Conversations

Afleveringen

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  How to keep living when life falls apart 16.10.2026 51min

  When Robin Bailey’s husband and father of their three boys died by suicide, she had to figure out the best way to help her children work through their grief while also managing her own sadness and anger. (CW: this episode discusses suicide, please take care when listening) Robin is one of Brisbane’s best-known breakfast radio hosts, and she’s been in the business for decades. When she was 11, Robin’s father died suddenly, and her mother was left to raise Robin and her sister while forging on with her own career. Decades later another tragedy forced Robin into single parenting, after her husband Tony died by suicide. In the aftermath of Tony’s death Robin was determined to make space for all her son’s feelings and their questions as they worked through their grief. With the help of incredible community of friends, she knitted a family back together which was strong enough to face what came next. Further information  Robin Bailey's memoir Flamingos Aren't Born Pink is published by Harper Collins  Help and support is always available If you need to talk, 24/7 crisis support is available from Lifeline by calling 13 11 14. More options for mental health and suicide prevention helplines and websites are here This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the executive producer is Nicola Harrison It explores suicide, grief, death, family, marriage, children, depression, mental health, community, counsellors, pastoral care, losing a parent, travel, radio, commercial radio, maternity leave, financial pressure, cancer, terminal cancer, dying at home, single mothers, sons, daughters, weddings. 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.  
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  Encore: Inside the minds of the fish who sleep, have friends, and know it's the weekend 15.10.2026 50min

  Dr Culum Brown's work on fish cognition has proven fish have long memories, sharks have friends, and sting rays know it's the weekend. Dr Culum Brown is a leading researcher in the field of fish cognition. He's based at Macquarie University where he runs the Fish Lab — the Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution of Fishes Laboratory. 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 (including the UK and Finland) have revealed many facts which up-end the basis of our common understanding of fish. His research has shown that even the smallest fish are capable of learning and can retain memories for months.  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. Learn more about Culum's work at The Fish Lab. First broadcast in 2020. This episode of Conversations explores 
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  How I decentred men and fell in love with my friends instead of another f*ckboy 14.10.2026 53min

  Broadcaster and author Dee Salmin on how her parents' epic love story and dramatic relationship shaped her understanding of love and men; and how she eventually found healthy romance in life. When Dee was growing up in Perth, her father, a great Russian ballet dancer, was ‘the man of the house’. Life at home, and every choice that Dee, her siblings, and her mum made revolved around his whims and his moods. Dee worshipped her parents and all the opportunities they fought for her to have, so she grew up thinking that is what healthy love looked like. She sought out a similar dynamic in her own relationships as she got older. Dee had just moved to Melbourne for her dream job, working on Triple J’s sex and relationships program The Hook Up, when she found herself living alone in lockdown. During that time, Dee got to know herself outside romantic relationships and began the process of dismantling what she thought she knew about love and hook-up culture. For three years, she went ‘boy sober’ and spent time getting to know herself, instead of another Lothario who played guitar. She fell in love with her friends, and the life she’d made for herself. And then, her father, who had done his own self-reflection, suggested the whole family sit down together so he could apologise and heal. It's Not Love, Actually is published by Pan Macmillan. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores sex, love, relationships, dating apps, hook-up culture, intergenerational trauma, parenting, healing relationship with parents, self love, self worth, self esteem, modern dating, boy sober, abstinence, books, writing, ballet, Russia, Soviet Union, Berlin, Germany, shot gun wedding, falling in love fast, red flags, green flags, dating slowly, car crash, friendship, romance, hopeless romantic, self-help books, Darcy Moore, Collingwood, AFL, dads and daughters. 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.
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  A little girl with a life split in three — how Mimi made it [PART II] 13.10.2026 49min

  Mimi Kwa tells her family’s saga, featuring her dad — the thirty-second child of a wealthy Chinese silk trader, and her mum, who survived decades of undiagnosed schizophrenia, and Mimi's glamorous other life in the intoxicating hubbub of Hong Kong.   Mimi presented the news on ABC and Channel Nine, and worked in the newsroom for more than 20 years.  Today she has four children with her loving husband, John. This is all a long way from Mimi’s early life in Perth, where she managed backpackers’ rent and cleaning toilets at her father’s sprawling youth hostel from the age of eight. Then she would shuttle over to her grandparents’ house in the suburbs, where her mum, who lived with chronic schizophrenia, would do her best to love Mimi, despite her paranoia. Mimi had yet another life, in Hong Kong, where she would visit her relatives, and stay with her loving, steady, glamorous Aunty Theresa, who adored her. Mimi had to synthesise all these parts to grow herself up and become what she had always wanted to be: on telly, reading the news. And once she succeeded in her dream of journalism, she would need all the strength she could get when she unknowingly ambushed Russell Crowe at the airport. Further information Help is always available. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, text on 0477 13 11 14,  chat online, or speak to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter at 13 YARN (13 92 76). House of Kwa is published by HarperCollins ABC Books. This episode was made on Gadigal country. It was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It covers Hong Kong, World War II, Japanese occupation, occupation, Perth, Mandarin Gardens, racism, trauma, grandparent carers, mental health ward, ECT, big age gap, Channel Nine, cadetship, Russel Crowe, Gladiator, Romper Stomper, contested will, inheritance, suing family, reconciliation, forgiveness and gratitude. 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.
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  A little girl with a life split in three — how Mimi made it [PART I] 12.10.2026 48min

  Mimi Kwa tells her family’s saga, featuring her dad — the thirty-second child of a wealthy Chinese silk trader, and her mum, who survived decades of undiagnosed schizophrenia, and Mimi's glamorous other life in the intoxicating hubbub of Hong Kong. (CW: Discussion of mental illness and suicide attempt)   Mimi presented the news on ABC and Channel Nine, and worked in the newsroom for more than 20 years.  Today she has four children with her loving husband, John. This is all a long way from Mimi’s early life in Perth, where she managed backpackers’ rent and cleaning toilets at her father’s sprawling youth hostel from the age of eight. Then she would shuttle over to her grandparents’ house in the suburbs, where her mum, who lived with chronic schizophrenia, would do her best to love Mimi, despite her paranoia. Mimi had yet another life, in Hong Kong, where she would visit her relatives, and stay with her loving, steady, glamorous Aunty Theresa, who adored her. Mimi had to synthesise all these parts to grow herself up and become what she had always wanted to be: on telly, reading the news. And once she succeeded in her dream of journalism, she would need all the strength she could get when she unknowingly ambushed Russell Crowe at the airport. Further information Help is always available. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, text on 0477 13 11 14,  chat online, or speak to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter at 13 YARN (13 92 76). House of Kwa is published by HarperCollins ABC Books. This episode was made on Gadigal country. It was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It covers Hong Kong, World War II, Japanese occupation, occupation, Perth, Mandarin Gardens, racism, trauma, grandparent carers, mental health ward, ECT, big age gap, Channel Nine, cadetship, Russel Crowe, Gladiator, Romper Stomper, contested will, inheritance, suing family, reconciliation, forgiveness and gratitude. 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.
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  Mick Fanning on surfing, punching a great white shark, and losing three brothers 09.10.2026 51min

  Mick won three world surfing titles, and famously fought off a great white shark in South Africa. But his life out of the water has been threaded through with devastating loss, after the death of his three older brothers. (CW: loss and grief) Mick Fanning grew up on the Gold Coast in a raucous, loving family of five kids, raised by his mum Elizabeth, a nurse who worked night shift.  He and his brother Sean were talented young grommets who dreamed of becoming professional surfers. Then at 16, Mick got a phone call.  He was going to be sponsored by Quiksilver, to the tune of $30 000 a year. The money was enough to change Mick's life, and he was able to help his mum out financially for the first time. But just as Mick's star was on the rise, his family suffered the most devastating loss. His brother Sean was killed in a terrible accident on the way home from an 18th birthday party. After being out of the water for a time, Mick started surfing again, and soon began to rise up the ranks. Eventually he would win three world titles. But so many of the career highs were threaded through with grief, as Mick and his family endured the premature deaths of two more of his brothers, Peter and Ed. Peter died unexpectedly, and Ed died after a cut on his leg from a coral reef in Madagascar. In 2015, Mick was catapulted into a kind of fame he never wanted when he punched a great white shark which grabbed his leg rope, live on TV in the middle of a surfing contest at Jeffrey Bay in South Africa. More than a decade on Mick has retired from surfing, and he's leaning into the many joys of raising his young family with his wife Brianna. All Heart is published by Simon and Schuster. Help and support is always available by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14. They are available 24 hours a day. This episode of Conversations was produced by Elizabeth Kulas. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores surfing, shark attacks, WSL, World Surf League, Margaret River Pro, Bondi, Newcastle, J Bay, grief, masculinity, death, accidents, tragic accidents, losing siblings, sibling  loss, great white shark, professional athletes, elite athletes, single mothers, nurses, memoir, writing, books, Australian sporting icons, sporting legends, origin stories, love, relationships, fatherhood, psychics, mediums, Rip Curl, Quicksilver, Billabong, surf brands, learning to surf, Australian surf sports.
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  Encore: A family story of growing up poor in Outback Queensland 08.10.2026 52min

  Journalist Rick Morton on how his mum raised three children in poverty and the class disparities in Australia. Rick's family come from the vast country of Outback Queensland, near the Birdsville Track. His grandfather, George Morton, was a wealthy landholder and he ruled over his family like a tyrant. When Rick was little, a terrible accident was followed by the break-up of his family and Rick, his mum, and his two siblings were driven out of the family home into crippling poverty. This led Rick to think deeply about the true nature of poverty in our country, how hard it is to thrive when you're bumping along from week to week. After high school he decided to get into journalism and became a social affairs writer at The Australian newspaper. Rick's memoir is called a 100 Years of Dirt  This episode was first broadcast in 2018. Further information Rick now lives in Paris and writes about his life in a newsletter called Nervous Laughter https://rick-morton.ghost.io/ 100 Years of Dirt is published by MUP  
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  My poo transplant, ayahuasca trip and other wellness quests 07.10.2026 49min

  Judith Lucy is one of Australia's most loved comedians. Recently after years of tummy troubles, burnout, and a complicated relationship with alcohol, she began her mission to work on her health, in earnest.    As well as being a beloved comic, Judith is also the author of four books and the presenter of several television series. For decades Judith has been busying herself with project after project after project, to distract herself from sitting with the truth of where her workaholism, insomnia and dicey relationship with alcohol was coming from. It took Judith a long time to realise she was a chronic workaholic, and to admit she was suffering from burnout, despite the clues being there all along. After feeling unwell for some time, Judith started delving into the multitude of wellness options out there. Well, Well, Well is published by Simon and Schuster. Since recording this interview with Richard, Judith Lucy has revealed she's been diagnosed with breast cancer.  In a video message this week, Judith told fans she is in shock but doing ok and fortunately her cancer is not aggressive. We wish Judith all the best for her surgery and any future treatment. This episode of Conversations was produced by Elizabeth Kulas. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores health and wellness, wellness scams, wellness influencers, psychedelics, mental health, substance abuse, alcoholism, AA, family trauma, adoption, grief, deaths, comedy, gut health, faecal transplant, poo transplant, Australian comedy, relationships, love, betrayal, depression, workaholism, workaholic, bad trip, Gabor Mate,  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.
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  Encore: Why I became a teacher at the school where I was bullied 06.10.2026 51min

  A portrait of one teacher and his class as they journey through the ups and downs of a school year. Brendan James Murrary has been a high school teacher for more than ten years and although his own experiences at school weren't great, he ended up taking a job back at the school where he was a bullied and unhappy student. During his time as a teacher he's seen hundreds of kids move through the same hallways and classrooms - boisterous, angry, shy, big-hearted, awkward - all of them on the journey to adulthood. He's also discovered that what makes a good teacher has more to do with generosity and empathy than he first realised. His memoir The School is both a tribute to the teacher who inspired him and a celebration of the kids who shape his career. First broadcast in 2021  The producer was Nicola Harrison and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. Further information The School is published by Pan MacMillan This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores teaching, high school, bullying, school refusal, self harm, anxiety, teachers, mentors, empathy, generosity, regional high school, students, classrooms, support, mental health. 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.  
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  Richard Glover on the strange, hilarious and heartbreaking rules of Australian parenting 05.10.2026 52min

  The instructions found in endorsed baby books over the last century could be, with hindsight, bizarre or cruel. And were most often given by “experts” with no children of their own.    Journalist and broadcaster, Richard Glover tackles the changing landscape of parenting advice. He looks back at his own experience of being parented, which included having his ears sticky-taped while growing up in Papua New Guinea, and draws on modern day grand-parenthood to highlight the marked differences in how we raise our children. Richard has delved into the archives to draw out the strangest, sometimes hilarious and rather heartbreaking pieces of parenting advice given to Australians over the last century.  He finds advice on toilet training babies when they are weeks-old, and recalls the rich and practically disappeared language of corporal punishment. Further information How to Ruin a Child: A journey into the alarming, hilarious and ever-changing advice given to Australian parents is published by HarperCollins. This episode was made on Gadigal country. It was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores caning, the cane, smacking, discipline, raising boys, raising girls, Truby King, family planning, Marie Stopes, eugenics, empire, blame the parents, sleeping through the night, breastfeeding, birth, childbirth, bonding, cuddling, skin on skin, manipulative baby, Hobbes, Rousseau, routine for baby, awake window. 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.
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  Monica McInerney's five year rollercoaster ride 02.10.2026 52min

  The author on the diagnosis that floored her and the gifts that got her through harrowing treatment — including a cat named Nicholas.   The Australian-Irish author was last on the program in 2020. She reflected on her childhood by the railway tracks in the Clare Valley, South Australia, where she grew up with her band of brothers and sisters. After she recorded that interview, Monica received a cancer diagnosis. International borders were closed due to covid, and Monica found herself staying in a tiny unit with her mum and a cat they named Nicholas. She didn't see her beloved husband John for almost a year. Monica was prescribed a chemotherapy drug known as the 'red devil', and lost her thick, lustrous hair. And she survived. It was 18-months later, back home in Dublin, when Monica could finally confront what had happened to her, and start to climb out of the deep anxiety and depression that marked her experience. Further information When Sullivan Met Lola is published by Penguin Random House. This episode was made of Turrbal and Jaggera lands. The producer was Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores grief, cancer, Invasive ductal carcinoma, breast cancer, aggressive cancer, novels, characters, dread, anti-anxiety medication, antidepressant, near death experience, book tour, death of a sibling, chemo, support system, friends, chemo presents, large family, sibling love, long distance relationship. 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.
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  Encore: The pilot shot down by enemy fire and how he survived 01.10.2026 52min

  RAF pilot Frank Dell parachuted into Nazi occupied Holland after his plane was hit by cannon fire and with the aid of courageous Dutch families and resistance fighters he got out alive. As a teenager, Frank saw the Battle of Britain played out in the skies above his village in the south of England. He joined the RAF and piloted a De Havilland Mosquito on bombing raids into Germany. In October 1944 Frank's plane was shot out of the sky and he parachuted into Nazi territory. Frank witnessed extraordinary scenes as he walked his way through the countryside into occupied Holland. It was there he joined the Dutch Resistance, and his war shifted to the fields, hay sheds and village lanes of the Netherlands. This episode was first broadcast in 2014. Further information Frank Dell passed away peacefully in 2022 at the age of 98. His family say that Frank had fond memories of meeting Richard and the chance to tell his story on Conversations.   A photo of Richard and Frank was included in a memorial sideshow at his funeral. Mosquito Down (by Frank Dell with Brett Piper) is published by Fighting High This episode of Conversations was produced By Michelle Ransom-Hughes and the Executive Producer was Pam O'Brien. It explores WWII, RAF, Nazi occupied Holland, Dutch resistance, the Battle of Britain, cannon fire, parachute emergency, support, survival, undercover, Nazi Germany, rescue, history, memoir, bombing raids, De Havilland Mosquito, 1944 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.    
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  Magda's mum, the tragic secret, and the moment of grace 30.09.2026 52min

  When Magda Szubanski discovered what had happened to her mum as a child, she began to see her in an entirely new light (CW: discussion of sexual abuse, please take care when listening)   Magda released her first memoir a few years ago, to widespread acclaim. It was the story of how Magda unearthed the life story of her Polish-born father and his role as an assassin during WWII. Magda's now written her second memoir which hinges on the life story of her charming and funny Scottish-born mother, Margaret. Magda had a complicated and deeply loving relationship with her mum, who sometimes lashed out at her daughter in devastating ways. Two years after Margaret died, Magda found out a tragic secret about her life. The revelation explained so much, and Magda later began to re-examine specific events in her own childhood with a new understanding. Content warning: this episode of Conversations contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse. I Can't Tell You But I Will is published by Text Publishing.   This episode of Conversations was produced by Elizabeth Kulas. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores Australian actors, Australian comedians, Australian television, Australian cinema, Kath and Kim, mothers and daughters, childhood abuse, child on child abuse, sexuality, queerness, queer actors, gay marriage referendum, intergenerational trauma, coming out, famous lesbians, Sharon Strzelecki, Gina Riley, Jane Turner, Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet, Heath Ledger, youngest children, cancer diagnosis, Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Maggie Smith, memoir, writing, books, Australian literature, family origin stories, nervous system, fight, flight, freeze, fawn, Catholic school, George Orwell, mental health, university, shame, pray the gay away, suicidal thoughts, LGBT rights, same-sex marriage, George Miller, domestic violence, violence against women, group think, free bleeding, activism, Madrid, Spain, grief, Catholicism. 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.
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  Encore: The Olympic swim coach who spat on a silver medal, and how it changed him 29.09.2026 52min

  Laurie Lawrence's obsession with winning Gold started when he was a small boy growing up above the Tobruk Pool in Townsville. When he became a coach, he had an epiphany about the nature of victory. When Laurie was a child, he had a chronic lung condition that meant he had to sleep sitting in a chair. Doctors advised his parents that an operation was necessary, and part of one of his lungs was removed. After the operation, Laurie's father took over the management of Townsville's Tobruk Pool, and the family lived in an apartment overlooking the lanes.  In 1956 the Australian Olympic team came to the pool to train there. A short time later, Laurie's mother fled the marriage and took her children to live in Brisbane where she ran a boarding house 'full of inebriates'. Laurie grew up to become a teacher, and won a place on the Australian Rugby Team.  Then he moved back to Townsville to start a new career as a swimming coach. In 1970, a 13-year-old girl Laurie was coaching named Helen Gray won a silver medal at the Queensland Championships. When she presented him with it, Laurie spat on the medal and threw it over the pool fence.  What he did that day eventually saw him ask himself big questions about the meaning of victory in the pool. Learn more about Laurie Lawrence at his website. Read about Laurie resources and programs to keep kids safe in the water: Kids Alive is supported by the Federal Government; World Wide Swim School is for teachers, parents, coaches and swim schools. Laurie has also released a new online interactive baby swimming resource. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores sports, sporting life of Australia, being competitive, Australian Olympic team, drownings in Australia, why everyone learns to swim in Australia, equitable access to water, winning at all costs, learning to swim, when should my child learn to swim, Australian icons. Rugby Union, Wallabies, Australian sporting icons, water safety, water education, pool gates. 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.
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  Caring for my fiercely strong-willed father 28.09.2026 52min

  Kim Huynh on his family's remarkable journey from Vietnam to Australia. And taking on the role of carer for his fiercely strong-willed father, Thiet. Kim grew up in Canberra, arriving in Australia with his family as refugees from Vietnam. Like many migrant children, Kim is a very driven person and has taken on a lot of responsibilities in life. He is an academic, an ABC broadcaster, an author and a father. And when his 80-year-old father had a serious stroke, Kim also took on the role of carer. He had to find a way to help look after his dad, with whom he was living, continue working, bringing in an income, and help raise his own son. As he continued to care for his father, Kim had to come to terms with the conflict between his dad's increasingly frail body and his still-fierce willpower; the same willpower that got his family to safety some 45 years earlier. As a carer and a father, Kim has also had to navigate the complexities of giving his whole self to the people he loves, while still feeling like he wasn't doing enough for anyone. My Old Man and Me is published by HarperCollins. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores family history, family origin stories, carers, stroke, Vietnamese refugees, Vietnamese in Australia, Vietnamese boat people, refugee crisis, migration, political asylum, fall of Saigon, Vietnam War, re-education camps, Indochina refugee crisis, Hoa people, fatherhood, intergenerational trauma, the body keeps the score, epigenetics, books, writing, memoir, taking care of your parents, fathers and sons. 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.
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  Stories from our elders: how Jane Fonda changed her life in her third act 25.09.2026 44min

  The legendary actress Jane Fonda on her activism, her hair epiphanies and why older women are often fearless. Jane has lived her entire life in the public eye, as the daughter of acting aristocracy. Her father Henry Fonda was a Hollywood legend by the time she was born. Jane grew up to study acting with Lee Strasberg, and Marilyn Monroe was a classmate. But behind the public adoration, Jane was battling some big personal demons, including bulimia and the legacy of a shocking family tragedy. In her 30s she began re-assessing her life and work, and became a leader of the anti-Vietnam War movement, earning her the nickname of Hanoi Jane from the American Press. After the Vietnam War ended, she remained committed to political activism, so she released a series of work-out videos to help fund change in America. After two more marriages, Jane had an epiphany about her 'third act' of life. She decided to devote it to helping change the world, and now at 88 years old, she is still spending much of her time raising awareness about climate change and other social issues. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores Hollywood, Hollyweird, celebrity culture, activism, climate change, the climate crisis, women's rights, women's empowerment, second wave feminism, intersectional feminism, Dolly Parton, 9 to 5, Gracie and Frankie, tech bros, oligarchs and billionaires, life lessons, old school Hollywood, Hollywood royalty, motherhood, parenting, Donald Trump, blacklist. 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.  
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  Remembering Angry Anderson: rock n' roll animal and incurable romantic 24.09.2026 47min

  Iconic Australian musician, actor, youth advocate and charity ambassador Angry Anderson has died at the age of 79. Angry spent 50 years in the music industry with his legendary rock band, Rose Tattoo, and the band was due to return to the stage this month for another Australian tour. But Angry was much more than a raging rock n' roll animal. He was an incurable romantic, despite his violent childhood in Melbourne.  He was a loyal, devoted father of four, and Angry was always a friend to the little guy. You can read more about Angry Anderson's remarkable life at the ABC News website. Originally broadcast in January 2007. Angry's youngest son, Liam Anderson, died in 2018. This episode of Conversations explores Australian music, celebrity deaths, cardiac arrest, Obituaries, fatherhood, childhood abuse, pub rock, Countdown, musical controversies, Sharpies, modern fatherhood, substance abuse, television, Australian television, Kylie Minogue, Neighbours, Ray Martin, politics, Australian icons, Australian legends, Australian kitsch, RIP Angry Anderson. 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.
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  Stories from our Elders: My passionate friendship with a rebel poet 23.09.2026 51min

  Alison Hoddinot was one of the first Australian women to study at Oxford University, but one of her lecturers, J.R.R Tolkein, refused to take on a woman PhD student.  Alison was born in Tasmania in 1931. As a young woman she won a scholarship to study at Oxford University. But when she arrived, none of the male professors including J.R.R Tolkien, would take on a woman PhD student. Back in Tasmania Alison became great friends with the poet Gwen Harwood. The two shared recipes, letters, and the challenges of combining work and motherhood. During their friendship Gwen shocked the nation when she used acrostic sonnets to pull a wild hoax on The Bulletin magazine in 1961. First broadcast in 2018 Further information In 2022 Alison Hoddinot passed away after a short illness Women, Oxford and Novels of Crime and Gwen Harwood: Idle Talk - Letters 1960-1964 are published by Brandl and Schlesinger Read more about Gwen and Alison's friendship and their letters
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  Stories from our Elders: the chef who taught 37,000 Australians how to cook 22.09.2026 51min

  Elizabeth Chong didn't cook her first meal until she was a newlywed. Six decades later, the owner of a cooking school specialising in Chinese cuisine, she had taught more than 37,000 people how to cook. Chef, author and teacher Elizabeth Chong was born in China's Guangdong Province in 1931. When her heavily pregnant mother was expelled from Victoria under the White Australia Policy in the 1920s, the whole family returned to China. Years later her family returned and a young Elizabeth was free to roam the closed Queen Victoria Market on Sundays with her siblings. With fresh, fragrant and plentiful Chinese food at home, Elizabeth didn’t cook her first meal until she was married. Since then, she's made it her mission to raise the profile of Chinese cuisine, something she's done by teaching more than 37,000 people how to cook. In 2024, Elizabeth retired from teaching people how to cook, in her early 90s. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores refugees, refugee Australians, multiculturalism, monoculture, migration, immigration, Chinese history in Australia, Chinese cooking, Chinese food, families, dim sim, recipes, family recipes, Australian Chinese food, life advice, life advice from our elders, family dynamics, family separation, marriage, divorce, Masterchef, Australian cooks, famous Australian chefs, Australian cuisine. 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.
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  Stories from our Elders: Bryan Brown's road from Bankstown to Hollywood 21.09.2026 48min

  Bryan Brown has played more than 80 roles on stage and screen. Raised in working-class Sydney, his talent, hard work, and unmistakable presence have been his ticket to the world. In our week of stories from our elders, we begin with the life of Bryan Brown. Now aged 79, Bryan has had more film and television acting roles than he’s had birthdays, and is an instantly recognisable figure on screens around the world. From Breaker Morant and Newsfront to Two Hands and Sweet Country, a huge number of classic Australian films feature Bryan, a testament to his talent, popularity and work ethic.  Bryan also spent years in Hollywood, starring most notably in Cocktail and Gorillas In The Mist, before ultimately choosing Sydney over a life in America. In the 1980s, working on the American-made series The Thorn Birds utterly changed Bryan’s life. He and British co-star Rachel Ward fell in love and married soon after, forming a romantic and creative partnership that has endured ever since. More recently, Brian has found a new career writing crime novels, including The Drowning and The Hidden. This episode of Conversations was produced by Michelle Ransom-Hughes. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores acting, Australian cinema, classic movies, Australiana, Australian kitsch, film history, fatherhood, love, rags to riches, Hollywood, anxiety, mental health, amateur theatre, theatre, Red Dog, men's mental health, love, farming. 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.