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Conversations

ABC Australia

#8 in Society & Culture this week

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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  • 27 episodes
  • daily
  • Avg 51 min
  • English

Episodes 27

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  • July 17 · 58 min

    Jacinda Ardern on her life as the ex-Mormon girl who became New Zealand's Prime Minister

    During her two terms as PM, Jacinda gained global attention for her response to the terror attack in Christchurch and for giving birth at the same time as running the country. Jacinda grew up as a good Mormon girl who planned on making a difference behind the scenes. But when she unexpectedly became head of the Labor Party, only weeks away from a federal election, Jacinda discovered she had a talent for leadership. Jacinda's memoir about her time as PM and her life before and after is called

  • July 16 · 48 min

    Remembering Sam Neill, the shy boy from Dunedin who became a movie star

    The much-loved actor Sam Neill had an unusual path into acting. Raised in New Zealand as a shy boy with a stutter named Nigel, he was 30 when he got his big break (R)  Sam, who has died at the age of 78, was an acclaimed actor, a winemaker, an author, a cancer survivor and a Dad to four children.  In recent years he had cared for cows, pigs, ducks and horses on his farm in New Zealand while making Pinot Noir. In his remarkable career as an actor he starred in more than 100 films including Jur

  • July 15 · 52 min

    Everyday magic, witch hunts and fairies in medieval Scotland

    Fairytale expert, Kate Forsyth travels back in time to the stories of her youth, to a dark, fantastical and eerie world where cruelty and mischief abound.     As a young girl, Kate was sent to stay with her great aunts in Newcastle and there was introduced to the darkness, magic and mystery of Scottish folklore. These stories lit Kate’s imagination on fire, and let to a lifetime of study into these powerful stories and the messages behind them. One true story from this period that stayed wi

  • July 14 · 52 min

    Encore: My year in Japan, in stillness and silence

    Travel writer Pico Iyer was at the peak of his career when an accidental layover at Narita airport saw him begin to question everything. Pico began flying around the world solo at the age of nine. His parents lived in America and he had become a boarder at the Dragon School in Oxford. To get to school and from school he took several flights each year alone. The formative experience of travel stayed with him, and he grew up to become a journalist and travel writer for Time Magazine. Further

  • July 13 · 54 min

    How the Liberal Party lost its hold on Australia

    Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large of The Australian, investigates how the country went from the great reform age under Hawke, Keating and Howard, into the tumultuous Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison era of prime ministers, and arrived at the current existential crisis facing the Liberal Party.   Paul started his career as a political journalist in the 1970s and was at old Parliament House when Gough Whitlam was dismissed. In his latest book, Paul examines how the Liberal Party lost its long-standing grip o

  • July 10 · 52 min

    NAIDOC 2026: From an iron lung to the page — Gayle’s life in comics and words

    Wongaibon woman, Gayle Kennedy tells the story of her childhood, punctuated by years of treatment for polio. A bright child, she blitzed school and was drawn to comic book writing, which led to an award-winning career as an author.   Gayle was two when she contracted polio. The family was living in a camp outside Condobolin when little Gayle collapsed at her aunt’s house. Gayle’s mother was in hospital at the time, where she had given birth to Gayle’s younger brother.  She ran from the hospi

  • July 9 · 52 min

    NAIDOC 2026: Troy Cassar-Daley: the boy from Halfway Creek

    Troy grew up travelling between two very different worlds with his Indigenous mum and his Maltese Dad. At just 17 he started on his path to becoming one of Australia's biggest country music stars (R) CW: Mentions suicide, please take care when listening Troy Cassar-Daley is a proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man, and one of Australia's most beloved country music stars. As a 17-year-old musician just starting out, Troy joined a band called Little Eagle.  Soon afterwards, he won the Tamworth S

Showing 21–27 of 27 episodes