Conversations

Conversations
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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.

  1. 13 HR AGO

    Encore: My shark attack, and the aftermath

    Dave Pearson runs Bite Club, a support service for anyone who has survived a shark attack. Dave’s own brush with death came in 2011, when a three-metre-long bull shark almost took his arm. (R) Dave lived that day, but it’s what happened during his recovery that he didn’t see coming. Dave Pearson was with his mates on the NSW Mid North Coast back in 2011, and couldn’t get in the water fast enough to try out his brand new surfboard. He’d caught a few waves when he was slammed by what felt like a freight train. Under the water, through the bubbles and the shock, Dave saw something huge, brown and grey. Dave survived that day, but it’s what happened during his recovery that he didn’t see coming. He founded Bite Club to support survivors through the mental heath challenges following their shark attacks. Bite Club is a closed Facebook group available to those who have survived an attack by an apex predator. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan, Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores sharks, attacks, bull sharks, near death experience, grief, survival, recovery, water sports, surfing, ocean, water safety, summer in Australia, summer holidays, increasing shark attacks, what to do if you're attacked by a shark. 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.

    52 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Loving and losing my adventurer husband across the Tasman Sea

    In 2007, Vicki’s husband Andrew set off from Tasmania in a kayak, aiming to become the first person to paddle to New Zealand, but a month later authorities received a distress call and then his kayak was found with no sign of Andrew. Vicki and their little son Finn, were waiting with friends and family for Andrew at Milford Sound when the devastating news came through. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores love, mountaineering, sea kayaking, solo sea kayaking, extreme adventure, psychology, adventurer, the Tasman Sea, gale force storms, ocean currents, waves, swells, Fortescue Bay, rescue, kayak design, hypothermia, family, grief, yoga, writing. 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.

    52 min

  3. 4 DAYS AGO

    How a boy named Yuri saved me from the trauma of a bomb blast

    Debra Richardson joined the police at age 18 in the 1980s, working undercover as a prostitute and surviving the Russell Street bombing. Years later, she met her foster son, Yuri, who had also survived disaster. Deb and her family met Yuri after they agreed to care for one of the many children brought to Australia for short-term stays following the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. Decades later, a journey to help that foster son, now living in a war zone, ended up helping Deb in ways she never expected. This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake and the Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores women in the police force, police academy training, sexism, undercover police work, the Russell Street Bombing, car bomb, PTSD, Chernobyl disaster, Chernobyl children, John Farnham, Russian mafia, Project Yuri, charity, war in Ukraine, aid work, family, foster care. 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.

    52 min

  4. 5 DAYS AGO

    Encore: Nikki Gemmell's vivid life of love, grief and reinvention

    From Wollongong to London, via Alice Springs, this is writer Nikki Gemmell on her deeply romantic life, and how she defied expectations to become a famous author. (R) Nikki grew up the daughter of a coalminer father who thought writers were a burden on society, while her mum taught Nikki that only success was worthy of love. So Nikki went above and beyond to prove her beloved father wrong, and to get the attention of her mother through her achievements, publishing 20 books in the process, including the wildly successful The Bride Stripped Bare. Now the mother of four children, Nikki has also been determined to live her own life and raise her own children very differently, being generous with her love and pride for her sons and daughter. Content warning: Please take care when listening as this conversation mentions suicide. Help is always available. If you need to talk, 24/7 crisis support is available from Lifeline by calling 13 11 14. You can also text with them and chat online with counsellors here This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores parenthood, mothers, fathers, attachment, fawning, people pleasing, striving for achievement, accomplishment, writing, books, novelist, coal mining, family separation, divorce, childhood trauma, healing, generational differences, romance, love, mental health, Australian literature. 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.

    53 min

  5. 6 DAYS AGO

    How I went from young delinquent to running a university

    Professor George Williams was uninterested in school, instead spending his time melting down lead to sell to a nearby scrap yard. Then a special primary school teacher gave him permanent detention, which changed his life. Growing up in Sydney, he was the rebellious child of a single mum who worked in a fruit shop to support the family. George was so disruptive at primary school that no teacher wanted him in class. At first he was flabbergasted at the unfairness of this punishment, but with this teacher’s undivided attention, George began to enjoy learning and found that he was smart. His grades improved, and George became interested in studying Law. He has had a long career in Constitutional Law and working in university leadership. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores tertiary education, international students, online learning, lectures, tutorials, the casual workforce, academics, higher learning, lifelong learning, sandstone universities, student debt, HECS, affordable learning and poverty. 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.

    53 min

  6. 27 JAN

    What leaving my family’s Baha’i faith taught me about love and life

    Brisbane teacher and author, Sita Walker on the strong, religious matriarchs who have helped her weather the storm of family tragedy, divorce and the beauty of a new love. Sita grew up in Toowoomba in Queensland, descended from five powerful women — three aunts, her grandmother and her mum. They were Baha’i women who came to Australia via Iran and India. Tragedy struck the family when Sita was a child, and her matriarchs descended on the home — to cook, clean, and comfort. Sita always saw herself as good Baha’i girl, and she went on to marry a good Baha’i boy and start a family.  When things started to unravel, Sita found herself drifting away from her nightly prayers and accounting for her deeds, and it took a divorce and a new love for her to admit to herself, and her parents, how things had changed. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores faith, grief, religion, Baha'i, grandmothering, losing a sibling, evil eye, Queenslander, youth camp, marrying young, nightly prayers, falling in love, leaving religion, girl dinner, fiction writing, being a teacher, high school teacher, Mary Oliver and poetry. 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.

    53 min

  7. 26 JAN

    Remembering Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst

    Rob Hirst, the former drummer for the band Midnight Oil has died at age 70. In 2018 Sarah sat down with Rob for a wide-ranging conversation about music, nature and reconnecting with family (R)

    50 min

  8. 23 JAN

    Encore: Melissa Lucashenko and the story of Edenglassie

    Melissa Lucashenko grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane, where her Aboriginal mother grew plants and her Russian father built an improbable number of sheds in the backyard. (R) Melissa worked as a motorcycle detailer, a house painter, a prison advocate, and a game show contestant before finding her way as a writer.  Her novel, Edenglassie, imagines life in colonial Brisbane in the 1850s.  In it, she tells the story of the Aboriginal warrior Dundalli who was the last man to be publicly executed in Queensland.  But Melissa also explores contemporary Brisbane, highlighting what she calls the "double vision" of Aboriginal people. Edenglassie is published by the University of Queensland Press. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer is Carmel Rooney. It explores colonial Brisbane, Indigenous history and culture, Russian culture, Edenglassie, karate, prison reform, writing, Aboriginal warrior Dundalli, game show contestant, reality tv, house painter, public execution, 1850s Brisbane, history, mixed race families, growing up mixed race. 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.

    54 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Channel
    Conversations
  • Creator
    ABC
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2026
  • Episodes
    2.9K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    Conversations

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