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 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.
Feb 5, 2026 • 52min
Encore: Jessica's life as a GODA - the grandchild of deaf adults
Jessica Kirkness, memoirist and granddaughter of profoundly deaf parents, shares life between deaf and hearing worlds. She describes Auslan, the visual tech that lit their home, and the quiet, turn-taking household rhythm. She reflects on deaf culture, lipreading limits, and her role translating family communication.
Feb 4, 2026 • 51min
'Come to orgy, wife wrote to friend': discovering the truth behind why I was adopted
Saul Eslake, Australian economist and author, shares his decades-long search into his adoption and family history. He uncovers scandalous divorce records, delayed adoption paperwork and a tabloid headline that reshaped his past. He reconnects with half-siblings, traces his biological father and reflects on how surprising family truths changed his sense of identity.
Feb 3, 2026 • 52min
Encore: My shark attack, and the aftermath
Dave Pearson, founder of Bite Club and shark-attack survivor who now supports others, recounts his 2011 bull shark strike and the long road of recovery. He talks about the underwater struggle, emergency rescue and surgery. He explains founding a peer support group, coping with media and online abuse, and helping fellow survivors find their way back to the water.
17 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 52min
Loving and losing my adventurer husband across the Tasman Sea
Vicky McCauley, an Australian who lost her husband Andrew during his 2007 solo Tasman Sea kayak attempt and later raised their son while training and teaching yoga. She recalls their adventurous life together, the perilous Tasman crossing and search, receiving his footage, and the slow work of healing. Short scenes cover family resilience, rituals of remembrance, and how yoga and community supported recovery.
11 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 52min
How a boy named Yuri saved me from the trauma of a bomb blast
Deborah Richardson, a long-serving former Victoria Police officer who survived the Russell Street bombing and later fostered a Chernobyl child, talks about undercover policing and the risks she faced. She recalls the blast and its aftermath. Decades later she reconnects with that foster son in wartime Ukraine, delivering knitted 'Uri bears' and finding unexpected healing.
Jan 29, 2026 • 53min
Encore: Nikki Gemmell's vivid life of love, grief and reinvention
Nikki Gemmell, an Australian novelist known for The Bride Stripped Bare, reflects on growing up in a coal‑mining town and her drive for achievement. She talks about family rupture, parenting differently, secret romances and reporting in far‑flung places. Conversations touch on grief, reinvention and a fearless return to writing in midlife.
25 snips
Jan 28, 2026 • 53min
How I went from young delinquent to running a university
George Williams, constitutional law academic and Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University, rose from a rebellious childhood to lead a major university. He discusses why Western Sydney matters, student food insecurity and casual academic jobs. He critiques funding models and fees, defends humanities amid AI, and urges reforms for equity, teaching and campus life.
4 snips
Jan 27, 2026 • 53min
What leaving my family’s Baha’i faith taught me about love and life
Sita Walker, Brisbane teacher and author of The God of No Good, reflects on being raised in a matriarchal Baha’i family and the rituals that shaped her. She talks about grief after losing a sister, the practical spiritual care of her aunts and grandmother, leaving nightly prayers, separating and finding unexpected new love. Short, personal stories about family, faith and starting again.
Jan 26, 2026 • 50min
Remembering Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst
Rob Hirst, drummer and founding member of Midnight Oil, reflects on music, family and life in the bush. He talks about daily bush walks and a fascination with powerful owls. He remembers early musical influences, marching band roots and the physical craft of drumming. He also shares candid stories of teenage parenthood, reconnecting with his daughter and the healing power of long walks.
