Conversations

How Sophie Townsend kept on, after losing her beloved husband to a sudden illness

John Safran had a personal interest in the death of white supremacist, Richard Barrett. What he discovered when digging into the case revealed more than Barrett himself ever did (R)

Durkhanai Ayubi and her family keep alive the stories and flavours they carried to Australia from Afghanistan, in the dining room of their 'accidental' and thriving restaurant

Wil Patterson was a suburban dad who wanted all the good things in life for his family. Then he made a decision which upended everything

Helen was working as a psychologist when she became so ill she was held in a locked psychiatric ward. There she was given ECT, one of the most extreme treatments for depression (R)

Zenith Virago married at seventeen, and had two children. Then she left her young family to create a life of her own on the other side of the world (R)

When Akmal and his wife decided to have a treechange by moving to Byron Bay, almost immediately a comedy of errors ensued, involving a python in the roof, a half-finished home and rats in the wall (R)

How the man who voiced Darth Vader and Mufasa overcame a childhood stutter to build a career on his rich, resonant voice (R) James grew up with a stutter so severe he was almost mute until the age of fourteen. After the intervention of an English professor, he went on to become one of his generation's finest stage and screen actors. James is famous for his roles in films like The Hunt for Red Octo...

Dave looks back on the many forms of employment and unemployment to have sustained him as a hard working musician (R)

In the late 70s, Gabrielle Carey co-wrote a blisteringly honest novel about the real lives of teenage surfie chicks in Cronulla which caused a storm of public outrage. What happened next saw her make a new life far from the limelight

Why the only remaining WW1 German A7V tank is in Brisbane, Australia (R)

A new conversation with James Rebanks on how he saved his family farm by returning to ancient ways of growing crops and meadows

Lisa Woollett's family made their living from combing through London's waste for treasures. Her great-grandfather was a scavenger and her grandad was a dustman, and as she grew up she also began mudlarking on the Thames

When they were kids, Stephen and his brothers would climb onto the laundry roof and put on a show for their neighbourhood. Stephen's since made an exceptional career as a dancer, and at the helm of Bangarra Dance Theatre (R)

Grace Karskens with the story of the riverlands of the Hawkesbury-Nepean, where ancient and modern Australia first collided

Maggie grew up around boys, then raised four sons of her own. Now she helps parents understand the changes teenage boys are going through as they cross the bridge from boyhood to manhood Maggie Dent grew up in the country and she always felt she 'spoke bloke'. As a high school teacher and a family counsellor, she discovered she had a real affinity for teenage boys, and understood how to communicat...

Andrew was a 4 year old when his family migrated to Australia from Burma. By his mid-20s he had his own criminal law practice. When he took on a client named Ivan Milat, his career became front page news

When a powerful wave he was riding sent him smashing into the sand, breaking his neck, former Army Ranger Billy Hedderman came within a breath of dying. Good fortune and an iron will featured in his recovery  

After young Australian soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi was imprisoned in Thailand, Craig fought the power of two monarchies, a military junta, and the world's largest sporting institution to free him (R)

A former boxer and builder's labourer, Geoff is now a highly successful poet (R)

How a girl from the suburbs of Melbourne grew up to become Australia's first female Muslim standup comedian

The true story behind Looking for Alibrandi (R)

Richard shares stories gathered while writing his biography of the city of Prague. Some emerged from his research trip of 2019, others involved deep historical research, and others are altogether more personal

Jeff's latest book on animal behaviour tackles grief — the loss we feel when a beloved pet dies, as well as the understanding other species have of death

Timothy’s stellar career, including roles in ‘Mr Turner’, ‘Secrets and Lies’, the Harry Potter films, and his latest, ‘Mrs Lowry & Son’, was almost cut short by a life-threatening illness (R)