Conversations

At the very end of World War Two, Australian soldiers were sent to Borneo to dislodge the occupying Japanese Forces. The story of their brutal fighting was largely forgotten by their own compatriots, who never understood why they went in there in the first place.It was one of the largest amphibious landings of the whole war, and what followed was months of brutal fighting on an island that was both a hell and a paradise.The operation was called Operation Oboe, and it was one of the most successful military campaigns Australia has ever been a part of.But the men who fought there were never celebrated upon their return home.They were forgotten amid all the questioning of whether all the fighting and dying on Borneo needed to happen in the first place.Author Michael Veitch happened upon this forgotten story of Australians at war in the most unlikely of circumstances involving a trivia night and a grumpy older man.Borneo: The Last Campaign - Australia's brilliant, controversial end to World War Two is published by Hachette.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores war, battles, history, modern history, occupation, fighting, death, grief, men at war, brothers in arms, US military, military history, Japanese, Germany, Nazis, allied forces, AUKUS, ANZAC, axis powers, Russia, General MacArthur, great war, fighting, leopards, Borneo, rubber, oil, resources, surrender, books for dad, Christmas books, history books.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.

While fighting anorexia Lexi Crouch was admitted to hospital 25 times and placed in an induced coma twice. When doctors told her she would die, she began the slow climb up and out to health (CW: discussion of eating disorders)Lexi was 16 when she was first admitted to hospital and diagnosed with anorexia and spent the next decade in and out specialist clinics.When she overheard doctors talking about how she was going to die, Lexi decided she wasn't ready to give up and began to confront what was driving her illness and begin the slow process of recovery.Lexi is now a clinical nutritionist and eating disorders recovery coach and has co-written a book with psychiatrist Dr Warren Ward called ReNourish: a complete and compassionate guide to recovery from eating disorders.Listen to Sarah's interview with Dr Warren Ward Treating anorexia by nourishing the heartThis episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores eating disorders, mental health, body image, boarding school, anorexia, eating disorder clinics, psychiatric ward, perfectionism, extreme exercise, near death, intensive care, therapy, yoga, spirituality, recovery, pregnancy, clinical nutrition.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.

Mark Winterbottom grew up in outer Western Sydney, in a family with not much money to spend on expensive hobbies. But by an extraordinary twist of fate, Mark won his first mini motorbike in a shopping centre raffle at the age of 8.Immediately, he was off, speedily rising up from bikes to kart racing, and then to V8 Supercars.Mark won race after race, earning him the nickname 'Frosty'.But for years, he could not wrestle the infamous Bathurst 1000 trophy from the hands of his great rival, Jamie Whincup.Then, in 2013, after six hours roaring around the track, in the final lap, the two of them went bumper to bumper, fighting for first place in an electrifying finish.Frosty is published by HarperCollins.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores motorsports, supercars, F1, Ford, Holden, Bathurst, cancer, death of a parent, grief, love, marriage, fatherhood, Owen Wilson, Cars the movie, Disney, Pixar, voice over acting, driving, crash, memo0ir, writing books, origin story, raising boys, childhood sweetheart.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.

Heather's brother and grandfather died in a tragic drowning accident when she was 12 and from that day, she began looking for a way to commune with what lies beyond. The quest has taken the Stella award winning writer to Buddhist monasteries, Native American dance rituals and sweat lodges, and to the discipline of writing.And Heather has had an intuitive sense of life's mystery ever since she was a little girl growing up near the ancient forests and wild beaches of Tasmania.Heather's novels include The Museum of Modern Love and the best-selling thriller Bruny and Sarah spoke with Heather in 2022 after the publication of her memoir, Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here.This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan, the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It covers, grief, death, drowning, family, Tasmania, writing, Buddhism, memoir, Native American Dance rituals, therapy, nature, the mystery of life, arthritis, chronic illness.

Louise O'Sullivan spent 10 years with the ADF, including deployments with the Special Forces in Afghanistan which eventually left her with PTSD, but a bigger battle lay ahead, the fight to save her premature twins.After leaving the military, Louise wanted to begin a family but cancer treatment had left her unable to carry her own children so she found a surrogate in Ukraine.But when her twins were born prematurely, she spent months living and caring for them in a Ukranian hospital.Eventually Louise had to begin her own process of healing, which included a life changing course of ketamine therapy.The episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake and the Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.It covers topics including psychology, trauma, Australian Defence Force, Afghanistan, women in the military, army training, physical and mental endurance, helicopter crash, fatalities, injury, ripping out, trauma response, PTSD, cervical cancer, chemotherapy, radiation, hysterectomy, international surrogacy, premature babies, health care in Ukraine, divorces, EMDR, ketamine therapyTo 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.The most shared episode of Conversations in 2025 was Sarah's interview with social psychologist Jonathan Hait on 'attention fracking' and how to stop tech companies stealing your focus.Sarah's interview with Jonathan Haidt

After the death of her father, a spiritual moment with the life-size wooden statue of Bob at Nine Mile convinced queer rapper, Jamaica Moana that everything would be alright.Jamaica was born to the music of Bob Marley on the Central Coast of NSW.Her dad loved Bob’s music more than anything else and would listen incessantly on his interstate truck driving routes.Jamaica was the beloved baby of six children, growing up in a Maori-Samoan family in the outer suburbs of Auckland.When the family moved to Campbelltown in Western Sydney, Jamaica began to express her queer identity through the dance troupe The Pioneers.Jamaica’s father rejected this new version of her, so different from the son he knew, and they became estranged. When he became seriously ill years later, Jamaica moved home to care for him and the pair renewed their relationship, staying close until his death.With her brother, she eventually made a pilgrimage to Bob Marley's home town as a tribute to their father.Deep in grief, it was a spiritual experience with a life-size statue of Bob at Nine Mile that convinced Jamaica everything would be alright.Further informationJamaica Moana's debut EP is Bud & Deni. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.It covers topics including rap, dance, Hokianga Harbour, Maori, South Auckland, Papakura, Western Sydney, authentic, authenticity, queer, trans, parental estrangement, father daughter relationship, carer, caring for parent, Nicki Minaj, ballroom, duckwalk, west ball, safe space, rupture and repair and community.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.

Tens of thousands of 'van lifers' and 'grey nomads' drive around Australia each year. But the iconic road trip has a surprising origin story involving a pair of missionaries, a retired butcher and a gun-slinging mother-daughter duo.David Riley is a pastor and father who was on a lap around Australia with his wife and three children when he heard about the surprising origin story of this great road trip.In 1925, two young men set off from Perth to Darwin in a tiny French car nicknamed 'Bubsie'.They were running an errand for their Church – instructed to set up a Seventh-Day Adventist Missionary outpost in the Northern Territory, then to turn around and come back home.Nevill Westwood and Greg Davies battled flat tires, evil cows, losing their way, leaky fuel tanks, dangerous river crossings and a falling out along the way.With the help of First Nations people and station owners they met along the way, they made it to Darwin.But when they got to Darwin, they just kept going, entering into a race with a retired butcher and a gun-slinging mother-daughter duo to become the first vehicle to circumnavigate Australia.For David, researching and writing the story down became a powerful way to preserve the memories of his own family's lap around Australia, after receiving terrible news.Bubsie and The Boys: The First Journey Around Australia by Car is published by SIGNS.Early next year, Bubsie's sister car, a 102-year-old Citroën, will drive around Australia for the 100th anniversary of the original journey. The trip will be raising money for Canteen and Brain Child. Information about the trip will be online early next year.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores travel, road trips, Australian history, modern history, motoring history, great global road trips, grey nomads, caravanning, van life, historical records, religion, church, cancer, losing a daughter, brain cancer, grief, driving, driving Western Australia, madman's track, white history, black history.

Despite being a stand-out young player, many NRL clubs initially rejected Johnathan Thurston because they thought he was too small and wiry but he went on to become one of the best rugby league players of all time.Johnathan showed his rare talent for rugby league early on but his parents didn't have the money to help him travel to games.So in his late teens, Johnathan moved to Toowoomba to get a start in rugby league, while working part-time in the butcher’s section of a supermarket.When Johnathan moved to Sydney at 18 to try his luck with the Cantebury Bulldogs, he began to get noticed and by the time he retired in 2018, had won a record 4 Daly M medals. Johnathan Thurston The Autobiography (with James Phelps) is published by Harper Collins.This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison, the Executive Producer was Pam O'Brien.It explores the career of Johnathan Thurston, the NRL, rugby league, sporting talent, growing up in Brisbane, working part time jobs, alcohol, scholarships, NRL clubs, the Canterbury Bulldogs, North Queensland Cowboys, State of Origin, Queensland, Daly M medal, NRL Grand Final,  Queensland Maroons, indigenous Australian, Maori heritage, goal kicker, housing commission, Toowoomba, Indigenous All Star, GOAT 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.

Artist, author and Stolen Generations survivor, Rhonda Collard-Spratt, on bush hugs, beehives, emu bumps, and finding peace.Aunty Rhonda Collard-Spratt is a Yamatji-Noongar elder and Stolen Generations survivor who grew up on the Carnarvon Native Mission in Western Australia.As a little girl she would escape from her dormitory into the bush to feel the love and warmth she was missing from her mum.After leaving the mission as a teenager, Rhonda trained as a hairdresser, creating some of the best beehives in Perth.Later in life, she managed to reconnect with her mum and formed a surprising bond with her English stepfather, through music.Rhonda Collard-Spratt's memoir, Alice’s Daughter: Lost Mission Child, was written with Jacki Ferro and published by Aboriginal Studies Press.You can find her children's book series, Spirit of the Dreaming, online in both print and audiobook formats.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores Aboriginal Australia, black history, colonisation, segregation, assimilation, religion, Christianity, the Native Act, reckoning with Australia's history, the Voice, racism, Indigenous suicide, mental health, medical neglect, art, motherhood, writing, books, memoir, modern Australia, Ipswich, Churches of Christ, Aborigines Mission Board.

Dr James Loxton on how modern democracies can crumble as authoritarian regimes take hold, but also how freedom and democracy can rise again, from the Americas to Europe and into Asia.James grew up in stable Canada, where he spent his summers herding sheep in the middle of forest plantations.As a teenager, he hatched a plan to escape his "rough as guts" bush town and the life of a shepherd, moving to India on his own to finish high school.At an international school in Maharashtra, James' classmates taught him about the world outside of democratic Canada, and he became fascinated by military dictatorships and guerilla insurgencies. Later on, years of living in Latin America showed him firsthand how dictators operated, how they are feared and hated, but also revered and loved by some of the people they control.Now James, and many other political scientists, have their eyes turned to America, watching closely to see how the world's most powerful democracy is changing right before their eyes.Authoritarianism: A Very Short Introduction is published by Oxford University Press.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores Donald Trump, Putin, USA, regime, dictators, ICE, Clinton, Epstein, politics, democracy, Chilean presidential election, Russia, China, Taiwan, Philippines, government, globalisation, Latin American politics, Whitlam, dismissal, divisive politics, left versus right, parliamentary versus presidential forms of government, united kingdom, British colonies, Javier Milei, Venezuela, Argentina, Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, Maduro, elitism, drain the swamp, populism, power for the people, tariffs, Peru, Cuba, straw man, Stalin, Hitler, competitive authoritarianism, substance abuse, addiction, alcoholism, alcoholic mothers, homelessness, losing a mother.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.

Eric Philips has always loved cold weather and from young age became fixated on the idea of polar exploration and following in the footsteps of the adventurers he read about in National Geographic.And he went on to lead gruelling expeditions to the North and South Poles, pushing his body and mind to the limits.Eric also had dreams of travelling into space and had assumed the would be impossible.But while on a ski expedition in Svalbard, he met a crypto billionaire who was planning a trip to space and he later asked Eric to come along.The crew Eric was a part of would go on became the first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over the Earth’s polar regions.This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores polar exploration, South Pole. North Pole, hypothermia, mental and physical exhaustion, physical endurance, kite skiing, antarctica, large families, drug overdose, Space x, polar orbit, dramatic weight loss, rescue, failureTo 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.

Screenwriter Samantha Strauss on her grandmother's vibrant last years in a Gold Coast retirement home where love, sex and startlingly pragmatic conversations about dying were all part of daily life. (CW: not suitable for children) (R)Samantha Strauss started dancing from the age of 2, and as she grew up, she became increasingly serious about it.Sam was 18 when her budding ballet career was cut short by a shocking injury.After a year on the couch recovering, she reinvented herself.A few years later, inspired by the story of her own life in ballet, she co-created a TV series called Dance Academy.Dance Academy went on to screen in 160 countries, with Sam as the head writer across the 65 episodes.Sam's next show, The End, was set partly in a Gold Coast retirement village.Samantha got the idea as she watched how her own Grandmother's life changed after moving into a similar place at the end of her life.She expected to hate it, but eventually she found a circle of friends who partied hard and talked freely about love, sex, and death, including experimenting with making their own Nembutal.Further informationOriginally broadcast April 2021.Samantha has since won a Logie for her work on the Netflix program Apple Cider Vinegar, based on Belle Gibson’s life.This episode was produced by Nicola Harrison. The Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores Belle Gibson, wellness, scam, scammers, Philip Nitschke, exit international, VAD, voluntary assisted dying, nursing home, aged care, grandparent grandchild relationship, sick parent, writing, being a writer, dance career, LA, Los Angeles, film industry, connections, Australians in LA, actors, nudists and naturalists.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.

Reuben Kaye has always known he was going to be a performer and grew up a house that encouraged his love of the limelight.  But in the background was the weight of his family history full of complicated characters and stories of cruelty.Reuben's parent both came from Jewish European families who were forced to flee their homes because of World War 2.  And there were other more secretive stories, involving a return to Communist East Germany and a heartbreaking decision made by Alfreda as a young woman.But Reuben uses the art of cabaret to help make sense of and pay tribute to his momentous family stories.Reuben Kaye's one man show is called EnGORGED and tickets are available via Reuben Kaye's websiteThis episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores family history, Nazi Germany, East Germany, persecution, Russia, immigration, dress making, grief, suicide, divorce, cancer, queer identity, bullying, Jewish history, Jewish identity, the Holocaust, musical theatre, drug use, London, death, funerals, live shows, comedy, make up, drag, Stolpersteine, stumbling stones, Melbourne, Leipzig.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.

Petal Ashmole Winstanley was just a teenager when she left Perth on her own to sail to London. There, in the swinging 1960s, she began her wild adventure of dance, love and heartbreak.Petal got her first big dancing break in a Christmas pantomime, and then she had a spin as a Go-Go dancer in a Parisian nightclub, before eventually working her way into some of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world.Along the way, Petal fell in love with three great men, and she lost them all under brutal circumstances.Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up: Lessons in Love and Surmounting Grief is published by Grosvenor House.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores ballet, dancing, United Kingdom, Dancing with the Stars, love, relationships, marriage, career women, death, grief, loss of a spouse, sexuality, lavender marriages, 1960s, hippies, free love, Western Australia, South Africa, apartheid, genocide, Canada, couples who work together, dating in later life, how to date in later life, online dating after 70, bravery, courage, HIV AIDS, STI, divorce, memoir, writing, books, origin story.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.

Editor-at-Large of The Australian, Paul Kelly looks back at the most profound crisis in Australia’s democracy, including the off-the-record information he was given five days before it took place.In 1975 Paul was a young press gallery journalist, working in the cramped old Parliament House, where all it took was a flight of stairs and a few steps to find himself in the Prime Minister’s office.Paul was on close terms with both Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser when Australia faced the biggest crisis in its political history.Five days before the dismissal, Paul was told — off the record — that the Governor General, Sir John Kerr, was going to sack the Whitlam Government, but Paul was sworn to secrecy and had to stand back and watch the fallout like everyone else.This year marks the 50th anniversary of the political upheaval, and Paul looks back at his insider’s experience in the press gallery from that tumultuous time.Further informationThis episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.This episode explores remembrance day 2025, government shutdown, paul kelly, democracy in crisis, conspiracy, gough whitlam, whitlam, whitlam government, malcolm fraser, john kerr, constitutional crisis, election, it's time, no fault divorce, free university, women's rights, women's lib, medibank, great barrier reef, healthcare, old parliament house, press gallery, old school journo, power, journalism, mungo mccallum, graham freudenberg, killing season and dismissal.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.

When Ben Gillies was 15 he began touring around the world in his band called Silverchair. After the band broke up, Ben had to work through anxiety and addiction to make an entirely new life for himself.Silverchair toured America, supporting the Ramones and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They played on the roof of the Radio City Music Hall during the MTV awards.And when they weren't working, they were back at high school, at Newcastle High.Silverchair made 5 albums together, all of which debuted at Number 1 on the Australian charts.But being a teenager rock god wasn't all roses, and through the years, and especially after the break-up of the band, Ben had to work through anxiety and addiction to make a good life for himself as a grown up.This episode explores Silverchair, teenagers, rock music, guitar, male friendship, record deal, live music, mental health, fame, touring, Newcastle, money, anxiety, family, recoveryTo 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.

How does Ben Crowe get elite athletes to the top of their game? What he asks footballers, surfers and tennis players to do seems counter intuitive, and a lot of the work happens off the field. (R)Ben Crowe is a mindset coach who has worked with elite athletes like surfer Steph Gilmore, tennis superstar Ash Barty, and the Richmond Football Club.But Ben's method of coaching seems counter-intuitive.Rather than telling these athletes they're the best, he encourages them to own their flaws, make sense of their life stories off the field, prioritising vulnerability and human connection, so they can take both wins and losses in their stride. Further informationOriginally broadcast in July 2021.Ben Crowe's new book, Where the Light Gets In, will be published by HarperCollins in January 2026.This episode of Conversations was produced by Michelle Ransom Hughes, executive producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores sport, NBA, basketball, football, Bayern, David Beckham, Hawks, Tigers, Magpies, Warriors, Tottenham, Jake Weatherald, Champions League, Wimbledon, Tennis Open, US Open, Australian Open, Arsenal, UCL, sports trading, UEFA, FIFA, mindset coaching, positive, books, writing, origin story, grief, death of a father, josh giddey.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.

Bunurong/Boonwurrung actor and author, Tasma Walton was enjoying her big break on TV show Blue Heelers in the 1990s in Melbourne when a transformative visit from her grandmother launched her in a new direction.Boonwurrung/Bunurong woman, Tasma grew up in windy Geraldton, in Western Australia in the 1970s, hearing stories from her grandmother about baby whales and women who lived in kelp forests. These stories always featured a bay and very cold water — neither of which were in Geraldton.Many years later, while Tasma was filming Blue Heelers and living in St Kilda in Melbourne, her grandmother came to stay, and the stories she had told Tasma over and over again started to make sense.Except for one tale that had been sanitised for children’s ears — a supposed love story between Tasma's great-great-great grandmother, Nannertgarrook, and a vicious sealer man.As an adult, Tasma started to research the truth of what had happened to Nannertgarrook, generations ago.Further informationIf you need help, you can call the National domestic family and sexual violence counselling service on 1800-RESPECT — 1800 737 732.I Am Nannertgarrook is published by Simon & Schuster Bundyi.Tasma was named joint winner, with Robbie Arnott, of the $100,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize for 2025.Watch Reckless on SBS, NITV, and SBS ON DEMAND.This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.This episode explores heritage, ancestral legacy, inherited trauma, intergenerational trauma, DV, family violence, method acting, mob, Indigenous, First Nations, Aboriginal, slavery, blak, blak mothers, reconnecting with culture, bunurong strong, Nerrm, Narrm, Wilsons Prom, Wilsons Promontory, mermaids, dolphins, asthma, asthma attacks, medea, monologue, auditions, acting auditions, SBS, reckless, St Kilda, Blue Heelers, Luna Park.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.

Historian William Dalrymple had a rarefied childhood on the windswept coast of Scotland. As an adult he fell in love with India, and later discovered his family's own deep ties to the country.Born into the Scottish aristocracy, William followed his three older brothers and left for boarding school at just 8 years old.  While still an university William set off to follow Marco Polo's journey across the width of Asia and he wrote a best-selling book about that adventure.But after then moving to India, William started to see the many gaps and biases in his understanding of history and ever since he's been working to find the stories and people his education had left out.William also began uncovering his own family’s connections to India which stretched back generations and eventually a discovery relating to his own father's experience in India as a young man.  It seemed to answer the question of why his Dad chose never to go back.The episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores history, Scotland, North Berwick, Marco Polo's journey to South Asia, India, Delhi, archaeology, witches, family history, aristocracy, partition, history writing, large families, family secrets, the golden road, Palestine, Ampleforth College, Catholic Education, Robbie Burns, travel writing, Scottish history. 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.

Ten years ago, Michelle Payne became the first woman to win The Melbourne Cup but in the years since she's had to face many challenges, including a life threatening injury and family heartbreak.  Fortunately if there is one thing Michelle knows a lot about, it's how to get back up.Michelle Payne grew up on a farm, the youngest of ten kids, in a family were everyone was mad about horses and horse racing.  Her dad always said girls could be great jockeys if they were given the opportunity and she was determined to prove him right, despite some big challenges.She won her first race at age 15 and in 2015 became the first woman to win The Melbourne Cup and her beloved brother Stevie was her strapper for the race.Michelle Payne's memoir is called Ride OnThe executive producer of Conversations is Nicola Harrison.It explores horse racing, the Melbourne Cup, female jockey, large families, grief, death, animals, disability, training, injuring, horses, gambling, physical endurance, extreme weight loss, women, head injury, life threatening injuries, horses, recovery, resilience.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.