Conversations

Hannah had a tender and beautiful love story with Matt, the man who became her husband. After he died in a tragic accident, her grief changed her in unexpected ways (CW: grief and loss) 
As a young couple, writer Hannah Richell and her husband Matt left London for a new life in Australia. 
They loved the ocean, the sun, and the people.
Then one morning before work, Matt went for a surf at Bronte Beach, and, in a tragic accident, drowned.
Hannah was lost to grief....and overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for their two little children all alone.
But, painstaking, day by day, month by month, year by year she found her way back to life.
Hannah discovered that her heart could expand to include all of it - the joy and the heartbreak, the sweetness and the pain, the love and the loss.
Further information:  
An Ocean And A Day is published by HarperCollins

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 A Different Kind of Power.
This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake and Nicola Harrison is the Executive Producer.
Further Information
A Different Kind of Power is published by Penguin.
For more information, Penguin authors Jacinda Ardern

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 Jurassic Park, My Brilliant Career, and The Piano.
A few years ago, stuck in Sydney while undergoing treatment for cancer, Sam found himself with a lot of time on his hands to reflect on his eclectic life.
Sarah spoke to him in 2023 after the release of his quirky, funny and life-affirming memoir.
Further information:
Did I Ever Tell You This is published by Text

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 with Kate was the treacherous and dramatic life story of Mary, Queen of Scots, who, in the telling, was only a few years older than the teenaged Kate.
Intertwined with the true Scottish history were dark, fantastical and eerie accounts about cruel and mischievous fairies who would leave their young in place of human babies, as ‘changelings’. 
This world abounded with magic - hazelnuts that give the power of invisibility and curses that cause boys to dance to their death.
These legends also feature brave and ingenious girls who figure out how to rescue the sick and cursed through their own wits and knowledge of the natural world.
Further information
The Changeling is published by Penguin Random House.
This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer of Conversations is Nicola Harrison.
You can listen to Kate's previous Conversations interviews on the tangled roots of fairytales, the dark and violent origins of beloved fairytales, the Russian tale of Vasilisa the Wise and her nemesis, the witch Baba Yaga, the story of a blood red rose, The intrepid and curious Charlotte Waring Atkinson, Psyche, the curious and brave goddess of the soul.
This episode touches on witch trials, burning of witches, neolithic stones, storytelling, violence against women, cunning folk, ken, kenning, runes, being in touch with the seasons, old women, prayers, spells, rowan tree, faeries, fairies, fairy queen, changeling, autism, neurodivergent, neurodiverse, dauphin, King James, King James Bible, 
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, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

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 information
This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2020.
Autumn Light: a season of Fire and Farewells is published by Bloomsbury.
This episode was produced by Nicola Harrison. The Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.
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, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.