Conversations

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.

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Episodes

ANZAC Day: letters from the front

For 100 years Australia has been collecting tens and thousands of letters and diaries from deployed service personnel. These are just some of the moving, beautiful and tragic stories among them

Apr 24, 2024•55 min

How Rhonda defied expectations

When Dr Rhonda Wilson was in year 10, she was told she should drop out of school and settle for becoming "just a mum". This is how Rhonda defied the expectations others, and she, had for herself

Apr 24, 2024•53 min

Dr Sutapa Mukherjee on how to sleep well

From muscle paralysis and sleepwalking, to the power of our subconscious, Dr Sutapa Mukherjee takes you into the secret world of sleep

Apr 23, 2024•47 min

The creativity of language, storytelling and the great language recovery by Dr Ray Kelly Snr

When Ray Kelly Snr's grandfather was asked to translate "telephone" into Gumbayngirr, he responded with “muuya barrigi”, or flying breath (CW: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners please be advised this program contains discussion of people who have died. Please take care when listening) 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 ...

Apr 22, 2024•54 min

Theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama on making peace and living in poetry

Pádraig Ó Tuama survived conversion therapy and exorcism as a young gay man in a church in Ireland, then became a leading peace negotiator and a poet (R)

Apr 19, 2024•54 min

Carly-Jay on dying, living, and learning to breathe

Carly-Jay Metcalfe lives with cystic fibrosis, and has faced a double lung transplant, a rare cancer and other huge medical challenges. But through it all humour and hope have fuelled her survival (CW: this story discusses organ transplant and donation, drug use and self harm)

Apr 18, 2024•52 min

A portrait of Peter Dutton

Writer Lech Blaine on Peter Dutton, the former policeman who became the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia

Apr 17, 2024•53 min

The secret life of slime mould

Scientist Tanya Latty on how a single-cell organism, slime mould, can solve complex problems in some remarkable ways (R)

Apr 16, 2024•49 min

Bettany Hughes takes you to the hottest sightseeing spots of the ancient world

What was on the "must-see" lists for tourists in 200 BCE? From the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the Great Pyramids at Giza, historian Bettany Hughes is your tour guide through the seven wonders of the ancient world

Apr 15, 2024•53 min

Finding a new version of family

Journalist Marina Kamenev on the changing story of our families in the 21st century (CW: discusses donor conception)

Apr 12, 2024•51 min

Louise Milligan on justice, family and Ireland

The investigative reporter reflects on her beloved Ringsend relatives and what drives her work holding powerful organisations to account (CW: discussion of suicide and confronting material)

Apr 11, 2024•52 min

Tom Gleeson: the hard man of Australian comedy

Tom Gleeson discovered and honed his distinctively caustic, laconic style of humour in some unlikely places (R)

Apr 10, 2024•50 min

Jellyfish, sharks, grease and goggles: the life of a marathon swimmer

Dean Summers became a long-distance swimmer in midlife. Now he swims with sharks, jellyfish and bioluminescence in wild oceans around the world

Apr 09, 2024•52 min

The strange origins of our immense oceans

For writer James Bradley, the ocean is the connective tissue that holds all of life on Earth together. But how did it get here in the first place?

Apr 08, 2024•52 min

When the family circus comes to town

From the rodeo to the dining room table, this is a collection of strange, funny and sombre stories from real families

Apr 05, 2024•39 min

Glennon Doyle's untamed life

Glennon was the world's most famous Christian mummy blogger when she fell wildly in love with U.S Women's Soccer star Abby Wambach (R)

Apr 04, 2024

Ayesha is not an escape artist

Ayesha Jehangir left her rural village to get a better education; she left Pakistan to explore Afghanistan; and she left an abusive marriage to find her place in Australia. But she remains deeply proud of her Pashtun roots

Apr 03, 2024•51 min

How Bri Lee became an incendiary

Bri Lee on the brutal series of events which began her life as a writer tackling injustice in our courts, the beauty industry, and in our schools (CW: description of legal processes relating to sexual assault)

Apr 02, 2024•52 min

Family folklore: spies, secrets and suffering

Phil Kafcaloudes grew up hearing stories about his legendary grandmother Olga, who became a spy for the British in WWII. When he grew up, he went in search of her story (R)

Apr 01, 2024•48 min

Jane Fonda - writing her own script

Jane Fonda's big life has included Barbarella, activism, three husbands, workout videos and hair epiphanies. Now in her 80s, she's devoting her energy to raising awareness about climate change (R)

Mar 29, 2024•46 min

Oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros' love for Egyptian movies

The oud virtuoso reflects on his path to the instrument, via a stamp collection and an Egyptian movie star When Joseph was 10, his dad swapped an iron and $100 for a second-hand oud at Sydney's Glebe markets. The oud is a traditional middle eastern instrument – the ancestor of the modern guitar. Joseph had fallen in love with its sound and style when watching the classic films of Egyptian cinema with his family. Today the oud virtuoso and composer plays with orchestras in concert halls all over ...

Mar 28, 2024•52 min

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