learn from organisations doing similar work in creative and trauma-informed mentoring for young people.You can learn more about Gnarly Neighbours here.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.This episode of Conversations explores substance abuse, drug use, drug dealing, expulsion, troubled children, mental health, bipolar disorder, teen parenting, teen fatherhood, teen motherhood, skateboarding, skating, streetwear, origin stories, family dynamics, male role models, father figures, dysfunctional families, single parenting, rural and regional Australia, masculinity, manhood, rites of passage, mentoring.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 Wikipedia co-founder has developed seven rules for building trust to create a better world, both on the internet and IRL.Growing up in Huntsville, Alabama, Jimmy was enamoured with his family's Encyclopaedia Britannica.The city was home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre, and the energy of the place gave a young Jimmy a robust enthusiasm for technology and the future.As a young man, Jimmy developed the idea to start a free, online encyclopaedia, built by strangers and shared across languages.In 2001, Wikipedia was born, and for a time it was derided.Now, the website is a mainstay of the internet and a resource trusted by many.Jimmy says Wikipedia is all about strangers working together on the internet, in pursuit of a common goal, powered by their shared enthusiasm, and that is something to celebrate.Further informationThe Seven Rules of Trust: Why It Is Today's Most Essential Superpower is published by Bloomsbury.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch.It covers Twitter, X, trolls, vandalism, respect, civility, not-for-profit, tech bros, volunteers, social media ban, nupedia, servers, bots, AI, meconium aspiration syndrome, authenticity, empathy, logic, abortion, internet traffic, shouting online and civil discussion.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.

Joh Jarvis was a high-flying boss when grief from a terrible loss began to overwhelm her. She tried therapy, exercise and healthy eating. Then she found Vedic meditation, and the experience was 'psychedelic'. (R)Joh Jarvis is a Vedic meditation teacher in New York City.On a regular basis Joh travels to the notorious Rikers Island Prison in the Bronx.There, she teaches meditation to men waiting on remand.Inside a prison which is often violent and chaotic, she aims to give them a new way of coping.Joh grew up in Adelaide, and always wanted to live amidst the bright lights of New York.After a stint as a bicycle courier, she worked her way up to management at the ABC.As she approached 50, she had a well-paying job, a nice house, and strong connections with friends and family. But long-term grief had hollowed her out, and she asked herself, is this all there is?Then she was introduced to Vedic meditation, and she says her first encounter was 'psychedelic'.Read more about Joh's work at Rikers Island and other US prisons at her website The Light Inside.And you can see Joh in action on ABC TV's Compass.This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.It explores epic life stories, family dynamics, grief, loss, reflection, Vedic meditation, meditation, personal stories, origin stories, death, career, giving back, New York City, Rikers Island prison, incarceration, justice system, prison system, mindfulness, mantras, health and wellness, suicide.

Staff writer at The New Yorker, Patrick Radden Keefe tells the story of Zac Brettler, who inexplicably changed from a charming and hilarious boy into a money- and status-obsessed young man, who mixed with gangsters and shady businessmen.Patrick's new book begins with the description of a scene that was picked up by a surveillance camera in London in the early hours of a November morning in 2019.The footage showed a grainy image of a shadowy figure, anxiously moving about the balcony of a luxury apartment. That young man's name was Zac Brettler. He was 19 years old, and hours later his body was discovered on the banks of the River Thames. Patrick Radden Keefe’s investigation explores Zac’s secret life posing as the son of a Russian oligarch, and delves into the true identities of the wealthy gangsters who were there in his final hours.Further informationLondon Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City, and a Family's Search for Truth is published by Pan Macmillan Australia.This episode covers grief, fantasy life, con artists, London underworld, Boris Johnson, family tragedy, luxury, Holocaust survivors, rabbi, Mill Hill school, young men, making money, raising boys, Roman Abramovich, oligarch, plutocrat, MI6 and true crime.

The philosopher argues that as a culture, we'd be happier and saner if we re-examined our view of love, because our romantic notions can actually work against the relationships we want most. (R)Alain De Botton's novel from 2016 called The Course of Love challenges many assumptions about falling in love and what comes next.Alain first tackled the subject when he wrote Essays of Love in his early 20s.The episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2016The producer was Michelle Ransom-Hughes and the Executive Producer was Pam O'Brien.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 renowned physician discusses the role of trauma in our lives, showing up as addiction, chronic disease and mental illness, and how recognising his own led to true healing. (R)Dr Gabor Maté was born in Budapest to a Jewish family, just before Nazi tanks rolled into the city.His mother risked handing him to a stranger on the street to try and get him to safety.Many years later, after establishing himself as a successful physician in Canada, Gabor looked at the problems in his work and marriage and wondered if they were linked to that early trauma.He uses his own experiences as a test case for the effects of trauma on the body and the body-mind connection. Dr Mate is internationally renowned for his ideas around the lifelong impact of trauma.He believes it is contributing factor to rates of addiction, chronic disease, and mental illness, as well as ADHD.His views are sometimes described as unorthodox by his critics, but Dr Mate argues that understanding trauma of all kinds allows for real healing, as has happened in his own life.Further InformationThe Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Dr Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté is published by Penguin Random House.This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2025

Diana Nguyen's mother would walk out of her performances at interval in protest of her career, but Diana forged on and in the process healed this mother-daughter relationship. (R)Diana Nguyen knew she was born for a life on the stage when she discovered dancing while staying in a nunnery as a child.Her love affair with the arts, however, fractured her relationship with her mother, who had escaped Vietnam by boat and wanted her eldest daughter to be 'more' than a performer.But a trip to her motherland helped heal this mother-daughter relationship, and after years of walking out of her performances in protest, Diana finally saw her mum from the stage as she took her bow.

At 48, Bill Hayes moved to New York. He took up photography, and fell in love with his neighbour, Dr Oliver Sacks.Doctor Oliver Sacks was a neurologist, a naturalist and a university professor.He 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 informationBill's memoir Insomniac City was published in 2017 by BloomsburyThis conversation was recorded at the 2017 Sydney Writers' FestivalThe producer was Nicola Harrison and the Executive Producer was Eliza Kirsch.

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.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.

Growing up in Tokyo, Hiroko Yoda never thought of herself as religious, but after her mother died, she began exploring the spiritual traditions of Japan.She was inspired by the Shinto idea that there are '8 million spiritual beings', animating everything we encounter.In the different practices of Shintoism, Buddhism, and Shugendo, Hiroko found practical means of emotional support, and also ways of making her everyday life more beautiful.Further informationHiroko's book is called Eight Million Ways to HappinessShe will be appearing at this year's  Sydney Writers' Festival

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.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 InformationPeter'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 2024The 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, anxietyTo 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 informationPlatypus Matters is published by Harper CollinsThis 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 informationBush 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.

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 2014To 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 informationIf 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.

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 informationThe Girl Who Touched The Stars is published by HarperCollinsThis episode was first broadcast in 2024The 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 informationOriginally 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, masseuse, 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 knew her ex-husband and had witnessed their relationship up close.But 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 hotlineBeyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36Lifeline on 13 11 14MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978Further informationsmallsteps4hannahThis 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 informationPut Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is published by Allen and UnwinLifeline on 13 11 14MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36Headspace on 1800 650 890Doctors' 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 informationJane 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.Further informationWhen Sleeping Women Wake is published by Hachette.Help and support is always available. You can call Lifeline 24 hours a day on 13 11 14.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris and first broadcast in 2025, 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 though, she drew on her story to write a book that would become 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.