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PODCAST

Conversations

Conversations draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may have heard about, but never met. Journey into their world, joining them on epic adventures to unfamiliar places, back in time to wild moments of history, and into their deepest memories, to be moved by personal stories of resilience and redemption. Hosted by Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski, Conversations is the ABC"s most popular long-form interview program. Every day we explore the vast tapestry of human experience, weaving

society & culture relationships

All Episodes

0:48:00

Encore: A 'hopeless romantic' on divorce, dating...

Conversations ·

2026/02/12

After a painful divorce, Charlotte Ree began to piece her broken heart back together by cooking for her neighbours (R)Charlotte Ree grew up in a family full of love, but with its own particular challenges. Her mum struggled with mental illness, which meant Charlotte grew up very quickly.Charlotte met the man who would become her husband when she was 19. Within a few years, they married, but money became a major source of pain in the relationship.One night on a boat, Charlotte

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0:52:18

You're not alone or broken—the pursuit of happiness...

Conversations ·

2026/02/11

Philosopher and writer Eamon Evans on humanity's relentless and impossible pursuit of happiness through materialism, social media and self help, and why the kindest and best people have been 'crushed by life' a couple of times.Eamon started to think more deeply about happiness and contentment in his 20s, after a bout of serious depression.He realised that trying to be happy all the time was paradoxically making him miserable, and says that's true for most of us in this modern

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0:51:00

Encore: Judy Brewer on country love, deb balls and...

Conversations ·

2026/02/10

Judy grew up on a farm in north-east Victoria.When she was seventeen, a family tragedy saw her thrust into life as a farmer for the first time.Being a young farmer led her into local politics, and eventually into a burgeoning friendship with a lanky, much-loved local politician named Tim Fischer.On their first date, Tim took Judy to the Tocumwal Debutant Ball, and it was a disaster.But despite the age difference, the two of them eventually fell in love and started a family.When

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0:51:30

A man, his gum trees, and his 'second education'

Conversations ·

2026/02/09

The world's leading eucalyptus expert, Professor Steve Hopper, on what science and culture say about these spectacular trees, and how Noongar elders in WA's South West led his 'second education' in botany.Australia is one of the richest places on earth when it comes to botanical biodiversity.Tens of thousands of species of trees and flowers have developed over millions of years of isolation.But perhaps the most iconic of all native flora is the humble eucalyptus.From Queensland's

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0:49:00

Zadie Smith on 'being on the side of life' at 50

Conversations ·

2026/02/06

UK writer Zadie Smith became a world-wide sensation with the publication of her first novel White Teeth when she was 24. Now aged 50, she's bringing her trademark intelligence and wit to the subject of midlife.Her latest work is Dead and Alive, a new book of essays, where she writes about black British history, paintings, politics, our online lives and getting older.She also talks about up growing in North West London and where she's returned to live with her own family.Zadie will

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0:52:00

Encore: Jessica's life as a GODA - the grandchild of...

Conversations ·

2026/02/05

Jessica Kirkness with the story of her grandparents, who both grew up profoundly deaf in a hearing world, and how she navigated the space in between sound and silence. (R)Jessica grew up in the outer suburbs with a big extended family, with her grandparents living right next door.Her grandparents, Melvyn and Phyllis, were affectionate, kind and wise and Jessica often spent more time after school in their house than her own.But their house was distinctly different.The doorbell never

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0:51:00

'Come to orgy, wife wrote to friend': discovering the...

Conversations ·

2026/02/04

Saul Eslake grew up knowing he was adopted. For many years he knew nothing about his biological parents, but when he adopted his own children, he began the search for his birth family.What he discovered in his adoption file revealed a very complicated story, and It took him more than two decades to unravel the mystery.En route, he discovered a confected newspaper scandal, a story of British pilots at an orgy, and a complicated divorce.Then years on, he experienced the joy of

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0:51:48

Encore: My shark attack, and the aftermath

Conversations ·

2026/02/03

Dave Pearson runs Bite Club, a support service for anyone who has survived a shark attack. Dave’s own brush with death came in 2011, when a three-metre-long bull shark almost took his arm. (R)Dave lived that day, but it’s what happened during his recovery that he didn’t see coming.Dave Pearson was with his mates on the NSW Mid North Coast back in 2011, and couldn’t get in the water fast enough to try out his brand new surfboard.He’d caught a few waves when he was slammed by what

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0:52:27

Loving and losing my adventurer husband across the...

Conversations ·

2026/02/02

In 2007, Vicki’s husband Andrew set off from Tasmania in a kayak, aiming to become the first person to paddle to New Zealand, but a month later authorities received a distress call and then his kayak was found with no sign of Andrew.Vicki and their little son Finn, were waiting with friends and family for Andrew at Milford Sound when the devastating news came through.This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores love,

en

0:52:00

A car bomb exploded outside my work — decades later...

Conversations ·

2026/01/30

Debra Richardson joined the police force at just 18 in the 1980s and in her early years she worked undercover as a prostitute and survived the Russell Street bombing.Then Deb and her family agreed to care for one of the many children brought to Australia for short-term stays following the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine.Decades later, a journey to help that foster son, now living in a war zone, ended up helping Deb in ways she never expected.This episode of Conversations was produced

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0:53:00

Encore: Nikki Gemmell's vivid life of love, grief and...

Conversations ·

2026/01/29

From Wollongong to London, via Alice Springs, this is writer Nikki Gemmell on her deeply romantic life, and how she defied expectations to become a famous author.Nikki grew up the daughter of a coalminer father who thought writers were a burden on society, while her mum taught Nikki that only success was worthy of love.So Nikki went above and beyond to prove her beloved father wrong, and to get the attention of her mother through her achievements, publishing 20 books in the

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0:53:01

How I went from young delinquent to running a university

Conversations ·

2026/01/28

Professor George Williams was uninterested in school, instead spending his time melting down lead to sell to a nearby scrap yard. Then a special primary school teacher gave him permanent detention, which changed his life.Growing up in Sydney, he was the rebellious child of a single mum who worked in a fruit shop to support the family.George was so disruptive at primary school that no teacher wanted him in class.At first he was flabbergasted at the unfairness of this punishment, but

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0:53:05

What leaving my family’s Baha’i faith taught me about...

Conversations ·

2026/01/27

Brisbane teacher and author, Sita Walker on the strong, religious matriarchs who have helped her weather the storm of family tragedy, divorce and the beauty of a new love.Sita grew up in Toowoomba in Queensland, descended from five powerful women — three aunts, her grandmother and her mum.They were Baha’i women who came to Australia via Iran and India.Tragedy struck the family when Sita was a child, and her matriarchs descended on the home — to cook, clean, and comfort.Sita always

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0:50:10

Remembering Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst

Conversations ·

2026/01/26

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

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0:54:00

Encore: Melissa Lucashenko and the story of Edenglassie

Conversations ·

2026/01/23

Melissa Lucashenko grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane, where her Aboriginal mother grew plants and her Russian father built an improbable number of sheds in the backyard. Melissa worked as a motorcycle detailer, a house painter, a prison advocate, and a game show contestant before finding her way as a writer. Her novel, Edenglassie, imagines life in colonial Brisbane in the 1850s. In it, she tells the story of the Aboriginal warrior Dundalli who was the last man to be publicly

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0:52:42

From drug smuggling and opium dens to marching in the...

Conversations ·

2026/01/22

Kate Rowe's life has been full of wild adventures and hard living. But when she found sobriety, Kate discovered something big about herself. CW: This story contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault and some strong language. Please take care when listening.Ever since she stepped off the boat at Circular Quay as a 20-something 10-pound Pom, Kate has run fearlessly toward outrageous adventure.As a young woman Kate travelled around Australia picking tobacco,

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0:52:16

I was a teenage Navy diver in the Iraq War. Then I...

Conversations ·

2026/01/21

Aaron Tait was 18 when he was deployed after September 11. His dad's guidance had set Aaron up with the grit he would need as an elite Navy diver, but it took him many years to forgive himself for his role in the war.Aaron comes from a long line of Navy men, and all through his childhood he was waiting until it was his turn to get stuck into life at sea.Aaron even got through the toughest training there is for elite Navy divers — then, following September 11 he was called to war in

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0:49:05

The secret life of a hostage negotiator

Conversations ·

2026/01/20

Hostage negotiation isn't at all like what you see in Hollywood blockbusters. There is no lying, no promise-making, not even any names. Vince Hurley has only one task—trying to make a deep, human connection with a complete stranger.Content Warning: this episode of Conversations contains strong language and descriptions of violent crime.Vince Hurley is a criminologist at Macquarie University and a passionate advocate for ending violence against women. He brings nearly three decades

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0:51:24

Upside down in Bass Strait

Conversations ·

2026/01/19

Navigator Will Oxley expected the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race to be a challenging one. But when he and his crew met with 12-metre waves and 80km/h winds in Bass Strait, Will knew something was about to go horribly wrong (R)Will Oxley learnt the art of celestial navigation in his 20s and he is now one of the world’s leading ocean race navigators.He has competed in the Sydney to Hobart race many times.He was navigating during the 1998 race when a freak storm hit off the coast of

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0:51:35

New Beginnings: How Rafael Bonachela let out his...

Conversations ·

2026/01/16

Rafael Bonachela was born in the dying years of Franco’s Spain, into a patriarchal culture that didn’t appreciate little boys who wanted to dance. As the eldest of four brothers, his father expected him to be an example of academic achievement and bravado.This hardline approach slowly drove his father away from the family, though when it came time to say goodbye, Rafael saw an unexpected side of him.At the age of 17, when the wide world beckoned, Rafael left his home country

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