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
Feb 19, 2026 • 52min
Encore: the Nyamal woman from the Pilbara transforming how we think about trauma
Dr Tracey Westerman, Nyamal psychologist and Indigenous mental health leader from the Pilbara, founder of the Westerman Gillia Institute and author of Jilya. She talks about growing up remote, adapting to city life, cultural differences in diagnosing distress, tailoring suicide prevention with community-led tools and training Indigenous psychologists. Short, compelling stories and practical approaches shape the conversation.
Feb 18, 2026 • 54min
Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, an indestructible Nashville studio and the DNA of folk music
David Rawlings, guitarist-producer who rebuilt Nashville’s Woodland studio after tornado damage, and Gillian Welch, singer-songwriter steeped in American folk and bluegrass, chat about their musical partnership and the indestructible Woodland studio. They explore the lineage of folk music, haunting harmony craft, studio salvage and rebuilding, and why melancholy ballads keep drawing listeners in.
Feb 17, 2026 • 52min
Encore: the life and legacy of author John Marsden
John Marsden, Australian author and educator who founded Candlebark, reflects on his difficult schooling, mental health journey and how therapy shaped his life. He talks about starting to write for teens, crafting the Tomorrow series, using book earnings to buy bushland, and creating a risk-taking, play-focused school where teachers are called by first names.
Feb 16, 2026 • 50min
There is magic to be found when the world goes dark
Dan Richards, Scottish writer and broadcaster who probes life after dark. He recounts being stranded on a mountain, night-shift oddities and uncanny encounters. He explores hospital nights, stormy ferry crossings, hidden crews who keep the world turning and street outreach with rough sleepers. He celebrates nocturnal rituals like night walks and the comforting rhythm of the shipping forecast.
Feb 13, 2026 • 53min
Losing three mothers in one lifetime—Layne Beachley's drive to win
Layne Beachley, legendary seven-time world surfing champion and founder of Awake Academy, reflects on how loss shaped her drive. She talks about learning to surf at Manly, discovering her adoption, and how grief fueled her competitiveness. Later she shares rebuilding life after retirement, reconnecting with her birth mother, and finding belonging through surfing and mindfulness.
Feb 12, 2026 • 48min
Encore: A 'hopeless romantic' on divorce, dating apps, and curing a broken heart
Charlotte Rhee, author and home cook whose memoir Heartbake traces family history and healing through food. She talks about leaving a marriage, surviving lockdown isolation, and mending a broken heart by cooking for neighbours. She also explores the hazards of dating apps and finding new love while rebuilding identity.
11 snips
Feb 11, 2026 • 52min
You're not alone or broken—the pursuit of happiness is making us miserable
Eamon Evans, Melbourne-based writer and philosopher who wrote The Importance of Being Miserable, explores why the modern chase for constant happiness backfires. He traces how capitalism, advertising and social media reshape desire. Short takes on hedonic adaptation, meta-unhappiness, the value of lows, gratitude, Gen Z’s emotional intelligence and why misery can deepen empathy and meaning.
Feb 10, 2026 • 51min
Encore: Judy Brewer on country love, deb balls and understanding autism
Judy Brewer, a longtime Mudgeegonga farmer turned autism advocate, shares stories of rural life, her surprising romance with Tim Fischer, and the challenges of parenting a child with autism. She also discusses grief after Tim’s death and her plan to transform the family farm into a care and social farm for vulnerable adults.
Feb 9, 2026 • 52min
A man, his gum trees, and his 'second education'
Steve Hopper, a biodiversity professor and eucalyptus expert who led Kew Gardens, discusses gum trees across Australia. He explores rapid eucalypt diversification, OCBIL theory for strange hotspots, and learning Indigenous Noongar ecological knowledge. He also covers traditional fire management, medicinal uses of eucalypts, and the cultural stories that reshaped his approach to conservation.
Feb 6, 2026 • 49min
Zadie Smith on 'being on the side of life' at 50
Zadie Smith, British novelist and essayist known for White Teeth, reflects at 50 on midlife and cultural change. She discusses growing up in Kilburn, the loss and richness of neighbourhood life, the influence of books and Cambridge, tap dance and aesthetics, parenting as creativity, and a long critique of smartphones, social media and public discourse.
