Conversations
ABC Australia
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 together narratives from history, science, art, and personal storytelling.
Conversations Live is coming to the stage! Join Sarah Kanowski and Richard Fidler for an unmissable night of unforgettable stories, behind-the-scenes secrets, and surprise guests. Australia’s most-loved podcast — live, up close, and in the moment. Find out more at the Conversations website.
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 together narratives from history, science, art, and personal storytelling.
Conversations Live is coming to the stage! Join Sarah Kanowski and Richard Fidler for an unmissable night of unforgettable stories, behind-the-scenes secrets, and surprise guests. Australia’s most-loved podcast — live, up close, and in the moment. Find out more at the Conversations website.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 5, 2026 • 45min
Encore: climbing back into life after a schizophrenia diagnosis
Glenn Jarvis, an Australian who worked at Enron in the 1990s and later recovered from psychosis and a schizophrenia diagnosis, tells a story of trauma and rebuilding. He recalls opaque accounting at Enron, a breakdown in London, and the path back through treatment, community support, meaningful work and friendships at the local bowling club.
Mar 4, 2026 • 48min
John Howard's toy poodle epiphany
John Howard, a former Kings Cross street kid who rebuilt his life after prison and brain injury. He recounts life on the streets, escaping custody, and hitting rock bottom with alcoholism. A toy poodle named Sunny triggers a personal transformation. He later creates a lemon-scented dog poo bag business and finds stability through sobriety and small daily routines.
Mar 3, 2026 • 53min
Encore: The fearless Kate McClymont — weathering death threats and court cases for work
Kate McClymont, chief investigative reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald and multiple Walkley winner, recounts exposing high-profile corruption, fraud and risky reporting. She discusses cold-calling sources, bluffing and research techniques. She tells stories of Melissa Caddick, Eddie Obeid, death threats, court battles and the toll of long investigations.
Mar 2, 2026 • 54min
Drought, depression and asking for help—how an Outback farmer found peace in the ocean
Brendan Cullen, an Outback sheep station manager and author of The Desert Swimmer, recovered from severe depression and childhood trauma through long-distance open-water swims. He talks about life on a remote station, the toll of drought and isolation, learning to swim and training for the English Channel, and how swimming became a tool for wellbeing and community fundraising.
Feb 27, 2026 • 48min
Where do we go when we die? Looking for answers in psychedelics
Lynette Wallworth, artist and award-winning filmmaker who explores near-death experiences and immersive work. She recounts her childhood near-death memory and how art became a language for the ineffable. She describes visits to Indigenous communities, Amazon plant traditions, and palliative trials using psilocybin. The conversation traces comparisons between NDEs, ayahuasca visions and approaches to dying with acceptance.
Feb 26, 2026 • 45min
Encore: The spiked chair which began conductor Umberto Clerici's life in music
Umberto Clerici, chief conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and former international cellist, recalls a childhood punctuated by a spike-studded posture chair and his Suzuki beginnings. He talks about choosing the cello, performing across Russia, buying a historic Testore instrument, moving to Australia for love, and an unexpected path from player to conductor.
Feb 25, 2026 • 49min
How I went from being a new mum on food stamps to an anonymous restaurant critic, worldwide
Besha Rodell, chief restaurant critic at The Age and author of Hunger Like a Thirst, began in hospitality and rose through food writing. She talks about the thrill of fine dining, anonymous review routines and why anonymity mattered, growing up on a wild farm, surviving poverty as a new mother, and the highs and lows of life in kitchens from North Carolina to New York and Melbourne.
Feb 24, 2026 • 51min
From child preacher to wicked defector — leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Naomi Moura, a Lebanese-Australian stand-up comic who left the Jehovah’s Witnesses in her twenties, recounts her upbringing and escape from apocalyptic teachings. She talks about childhood preaching, the fear of Armageddon, family rifts, discovering lesbian life in London, and how comedy became her way to unpick doctrine while protecting people she loves.
Feb 23, 2026 • 47min
A boy called Little Chilli — how flavour and migration led to unexpected love
Tony Tan, chef and cooking teacher who fuses Chinese, Malay and British cuisines, shares his culinary roots and migratory journey. He talks about growing up in colonial kitchens, the origin of his nickname Little Chilli, melting pot flavours like char siu and soy roast chicken, and how food and love led him from Malaysia to Melbourne and beyond.
24 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 52min
A short history of the innovations that have shaped human progress
Andrew Leigh, MP and former economics professor and author of The Shortest History of Innovation, surveys key inventions from the wheel and printing press to vaccines, the industrial revolution and AI. He spotlights team-based tinkering, cities and trade as drivers of progress. He also examines big projects, renewable scale-up and the risks and governance challenges of powerful new technologies.
