Conversations

Debra Richardson joined the police at age 18 in the 1980s, working undercover as a prostitute and surviving the Russell Street bombing. Years later, she met her foster son, Yuri, who had also survived disaster.
Deb and her family met Yuri after they agreed to care for one of the many children brought to Australia for short-term stays following the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine.
Decades later, a journey to help that foster son, now living in a war zone, ended up helping Deb in ways she never expected.
This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake and the Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.
It explores women in the police force, police academy training, sexism, undercover police work, the Russell Street Bombing, car bomb, PTSD, Chernobyl disaster, Chernobyl children, John Farnham, Russian mafia, Project Yuri, charity, war in Ukraine, aid work, family, foster care.
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.

From Wollongong to London, via Alice Springs, this is writer Nikki Gemmell on her deeply romantic life, and how she defied expectations to become a famous author.
Nikki grew up the daughter of a coalminer father who thought writers were a burden on society, while her mum taught Nikki that only success was worthy of love.
So Nikki went above and beyond to prove her beloved father wrong, and to get the attention of her mother through her achievements, publishing 20 books in the process, including the wildly successful The Bride Stripped Bare.
Now the mother of four children, Nikki has also been determined to live her own life and raise her own children very differently, being generous with her love and pride for her sons and daughter.
Content warning: Please take care when listening as this conversation mentions suicide.
Help is always available.
If you need to talk, 24/7 crisis support is available from Lifeline by calling 13 11 14.
You can also text with them and chat online with counsellors here
This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive producer is Nicola Harrison.
It explores parenthood, mothers, fathers, attachment, fawning, people pleasing, striving for achievement, accomplishment, writing, books, novelist, coal mining, family separation, divorce, childhood trauma, healing, generational differences, romance, love, mental health, Australian literature.
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.

Professor George Williams was uninterested in school, instead spending his time melting down lead to sell to a nearby scrap yard. Then a special primary school teacher gave him permanent detention, which changed his life.
Growing up in Sydney, he was the rebellious child of a single mum who worked in a fruit shop to support the family.
George was so disruptive at primary school that no teacher wanted him in class.
At first he was flabbergasted at the unfairness of this punishment, but with this teacher’s undivided attention, George began to enjoy learning and found that he was smart.
His grades improved, and George became interested in studying Law.
He has had a long career in Constitutional Law and working in university leadership.
This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.
It explores tertiary education, international students, online learning, lectures, tutorials, the casual workforce, academics, higher learning, lifelong learning, sandstone universities, student debt, HECS, affordable learning and poverty.
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.

Brisbane teacher and author, Sita Walker on the strong, religious matriarchs who have helped her weather the storm of family tragedy, divorce and the beauty of a new love.
Sita grew up in Toowoomba in Queensland, descended from five powerful women — three aunts, her grandmother and her mum.
They were Baha’i women who came to Australia via Iran and India.
Tragedy struck the family when Sita was a child, and her matriarchs descended on the home — to cook, clean, and comfort.
Sita always saw herself as good Baha’i girl, and she went on to marry a good Baha’i boy and start a family. 
When things started to unravel, Sita found herself drifting away from her nightly prayers and accounting for her deeds, and it took a divorce and a new love for her to admit to herself, and her parents, how things had changed.
This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.
It explores faith, grief, religion, Baha'i, grandmothering, losing a sibling, evil eye, Queenslander, youth camp, marrying young, nightly prayers, falling in love, leaving religion, girl dinner, fiction writing, being a teacher, high school teacher, Mary Oliver and poetry.
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.

Rob Hirst, the former drummer for the band Midnight Oil has died at age 70. In 2018 Sarah sat down with Rob for a wide-ranging conversation about music, nature and reconnecting with family (R)