Conversations

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Situationships, risks and growing pains — Jemma Sbeg on surviving your 20s May 13, 2025

Show notes

From relationships and loneliness, to indecision and burnout, Jemma Sbeg is your guide to navigating your 20s, and looking back on that decade with a new perspective.

When Jemma Sbeg started recording a podcast in the back of her Subaru about her quarter life crisis, she had no idea just how many people she would reach.

But other people her age were desperate for guidance through their 20s - a decade a lot of us romanticise before we get there, and after we leave.

It's a decade of massive growth for humans, when we make big decisions about relationships, careers and our own identities, but Jemma felt like she had no idea HOW to make the right choices.

She had studied psychology at university, and so looked to psychological research papers to help her and her friends navigate attraction, heartbreak, friendship, imposter syndrome, career anxiety, burn out, mental health and living a happy life.

Jemma's biggest lesson is realising while time is finite, we do have so much of it to "figure it out", and chances are you'll still be working many things out in your 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

Person in Progress: A Roadmap to the Psychology of Your 20s is published by Hachette Australia.

Jemma's podcast is called The Psychology of your 20s.

If you liked this episode of Conversations, you might also enjoy listening to Doctor Hilton Koppe on his experience of PTSD, journalist Ros Thomas on her research into loneliness or psychologist Dr Tracy Westerman on psychology in remote Australia.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversation 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.

This episode of Conversations explores psychology, podcasts, research, books, writing, anxiety, TikTok, social media, ADHD, self-diagnosis, growing up, how to survive your 20s, stay at home dads, heartbreak, mortality, death anxiety, social anxiety, university, what to study, how to get over heartbreak, first loves, building a career in media.

Encore: Mt Druitt to Tonga, how Winnie embraced her cultural heritage May 09, 2025

Show notes

Winnie Dunn was a teenager when the Chris Lilley character 'Jonah from Tonga' became a national joke and as a Tongan Australian the stereotype made her feel uncomfortable.

Despite being born into a big Tongan family in Western Sydney, Winnie felt conflicted about her heritage growing up.

But over time her understanding of what it means to be Tongan evolved, and at the age of 28, Winnie became the first Tongan Australian to have a novel published.

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 on the Conversations website.

Jamila Rizvi’s one in a million brain tumour May 08, 2025

Show notes

Jamila’s craniopharyngioma had been growing for years, unbeknownst to her. In hindsight, it was her son who gave the first clue, when he stopped breastfeeding overnight at 11 months old.

Today Jamila is an author, a broadcaster and the deputy managing director of Future Women, dedicated to achieving gender equity in Australian workplaces.

A few years back, her life was on a powerful trajectory — she had been the chief of staff for a federal MP, written best-selling books and was a regular guest on TV panel shows.

Then in 2017, she realised something was wrong with her health.

At first she wasn’t worried.

Then, at 31 she was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma — a rare and recurring brain tumour.

When Jamila left the world of the well, her life changed completely, in funny, strange, and harrowing ways.

Jamila's book Broken Brains: For anyone who's been sick or loved someone who was is co-authored with Rosie Waterland and published by Penguin Random House.

This interview was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' EP is Nicola Harrison. The presenter was Richard Fidler.

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.

Slapped by a whale's tail, and other animal adventures May 07, 2025

Show notes

Whale and dolphin researcher, Barry McGovern’s love of sea creatures started in Clare, Ireland, when as a child he met the county’s solitary, friendly dolphin, named for the singer Dusty Springfield.

Barry grew up in a tiny surfing village where he knew all the bird calls off by heart.

His interest in animal science led him to Edinburgh Zoo, where he fed cassowaries and regularly, accidentally spooked a flock of Chilean flamingos.

He assisted on a mammal research trip in Namibia, where he learned just how many people are required to take biopsy sample from a giraffe.

Eventually he settled on whales, and he learned the lesson that while animals can be lots of fun to study, they come with a heavy research load, and not much time spent out in the wild.

Barry has been slapped in the face by a whale’s tail and watched mother humpback whales squirt-feed their calves breast milk like cottage cheese. And he couldn’t be happier.

Today, Barry works at the Pacific Whale Foundation, Australia.

This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' EP is Nicola Harrison. Presented by Sarah Kanowski.

Adam Kay — the magic and misery of doctoring, comedy and fatherhood May 06, 2025

Show notes

After a caesarean section on his labour ward went catastrophically wrong, Adam Kay took a radical inventory of his entire life. CW: traumatic childbirth, eating disorders.

Adam was not far off qualifying as an obstetric consultant in the United Kingdom, when he decided he couldn't be a doctor any longer.

He couldn't face ever again experiencing the tragedy of death during childbirth, nor could he understand the blunt response from his boss in the aftermath, and so he quit doctoring altogether.

After a period of grief and depression, Adam reassessed his goals, his dreams and his relationships, completely up-ending the conventional life he had felt backed into.

He turned to the diaries, which he had kept throughout his seven years working in hospitals, and became a stand-up comedian, then a television writer, an acclaimed author, the executive producer of a wildly popular TV series based on Adam's book, and most recently a father.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode of Conversations contains accounts of traumatic childbirth and of disordered eating, which may distress some listeners.

Help and support is always available. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Find out more about the Red Nose counselling services available to parents who have lost a child by calling the Red Nose Bereavement Support Line on 1300 308 307.

If you or someone you know needs help with disordered eating, the Butterfly National Helpline is available on 1800 33 4673.

This episode of Conversations explores studying medicine, the medical system, Medicare, overworked doctors, young doctors, junior doctors, obstetrics and gynaecology, delivering babies, careers, disordered eating, sexuality, marriage, LGBTQI+, fatherhood, surrogacy, mental health, comedy, touring, music, university life, should I study medicine.

This Is Going To Hurt is published by Pan Macmillan.

Undoctored is published by Hachette.

Adam's debut novel, A Particularly Nasty Case, will be published by Hachette in August.

You can stream the television series based on Adam's first book, This Is Going To Hurt, on ABC iView.

Briana, Max and Freddy: love, trains and mouth music May 05, 2025

Show notes

Briana Blackett was a journalist in Qatar when she realised her baby son Max wasn't responding to his name. When Max and his little brother Freddy were both diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Briana left Doha to begin an entirely different life (R)

Encore: breaking the silence around men's mental health May 02, 2025

Show notes

Jonno Seidler with the story of his Dad Ray, a much-loved and successful doctor, who hid his private struggles from the world.

Behind closed doors, Ray Seidler was locked in a herculean fight with his own mental health. His frequent bouts of depression caused him to regularly 'run away' from his own home and family, and eventually led to his suicide.

His son, Jonno Seidler, has written about his father's life, and Jonno's own mental health diagnosis, which he's been determined not to keep secret.

This episode of Conversations focuses on men's mental health, suicide, Ray Seidler, Jonno Seidler, bi polar, family, family history, harm reduction, Seidler family, Jewish faith, grief, loss, male suicide epidemic.

It's a Shame about Ray is published by Allen and Unwin.

Learning from the mighty matriarchs of the animal kingdom May 01, 2025

Show notes

Erna Walraven was one of the first female zookeepers to work at Sydney's Taronga Zoo in the 1980s. Despite practical jokes from her male colleagues, like animal dung in her gumboots, Erna kept her nerve.

She was born in The Netherlands, to parents who were involved in the Dutch resistance during World War II.

Erna's love of languages took her to Spain, where she lived for many years with her widowed sister and young nephew.

It was there she met a penniless Australian backpacker and fell in love, starting Erna on the path to the rest of her life.

Erna's memoir Hear Me Roar is published by Affirm Press.

This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The executive producer of Conversations is Nicola Harrison. This interview was presented by Sarah Kanowski.

Mawunyo's life in love, journalism and hip hop Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Mawunyo Gbogbo was raised as a church-going African Australian girl in the sleepy mining town of Muswellbrook, before she grew up to become a hip-hop journalist and a writer (R)

Mawunyo's parents had met in Ghana, migrating to Australia when she was a baby.

At high school, Mawunyo fell hard for a charismatic boy, and for the first time, she was introduced to hip hop music.

When she was offered a chance to further her budding media career in New York City at the Bible of hip hop, The Source magazine, she grabbed it.

But while her time in New York was thrilling, it also threatened to derail her dreams.

This episode of Conversations explores Biggie, Tupac, hip hop, rappers, Eminem, Kanye, music, addiction, African diaspora, regional NSW, religion, God, faith, love, migrant communities, relationships, first love.

Hip Hop and Hymns is published by Penguin. The book has has been optioned by Tony Briggs, who created and wrote The Sapphires

She is now working on her next book, a novel about a psychiatrist who is more unhinged than his patients.

Inside the mind of a dog, and a pig named Habib Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

Luke Hura has an innate ability to understand and communicate with animals, and for decades he's been training them for film, television and the stage.

You’ve probably seen one of Luke's dogs in action — he trained Bouncer, the labrador from Neighbours, the kelpie from the film Red Dog, and the maremma who starred in Oddball.

Luke has trained cats, chickens and even earned the trust of a big, black pig with tusks, whom he says was a dream to work with.

Training takes patience, discipline, and endless repetition but Luke says building trust and being able to understand body language, energy and emotions is the most important.

This episode of Conversations explores dog training, how to train dogs, Muster Dogs, how to train cats, dog behaviourist, pets, animals, vets, stage dogs, acting, Red Dog, neighbours, the television industry, working with animals.

Luke and his groodles are currently performing in the musical Annie, which is touring Australia this year. You can find out more about the production online.

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