Conversations

Nadia Wheatley with the stories of two women ahead of their time: the writer Charmian Clift and her own mother Nina Watkin.Two decades ago, Nadia published her acclaimed biography of the late Australian writer Charmian Clift.Charmian is best known for her memoirs Peel Me A Lotus and Mermaid Singing about her family's poverty-stricken but wildly romantic life on the Greek Islands in the early 50s and 60s.While her husband George Johnston worked on his novel My Brother Jack, Charmian also tried to carve out time to write, while caring for their three children in an old stone house without electricity or running water.Making up for the practical challenges of life on Hydra was the beauty of the sea, and the endless talking and drinking with other expat artists, including Leonard Cohen and his lover Marianne Ihlen.After moving back to Australia, Charmian's life ended tragically after a drunken misadventure.Separating the truth from the mythology which had shrouded Charmian's life and death consumed many years of Nadia's working life.Then a few years ago she began another big project about a woman ahead of her time; her own mother, WWII Australian Army nurse Nina Watkin.Further informationHer Mother’s Daughter, A Memoir is published by TextLearn more about the crowdfunding project for a new documentary about Charmian Clift's lifeThe Life and Myth of Charmian Clift is published by HarperCollinsCharmian Clift's memoirs of her life in Greece, Peel Me A Lotus and Mermaid Singing are published by HarperCollinsSuzanne Chick's Searching for Charmian is published by Melbourne University PressTo 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.

Samantha Wheeler’s daughter Charlotte has Rett Syndrome, a rare ‘locked-in’ disorder (R)

Much-loved broadcaster and writer Wendy was born with a cleft lip and palate, into a struggling family. As a young journalist she saw an anarchic cabaret show which changed the course of her lifeWendy has enjoyed huge success over four decades as a comedian, tv host, a radio presenter and the author of many books for children and adults.She’s come a very long way from her origins in country Victoria, where she was born with a double cleft lip and palate.Her family moved from town to town, and for a time, because there was no mum around, Wendy had to be the surrogate mum to her younger siblings.After her talent for writing was spotted by a lecturer at Deakin University, Wendy became a cadet journalist at the Geelong Advertiser.Then she moved to the Sun News-Pictorial, and one night in Melbourne, she was sent to review a cabaret show.It was anarchic and funny and she'd never seen anything like it.Wendy decided to go into comedy herself. She bought records of Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg and Woody Allen, and studied their acts.The first night she stood up at an open mic night for her 5 minute set, she knew it was the perfect role for her.She walked out on stage, the lights hit her, and she thought 'I get to say whatever I want and I get paid and people listen? This is the best deal ever!'Soon she was headlining her own shows at the Melbourne comedy venue the Last Laugh, and her life set off on a completely different path.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.

When Dr Catherine Crock saw her young leukemia patients suffering, she knew music would ease their pain, but she didn't know that years later she would be on the receiving end of the healing power of melody

Bronwyn Adcock with the story of one of the most terrifying episodes of Australia’s 2019 Black Summer: the Currowan fire

Meryl Broughton with stories from her work conducting autopsies at a country mortuary (CW: Graphic descriptions)

Robert Pekin lost his family’s 4th-generation farm, and in despair, walked away from everything and into the wilderness. After much soul-searching and trial and error, he developed a new way to link food producers more directly with those who eat the produce (R) CW: mentions suicide

Actor and writer Brendan Cowell with tender and funny tales from his boyhood as a child actor and a budding playwright

The critic on what he has learned from watching 25,000 films, and that time he peed on Federico Fellini

Andrew Wear on how Australia might change in the post-pandemic world