In this week's episode we speak with Jon Ronson, who contends the attributes of psychopaths really do help them get ahead. Ronson, who wrote the 2011 bestseller The Psychopath Test, also explores how social media rewards those with an empathy bypass, and looks at the rise of public shaming. Speaking with Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall, he also makes a case for non-fiction writers like himself avoiding the temptation of fudging the truth - and the importance of humour in writing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nobody's desk at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has been as overflowing with books as that of Jason Steger, who recently left his job as books editor at the mastheads. On today's episode he talks with culture writer Kerrie O'Brien about his favourite interviews and books, whether he cops much abuse from writers after a bad review - and that time he drank too much with Richard Flanagan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode, American author, speaker and blogger Mark Manson discusses how the mantra of relentless positivity, which drives so much of the self-help industry, is full of pitfalls. He explains how negative emotions have a purpose - to drive us to do something - and why the willingness to look like an idiot occasionally guards against self-entitlement. He gives us tips on how to be realistic in our lives, how to maintain hope - and what not to do with cyber stalkers.  Hosting this talk is Good Weekend deputy editor, Greg Callaghan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with health reporter Norman Swan, who has written a new book on the dos and don'ts of raising children up to the age of 10. Among other topics, Swan talks about how to set good eating habits, what to do about screen overload - and whether it's ever ok to let kids sip alcohol (answer: no). Hosting this conversation with the ABC broadcaster and author of So You Want to Know What’s Good for Your Kids? is the editor of Good Weekend, Katrina Strickland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The youngest ever editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, now owner of Private Media, publisher of Crikey, Eric Beecher has spent decades in and observing the media. In today's episode he discusses his conclusions on when it works best, and when it fails democracy, with his longtime friend, journalist David Leser. Beecher also discusses what it was like to work for Rupert Murdoch during his two year stint as editor-in-chief of The Herald and Weekly Times Group, and whether he was scared when, decades later, Lachlan Murdoch sued him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, singer/songwriter Tim Minchin discusses the poison that is social media, how he emerged from his bruising time in LA and why he urges students to look after their bodies. In conversation with culture reporter Thomas Mitchell, he reflects also on his infamous George Pell song, and on the impending publication of his first non-fiction book, You Don't Have to Have a Dream (Advice for the Incrementally Ambitious).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with Markus Zusak, the bestselling novelist behind The Book Thief and Bridge of Clay, who has penned his first non-fiction book, Three Wild Dogs and the Truth, about Reuben, Archer and Frosty, the pound dogs he and wife Mika brought into their family. Zusak talks about the mad mayhem of sharing your life with a mongrel, and the importance of stripping away the veneer through which we so often view life, to expose its more messy reality. Hosting this conversation, in which Zusak discusses the conundrum of how much is too much to spend on a dog's dodgy knees, is the editor of Good Weekend, Katrina Strickland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, who broke through two decades ago with her hit debut album The Sound of White, which dealt with teen and 20-something troubles. Now 41, Higgins has just produced a new album, The Second Act, which traverses the aftermath of the breakdown of her marriage. Higgins talks candidly with Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe about taking the audience with her on her life journey, the travails of songwriting and dating whilst being a single mum - and the joys of touring with a mostly female support crew.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with Jason Arrow, otherwise known as Australia's Alexander Hamilton. The South African-born, Perth-raised performer won the role for the musical's 2021 Sydney premiere, and has since played the titular character in Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, Manila, Abu Dhabi and Singapore. Hosting this conversation about everything from how he remembers all those words, to how he winds down post-show, to why he initially preferred the character of Aaron Burr in the story of America's forgotten founding father, is the editor of Good Weekend, Katrina Strickland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Anna Marsden, managing director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Back in 2018, Marsden’s life changed overnight when she received news from then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull that the federal government was granting the foundation a record-breaking $443 million to help fortify the reef against the ravages of climate change. It was a controversial decision – the foundation was then a relatively small Brisbane-based conservation organisation and Turnbull’s political opponents labelled it a “captain’s call” – but six years down the track, funding has been allocated for a host of coral-saving projects. Marsden chats with Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe about what's been achieved to date, and the overall state of the reef following another bleaching event last summer, the fifth since 2016.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with best-selling author and social commentator, Roxane Gay. A decade after the publication of her much-talked-about book, Bad Feminist, Gay offers her unapologetic views on everything from body image, to writer's block, to the likelihood of Kamala Harris becoming America's first female president, to her current writing projects, which include - surprisingly - a romance novel with actor Channing Tatum. Gay is appearing for the Wheeler Centre at Melbourne Town Hall on August 27 and also in Sydney for the Festival of Dangerous Ideas on August 24 and 25.Hosting this conversation is senior writer and columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Jacqueline Maley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with author Theodore Ell. From 2018 to 2021, Ell accompanied his wife on her diplomatic posting to Lebanon, and unexpectedly found himself a witness to a country on the brink. His new book, Lebanon Days, takes in an economic meltdown, mass protests and finally, tragically, the Beirut port explosion of 2020. Hosting this episode is Good Weekend deputy editor, Greg Callaghan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with the federal member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, who was swept into Canberra on a "teal wave" at the 2022 election. Spender talks candidly with The Sydney Morning Herald associate editor Deborah Snow about the aftermath of the April stabbings at Bondi Junction, the impact of war in Gaza on her constituents, and her determination to push tax reform onto the national agenda. Spender speaks also about the work ethic she inherited from her mother, the late fashion designer Carla Zampatti, and how her father, former Liberal MP John Spender, urged her not to run.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with Matthew Evans, the Australian chef and restaurant critic turned Tassie farmer and food writer. Evans, who has written a new book called Milk, talks about the science behind dairy products, the truth and lies around them - and answers the curly question of whether cheese dreams are real. Hosting the conversation, in which Evans also discusses the big issues facing food producers, is the national editor of Good Food, Ardyn Bernoth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with economics commentator Cameron Murray, author of the book, The Great Housing Hijack, which looks at the factors behind Australia's housing crisis. Murray was one of the few who predicted the boom in home prices after the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosting a conversation that covers Murray's analysis of the underlying causes of the problem, international templates for improvements and the role of social housing in the solution is Good Weekend deputy editor, Greg Callaghan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with Nedd Brockmann. The 25 year old sparky captured the attention of the country in 2022 when he ran from Perth to Sydney, raising $2.5 million for homelessness in the process. With a second book and a Kayo documentary in the works, he’s now come up with a new way to challenge himself - and hopefully break a world record. Hosting the conversation with Brockmann is Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with former Good Weekend staff writer Stephanie Wood. Stephanie's 2017 story about her real-life relationship with a man who deceived her with a web of lies received an incredible response from readers, such that she left the magazine to write a book about the experience, Fake, which was published in 2019. That story has now been turned into an eight-part TV series starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham, premiering on Paramount Plus on July 4. On today's podcast, Wood discusses that long-ago relationship, why she thinks her experience resonated so much with readers, what it's like to see Asher Keddie playing her – and whether this lemons-to-lemonade tale means all the heartache was worth it in the end. With host, Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak to Tamsyn Manou (née Lewis). The former track star long ago traded her running shoes for the microphone, and is headed to France next month as a Nine Wide World of Sports expert athletics commentator. In this chat, she takes us into everything from the headspace occupied by aspiring Olympians right now, to the things she's most looking forward to seeing in Paris and the rise of middle-distance running in Australia. Hosting this conversation is chief reporter for The Age, Chip Le Grand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak to Max Chandler-Mather, the 32 year old Greens MP who's shaking up Canberra with his uncompromising take on the housing crisis. Chandler-Mather talks with Good Weekend senior writer Jane Cadzow about his own experience as a renter and how it feeds into his policies and politics, his success with door-knocking at the 2022 federal election, and what he thinks of the hecklers in federal parliament.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with retired Australian netball champion and TV presenter Liz Ellis, who was recently appointed chair of Netball Australia, following a series of crises. Netball was riven with issues last year, including a team departing the national league, a pay dispute with players, and the loss of critical national funding. Hosting the conversation - about the many problems facing an otherwise popular sport that's played by millions of women and girls (and, increasingly, men and boys) around the country - is The Age sports reporter Carla Jaeger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with the chief executive of the Australian Academy of Science, Anna-Maria Arabia, who leads a growing band of people expressing concern about the evidence used to convict Robert Farquharson of the murder of his three sons. The Victorian father drove his car, with the three boys inside, into a dam on Father’s Day, 2005, for which he is serving a 33 year sentence. Arabia unpicks the evidence used in his case and calls for better science to be presented in the legal system in general. Hosting the episode is a journalist who’s spent months combing through the Farquharson evidence, Michael Bachelard, a senior writer with The Age.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Trial by Water is a new investigative podcast series about Robert Farquharson, who has been locked up for decades for an unthinkable crime: murdering his three sons in a dam on Father’s Day, 2005. Now scientists and lawyers are asking the question: did we get it wrong? And is this man in prison for a crime he didn’t commit? Episode 1 will arrive on Saturday, June 1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with documentary maker Ian Darling, whose latest movie - The Pool - is premiering at the Sydney Film Festival in June before a national cinema release. The film is a paean to Bondi Icebergs, a picturesque pool on the edge of Australia’s most famous beach. Hosting this episode, which explores Darling's shift from stockbroking to filmmaking, the meditative nature of swimming, the eclectic 'Bergs community, and the trials and tribulations of a 12-month outdoor shoot, is Good Weekend editor, Katrina Strickland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we meet Rhanee Rego, the young Novocastrian who became interested in the case of Australia's "worst serial child killer", Kathleen Folbigg, when studying law. Six years later, Rego was instrumental in securing the release of Folbigg, who'd been jailed in 2003 for killing her four infant children. With Folbigg's convictions now quashed, Rego is working to secure what's expected to be one of the biggest compensation payouts in Australian legal history. Hosting the conversation is Good Weekend senior writer, Tim Elliott.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we meet Rachelle Unreich, Melbourne-based author of the book, A Brilliant Life: my mother's inspiring story of surviving the Holocaust. Recently shortlisted for The Age’s non-fiction book of the year, this mother-daughter memoir weaves the remarkable story of Rachelle's mother Mira, who survived four concentration camps from the age of 17, together with background about the Holocaust and Rachelle's own life. Hosting the episode, which explores both Rachelle and Mira's stories, the challenge of memory and the lessons learnt from the very worst - and best - of humanity, is the editor of Good Weekend, Katrina Strickland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we meet bestselling author Johann Hari, who has gone down an Ozempic rabbit hole to work out how and why this weight loss drug works. Hari writes about his findings in a new book, Magic Pill, including his own dramatic drop in clothes size. Whilst marvelling at how drugs like this are changing obesity management, he remains conflicted about their use and longer-term ramifications. Hosting the conversation is Good Weekend senior writer, Amanda Hooton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we meet lawyer and author Shankari Chandran, who won the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens. Chandran’s writing explores the Sri Lankan diaspora in Australia, and weaves sharp commentary on racism, injustice and ignorance through richly told stories of family and community. Her new novel, Safe Haven, published by Ultimo Press in early May, explores issues of immigration and detention. Hosting this episode, which also covers how Chandran finds the time to write between her work as a lawyer and raising four kids, is Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we meet economist Sean Turnell, who was imprisoned in Myanmar in 2022, following a military coup. Turnell spent 650 days behind bars, including two months in a metal room within a room that he calls "the box". He talks to us today about everything from his anxiety over the continued imprisonment of his colleagues from Myanmar, to forming a movement with other Australians who've been wrongfully imprisoned abroad, like Kylie Moore-Gilbert and Cheng Lei. Hosting this episode, which touches on the smuggled books and fruitcake that made Turnell’s stint in prison bearable, is former South-East Asia correspondent and now senior reporter, Chris Barrett.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Peter Winneke, who has spent more than two decades in the philanthropic sector, working for the Myer Foundation and serving on the boards of Philanthropy Australia, the Sidney Myer Fund, the Reichstein Foundation and the Catherine Freeman Foundation. Winneke is on a mission to convince Australia's high-net-worth families to give more of their wealth away, and has written a book to that end, Give While You Live: A Practical Guide to More and Better Giving in Australia. Hosting this conversation about what Australia should take from America's philanthropic culture, what percentage of their wealth families should give away - and why donating to good causes is better than buying (another) Lamborghini, is Good Weekend editor, Katrina Strickland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Sydney chef Neil Perry, and we're asking a specific question - can one restaurateur single-handedly lift a suburb from the doldrums? Perry now has three Double Bay eateries, Margaret, Next Door, and the Melbourne import Baker Bleu, with two more scheduled to open in August.Hosting this episode about the Perry family business, his experience in the food scene over many decades and what it takes to renew an entire suburb is Sydney editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, Michael Koziol.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss the wave of anti-gay murders that struck Sydney from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s and beyond, and why so many have still not been solved. The police have long been accused of inaction over these murders but thanks to a special inquiry into anti-gay hate crimes held last year, it's become clear that much more the simple police indifference is responsible. Criminal lawyer Nicholas Stewart joins Good Weekend deputy editor Greg Callaghan to discuss the murders, answer the question, "what makes it a gay hate crime?" and analyse more recent gay hate crimes across Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we speak with Tom Elliott, host of Melbourne's top rating Mornings program, about what makes morning radio tick - and what doesn't, growing up with his infamous father John, and how (and why) he swapped a career in finance for the power of the microphone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak to para surfing star Joel Taylor. At 21, Joel was a pro bodyboarder left paraplegic after a freak wave dumped him at the famous Pipeline break in Hawaii. Two decades on, he’s a world surfing champion. Joel speaks with senior Good Weekend writer Tim Elliott about his early life as a Jehovah’s Witness, his love of the ocean, that life-threatening injury and his phenomenal comeback. Also joining the conversation is Joel's wife Lorin, who discusses how they got together, her husband's obsessive compulsive disorder and life with their young two sons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After releasing his first book of short stories, The Boat, Nam Le was branded a "criminally talented" young author of "a singular masterpiece". That was back in 2008, and he hasn't released another book ... until now. Returning to the literary stage with a book of poetry - 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem - Le talks to Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall about what happened in the interim, and how he found his way back to writing his first literary love - writing in rhyme and verse. He also chats candidly about his family's refugee origins, his upbringing in suburban Doncaster, his short-lived legal career and his love of poker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David McBride is awaiting sentencing for the leak of classified military documents from his time as an army lawyer in Afghanistan. In a candid conversation with senior Good Weekend writer Jane Cadzow, he speaks about what led him to do it, the personal fallout and his complex relationship with his father William, who blew the whistle on problems with thalidomide in the 1960s before his own fall from grace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we take an exclusive peek into a groundbreaking Melbourne trial into the use of psychedelics for the terminally ill, to help ease their end-of-life angst. Joining us to discuss the trial are psychiatrist Dr. Justin Dwyer, one half of the clinical research team coordinating the three and a half year effort, and journalist Kate Cole-Adams, who has been following the process and has written our cover story this week, ‘My brain was being reworked’. Hosting the conversation is Good Weekend deputy editor Greg Callaghan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As CEO and founder of national charity organisation The Man Cave, Hunter Johnson helps young men build self-esteem and emotional resilience, while arming them with the tools to navigate the sometimes toxic 'manosphere'. In this episode of Good Weekend Talks, senior writer Melissa Fyfe talks to Johnson about his youth at an elite high school, his journaling practice, visiting Buckingham Palace - even working with Harry and Meghan - while creating a brand of toiletries for young men.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's toured the world as a rock star, but ended up in Hobart running an arts festival. In this episode of Good Weekend Talks, Brian Ritchie, bass player for American folk punk band Violent Femmes speaks to The Age arts editor Elizabeth Flux about his career in music, how he became artistic director for Mona Foma, his friendship with the eccentric head of MONA, David Walsh, and how the Shakuhachi flute keeps him grounded. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with actor Eric Bana and director Robert Connolly about their new film, Force of Nature, a sequel to their 2020 smash it, The Dry. Hosting this conversation about their shared work experience, leeches on location, and filming in frigid and wet Victorian forests, is senior culture writer for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Karl Quinn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with neuroscientist Joel Pearson, author of a new book, The Intuition Toolkit, about the science behind intuition and how we can harness that to make better decisions. Joel explains what happens when we experience the powerful gut feelings and hunches or as he prefers to define them, the learned productive use of unconscious information. Hosting this conversation is Good Weekend senior writer, Amanda Hooton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Good Weekend Talks, we go to Melbourne Park - home of the Australian Open - and speak to former tennis star, author, and now inspirational Nine commentator, Jelena Dokic. Jelena burst onto the scene in 1999, when she was just 16. Ranked 129 in the world, she knocked over then world number 1, Martina Hingis, launching a career full of promise. But behind closed doors, she had already survived a decade of abuse at the hands of her father. She famously overcame (or survived) that adversity, to eventually become the number four player in the world, before retiring from the game 10 years ago. She speaks with Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall about fleeing war, mental health, body positivity, online abuse, and who will win the women's final this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We'll be back in late January 2024 with plenty of exciting interviews booked in the calendar.  But for now enjoy one of our most popular episodes from the past year. And remember to subscribe and share. Do affairs run in families? Are there seven stages to go through after discovering your spouse has cheated on you? What is the best way to move on? Journalist Kate Legge delves into these questions and more - with Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland - after discovering not only that her husband had cheated on her, but that their son had cheated on his partner too, and that her husband's father and grandmother had both also had affairs. This episode first aired on February 18, 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We'll be back in late January 2024 with plenty of exciting interviews booked in the calendar.  But for now enjoy one of our most popular episodes from the past year. And remember to subscribe and share. We talk with Hugh Van Cuylenburg, a former teacher turned podcaster and public speaker who founded the Resilience Project and co-hosts The Imperfects podcast. Van Cuylenburg talks to Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall about the twists and turns in his own life, the lessons he wants to impart to others and why he loves a good long run. This episode first aired on April 14, 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We'll be back in late January 2024 with plenty of exciting interviews booked in the calendar.  But for now enjoy one of our most popular episodes from the past year. And remember to subscribe and share. In this episode we speak with Nagi Maehashi, the creator of cult cooking website, RecipeTin Eats, which has grown into a global success story since it launched almost a decade ago. Nagi Maehashi talks with us about what inspired her to start cooking her obsessive testing process and how her former career as an auditor helped make her business so strong.And hosting this discussion, which includes generous mention of Maehashi’s much loved sidekick Dozer - a golden retriever almost as popular as her food - is senior culture writer for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald Kerrie O’Brien.  This episode first aired on April 6, 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We'll be back in late January 2024 with plenty of exciting interviews booked in the calendar.  But for now enjoy one of our most popular episodes from the past year. And remember to subscribe and share. We talk with veteran Aussie actor Guy Pearce, whose career now spans four decades, from his debut as a novice straight out of high school in Neighbours, via Hollywood movies like LA Confidential and international hits like The King's Speech, to high-end TV series such as Jack Irish and Mare of Easttown and his new show coming out shortly on Disney+ - The Clearing - an eight-part thriller set in Victoria. Hosting this conversation - about everything from how fatherhood has changed him, to his itinerant global life, to how he really feels about the Neighbours reboot, is senior culture writer for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Karl Quinn. This episode first aired on May 19, 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland sits down with senior writer Konrad Marshall to discuss what makes a great magazine feature, what Marshall learnt from his early days working for small town American newspapers and how, in an increasingly media-managed world, the specialist craft of longform writing is changing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we speak with Nick Bryant, author, former BBC correspondent and occasional columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, about the big events across the globe this year. Unlike the so-called Roaring 1920s, Bryant notes that the 2020s have gotten off to a rather wretched start. From war in the Middle East to the harsh effects of climate change, to the consolidation of power by strongmen such as Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, Bryant laments the state of play right now. And that's before we even get to the spectre of another Donald Trump term in the White House. Hosting this conversation, which also canvasses some of the high points of the year, from our fervour for the Matilda's to the Barbie and Taylor Swift phenomena, is the editor of Good Weekend, Katrina Strickland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Hollywood director, actor, screenwriter and producer Taika Waititi. The Kiwi filmmaker is the man behind New Zealand films, Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, as well as global blockbusters like Thor: Love and Thunder, and critically acclaimed Holocaust dramedy JoJo Rabbit. Hosting the conversation about his latest movie, Next Goal Wins starring Michael Fassbender, and how Waititi has been, for the past 22 years, flying to NZ from wherever he is in the world to play rugby every Saturday (kidding!), is Good Weekend senior writer, Konrad Marshall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talk with Melbourne based transgender advocate Son Vivienne. Son is non binary and the chief of Transgender Victoria, which aims to improve social, economic and health outcomes for trans and gender diverse people. Hosting this discussion on affirmative care, treatments and the realities of living as a gender diverse Australian is The Age senior writer, Michael Bachelard.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talk with Melbourne based research scientist Tim Moss about the controversial claim that human sperm is in  precipitous decline. So are we all doomed - or is the research not quite as definitive as it seems? Hosting this conversation on fertility, masculinity and tight underwear is Good Weekend senior writer, Tim Elliott.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with singer Marcia Hines about her family ties, arriving in Australia aged 16 and pregnant, her deep connection to music and her enduring appeal. Hosting a conversation that also covers her latest album, The Gospel According to Marcia, as well as upcoming gigs in the stage version of Grease and as a returning judge on Australian Idol, is The Age culture writer and unabashed Marcia fan, Michael Lallo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020, former Victorian state MP Tim Holding and fiancée Felicity Selkirk purchased a crumbling 18th century French chateau and set about restoring it. The monumental, multi-year renovation has drained their patience - and bank balance - but become one of the most rewarding things they've ever embarked upon. Hosting a conversation about why they decided to do it in the first place, what it's taught them about themselves and each other, and living in the French countryside, is Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Booker Prize-winning author Richard Flanagan discusses everything from his latest novel, Question 7 – from his near-death experience as a young man kayaking on the Franklin River to his decision to become a novelist as a four-year-old, and how his connection to Tasmania dates back to the first convicts. Hosting the conversation about the difficulties of forgetting, remembering and writing about the past is Spectrum editor and culture writer Melanie Kembrey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, journalist and bestselling author Julia Baird speaks about her latest book, Bright Shining, which explores the role of grace in our lives: what it is, where to find it, and how to cultivate it. Hosting the conversation is Good Weekend senior writer, Amanda Hooton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode we talk to Jodi Matterson, the most important person in Australian film and TV that you've likely never heard of. This powerhouse of the screen is behind everything from the Naomi Watts film Penguin Bloom, to the Nicole Kidman series Nine Perfect Strangers. She speaks about her globetrotting life, and how she fell into the career in the first place.Hosting this discussion is Good Weekend senior writer Amanda Hooton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Australian thriller writer Matthew Reilly talks about his writing life in Los Angeles, what it was like to make the film Interceptor and how long it takes to know if you've got a Netflix hit (hint: not long at all). Hosting the conversation is Books Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Jason Steger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talk with former Olympic champion Kieren Perkins. The swimmer had an amazing career in the pool, including winning consecutive individual gold medals through the 1990s.  Since then he's worked in leadership, consultancy and banking - and for the past 18 months, at the Australian Sports Commission, as CEO of an organisation charged with fostering  Australia's Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth games sports. Hosting the conversation is Good Weekend senior writer, Konrad Marshall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak to the former frontman for The Cruel Sea, Tex Perkins, who’s currently on tour playing the hits of the legendary Johnny Cash. In conversation with Karl Quinn, Perkins discusses everything from performance anxiety and growing up in Brisbane to the pros and cons of playing Cash’s songs to the inmates of a maximum security prison. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, we speak with former broadcaster Tracy Spicer about artificial intelligence, misogyny in the media and what it’s like living with long COVID. Her latest book, Man-Made, examines the rapidly developing world of technology, which she says is fraught with danger, posing a real risk to the gains made by the civil rights movement. And hosting this conversation about bias in machine learning, living with a disability and indigenous women as the world’s first coders - is senior culture writer at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Kerrie O’Brien.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we speak to writer Tim Winton about his campaign to save the remote, pristine ecosystems around Ningaloo, in north-west Western Australia. The award-winning author has produced a documentary about the battle to protect this beautiful reef and the land that surrounds it from numerous threats including salt mines, oil and gas pipelines and a deep water port proposed for the middle of a humpback whale refuge. Hosting the conversation is Good Weekend senior writer Tim Elliott.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, we speak to broadcaster Myf Warhurst about her eclectic career in radio and TV, including the music knowledge that made her both a Eurovision commentator and a Spicks and Specs favorite, as well as her current stage role playing the narrator in a new production of the Rocky Horror Show. Not to mention a recurring gig on the animated global hit Bluey.  Hosting the conversation - from being a foster parent and her documentary about menopause - is Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk with Hugh Van Cuylenburg, a former teacher turned podcaster and public speaker who founded the Resilience Project and co-hosts The Imperfects podcast. Van Cuylenburg talks to Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall about the twists and turns in his own life, the lessons he wants to impart to others and why he loves a good long run.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.