Conversations

Psychologist Ariane Beeston shares her struggles with delusions and hallucinations postpartum, including seeing her son as a dragon. The podcast explores her journey from child protection work to motherhood, highlighting societal pressures and the concealed struggles of a first-time mother facing mental health challenges.

Investigative journalist Jake Adelstein and powerful Yakuza boss Tadamasa Goto discuss the secrets of the Yakuza. Topics include Adelstein's immersion in Tokyo's criminal underworld, identifying Yakuza members, the intricate structure of Yakuza organizations, and Adelstein's journey to becoming a Zen Buddhist priest while navigating connections with the Yakuza.

Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry, shares her journey of achieving global success in her 60s. The podcast touches on topics like rowing, childhood challenges, balancing dual careers, kitchen disasters, unexpected success, and the heartwarming tales of canine companionship.

Archaeologist David Wengrow has discovered an entirely new way to think about the history of humanity, from the origins of farming, cities, democracy and slavery to civilisation itself.What sort of world could we create if we stopped believing that inequality is the price of progress?More than a decade ago, archaeologist David Wengrow started exploring this question with his friend the late David Graeber, an anthropologist.Together they unearthed a new picture of humanity's past and our shared future.The two Davids found many examples from human history of societies which flourished without kings, bureaucracies, palaces and poorhouses.They realised that the notion that humans have to surrender equality for modernity is not only untrue; it's boring, because it fails to recognise how politically creative humans can be.On Anzac Day in 1935, a tiger shark vomited up a tattooed human arm inside a Sydney aquarium.When Phil Roope looked into the cold case he found an astounding true tale of Sydney's fascination and horror around sharks in the 1930s, a severed arm emblazed with boxing tattoos, a homicide, police corruption, a Gladstone Bag, and a thriving smuggling racket for drugs, stockings and lead paint.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, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.Further informationShark Arm is published by Allen and UnwinFurther informationThe Dawn of Everything is published by PenguinRichard's conversation with David Wengrow was recorded live at the Sydney Writers' Festival

Matt Hall made his first solo flight at 15 years old and has been addicted to life in the air ever since. He became a top gun fighter pilot and after serving for more than 20 years, he still hasn't come down to earth (R)

Archaeologist Julien Cooper digs up the remote deserts of Sudan and Egypt, finding forgotten artefacts, which tell the uninterrupted, thousands-year-old story of the nomadic peoples of Northeast Africa

Billy Bragg grew up in working-class Barking, east of London. The expected path was to go from school to the local car factory, but Billy his sights set further, and even a brief stint in the army couldn’t keep him away from a life in music (R)

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. At the make or break moment of his choreography career, the last person Rafael expected to hear from was Australia’s pop princess — Kylie MinogueAs 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 without a backward glance, grasping with both hands the opportunity to become a professional dancer.After a last ditch attempt at becoming a choreographer, he received an email from Kylie Minogue. And the rest is history.Further informationmomenta is Rafael's newest full length work for Sydney Dance Company. It premiers on May 28, 2024.Watch Rafael's episode of Creative Types with Virginia Trioli here.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 Dugald Jellie was growing up in country Victoria, it was dads — his own and his friends' — who opened the world up for him, and as a father himself, today he is paying it forward

Firie Bronnie Mackintosh attends emergencies to cut people out of crushed cars and rescue them from burning buildings (R)