Conversations

Latest Episodes:

Riding for a fall - a portrait of male drive May 20, 2024

Show notes

What happens when a man can't stop his drive and desire for more? Author Andrew O'Hagan dissects the pitfalls of more money, more success and more applause in his latest novel

Andrew O’Hagan is the author of several highly acclaimed novels.

His new book is a sweeping portrait of modern-day London, a city ‘levitating on a sea of dirty Russian money’.

The main character, Campbell Flynn, is much like Andrew himself: a public intellectual who escaped from the Scottish council estate he grew up in and came to London to enjoy great success.

But success, a big house, a loving family and expensive habits are not enough.

Campbell is a man riding for a fall, and there will be many spectators at the final hurrah, when his life comes tumbling down.

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.

Further information

This episode of Conversations was recorded at the Melbourne Writers Festival.

Caledonian Road is published by Allen & Unwin.

The velveteen rabbit at the end of the world May 17, 2024

Show notes

In the decades before Ruth Shaw became a bookseller in New Zealand's Fiordland, she lived the incredible stories of adventure, love and tragedy that now line the shelves in her shops

A Latvian Fairytale May 16, 2024

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Artist Brigita Ozolins grew up hearing about the magic of her mother's home country, Latvia. It wasn't until she was in her 50s that Brigita understood why her mother fled that paradise, full of flowers and polite children

Naomi and the smudge of luminous stars May 15, 2024

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Astrophysicist Naomi McClure-Griffiths was making an atlas of our galaxy when she discovered an entirely new spiral arm of the Milky Way

Sean Fong dominating life on the jiu-jitsu mat May 14, 2024

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Sean Fong is a para world champion in jiu-jitsu. The 'gentle' martial art has allowed Sean to shatter any illusions that society might have about people with physical differences (R)

The highs and lows of the ALP May 13, 2024

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From its surprising successes to its dismal failures, historian Frank Bongiorno takes you through the wild 130-year history of the Australian Labor Party

Troy Cassar-Daley: the boy from Halfway Creek May 10, 2024

Show notes

Troy Cassar-Daley grew up walking a tightrope between two worlds after his mum and dad broke up when he was small. As a grown man, a trip on a country music cruise began to change his story (CW: discussion of suicidal ideation and suicide)

When Bonnie just kept paddling May 09, 2024

Show notes

When Bonnie Hancock stumbled on a book in her local library, she got a gut feeling that refused to go away. And so she set off on a gruelling 12,700km journey around Australia on her surf ski

Uncovering Tasmania's gruesome past May 08, 2024

Show notes

Cassandra Pybus exposes the secret trade of the skeletal remains of the first people of Tasmania. CW: This episode contains upsetting discussion about grave desecration and the trading of human remains

Fantastic and fascinating fungi May 07, 2024

Show notes

Fungi have given us many gifts, from penicillin to food, but they can also be quite scary. Dr Alison Pouliot spends her time trying to explain these strange alien-like things, which do their most interesting work underground (R)

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