Mao's Last Dancer author Li Cunxin on his new book The Lucky Son

Following on from his massively successful memoir Mao's Last Dancer, acclaimed ballet dancer Li Cunxin's new book The Lucky Son reflects on the moment his life changed forever and the love, challenges, triumphs and profound lessons that have shaped his later life. He sat down with Frances Whiting for her new podcast Humankind. In this candid interview he reflects on the sliding door moment that took him from an impoverished childhood in rural China,to starring seasons at the Houston Ballet.

This is a new limited series from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail.

Read more from Frances Whiting in QWeekend.

Frances Whitng's novel, The Nocturnals, is out now. 

Following on from his massively successful memoir Mao's Last Dancer, acclaimed ballet dancer Li Cunxin's new book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-lucky-son-9781761352607">The Lucky</a> Son reflects on the moment his life changed forever and the love, challenges, triumphs and profound lessons that have shaped his later life. He sat down with Frances Whiting for her new podcast Humankind. In this candid interview he reflects on the sliding door moment that took him from an impoverished childhood in rural China,to starring seasons at the Houston Ballet.
This is a new limited series from <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail</a>.
<a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting">Read more </a>from Frances Whiting in QWeekend.
Frances Whitng's novel,&nbsp;<a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/pages/nocturnals">The Nocturnals</a>, is out now.&nbsp;

Deep conversations. Extraordinary people. Human stories. Frances Whiting is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and Australia's longest-running Sunday newspaper columnist. For more than 30 years, she has shared stories of heartache, triumph, love, and loss. Now, her new podcast from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail takes you behind the scenes of her most candid interviews to reveal what it truly means to be human.

In this limited series, Frances Whiting's Humankind, she shares her favourite conversations with politicians, celebrities, performers, and everyday people with vital stories to tell. Listen in as Frances sits down with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, journalist Cheng Lei, Pub Choir’s Astrid Jorgensen, radio personality Robin Bailey, and a prominent Queensland police officer facing an unfathomable family tragedy.

This is a podcast that draws you in and makes you cry, laugh, and feel. These are deep conversations that will stay with you long after they end.

Hit follow to never miss an episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind.

Read Frances’s columns at couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting and features at qweekend.com.au.

Deep conversations. Extraordinary people. Human stories.&nbsp;Frances Whiting is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and Australia's longest-running Sunday newspaper columnist. For more than 30 years, she has shared stories of heartache, triumph, love, and loss. Now, her new podcast from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail takes you behind the scenes of her most candid interviews to reveal what it truly means to be human.
In this limited series, Frances Whiting's Humankind, she shares her favourite conversations with politicians, celebrities, performers, and everyday people with vital stories to tell. Listen in as Frances sits down with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, journalist Cheng Lei, Pub Choir&rsquo;s Astrid Jorgensen, radio personality Robin Bailey, and a prominent Queensland police officer facing an unfathomable family tragedy.
This is a podcast that draws you in and makes you cry, laugh, and feel. These are deep conversations that will stay with you long after they end.
Hit follow to never miss an episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind.
Read Frances&rsquo;s columns at&nbsp;<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting" data-renderer-mark="true" data-is-router-link="false" data-testid="link-with-safety">couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting</a> and features at <a href="http://qweekend.com.au/" data-renderer-mark="true" data-is-router-link="false" data-testid="link-with-safety">qweekend.com.au</a>.

Deep conversations. Extraordinary people. Human stories. A new limited podcast series hosted by award-winning journalist and best-selling author Frances Whiting, brought to you by The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail.

Frances Whiting’s Humankind

Deep conversations. Extraordinary people. Human stories. Frances Whiting is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and Australia's longest-running Sunday newspaper columnist. For more than 30 years, she has shared stories of heartache, triumph, love, and loss. Now, her new podcast from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail takes you behind the scenes of her most candid interviews to reveal what it truly means to be human. In this limited series, Frances Whiting's Humankind, she shares her favourite conversations with politicians, celebrities, performers, and everyday people with vital stories to tell. Listen in as Frances sits down with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, journalist Cheng Lei, Pub Choir’s Astrid Jorgensen, radio personality Robin Bailey, and a prominent Queensland police officer facing an unfathomable family tragedy. This is a podcast that draws you in and makes you cry, laugh, and feel. These are deep conversations that will stay with you long after they end. Hit follow to never miss an episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind. Read Frances’s columns at couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting and features at qweekend.com.au. 

Deep conversations. Extraordinary people. Human stories. Frances Whiting is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and Australia's longest-running Sunday newspaper columnist.&nbsp;For more than 30 years, she has shared stories of heartache, triumph, love, and loss. Now, her new podcast from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail takes you behind the scenes of her most candid interviews to reveal what it truly means to be human. In this limited series, Frances Whiting's Humankind, she shares her favourite conversations with politicians, celebrities, performers, and everyday people with vital stories to tell. Listen in as Frances sits down with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, journalist Cheng Lei, Pub Choir&rsquo;s Astrid Jorgensen, radio personality Robin Bailey, and a prominent Queensland police officer facing an unfathomable family tragedy. This is a podcast that draws you in and makes you cry, laugh, and feel. These are deep conversations that will stay with you long after they end. Hit follow to never miss an episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind. Read Frances&rsquo;s columns at&nbsp;<a href="couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting">couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting</a> and features at <a href="qweekend.com.au">qweekend.com.au.</a>&nbsp;

Deep conversations. Extraordinary people. Human stories. 

Frances Whiting is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and Australia's longest-running Sunday newspaper columnist. For more than 30 years, she has shared stories of heartache, triumph, love, and loss. Now, her new podcast from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail takes you behind the scenes of her most candid interviews to reveal what it truly means to be human. 

In this limited series, Frances Whiting's Humankind, she shares her favourite conversations with politicians, celebrities, performers, and everyday people with vital stories to tell. Listen in as Frances sits down with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, journalist Cheng Lei, Pub Choir’s Astrid Jorgensen, radio personality Robin Bailey, and a prominent Queensland police officer facing an unfathomable family tragedy. 

This is a podcast that draws you in and makes you cry, laugh, and feel. These are deep conversations that will stay with you long after they end. 

Hit follow to never miss an episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind.

Read Frances’s columns at couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting and features at qweekend.com.au.

Deep conversations. Extraordinary people. Human stories.&nbsp;
Frances Whiting is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and Australia's longest-running Sunday newspaper columnist. For more than 30 years, she has shared stories of heartache, triumph, love, and loss. Now, her new podcast from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail takes you behind the scenes of her most candid interviews to reveal what it truly means to be human.&nbsp;
In this limited series, Frances Whiting's Humankind, she shares her favourite conversations with politicians, celebrities, performers, and everyday people with vital stories to tell. Listen in as Frances sits down with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, journalist Cheng Lei, Pub Choir&rsquo;s Astrid Jorgensen, radio personality Robin Bailey, and a prominent Queensland police officer facing an unfathomable family tragedy.&nbsp;
This is a podcast that draws you in and makes you cry, laugh, and feel. These are deep conversations that will stay with you long after they end.&nbsp;
Hit follow to never miss an episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind.
Read Frances&rsquo;s columns at&nbsp;<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting" data-renderer-mark="true" data-is-router-link="false" data-testid="link-with-safety">couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting</a> and features at <a href="http://qweekend.com.au/" data-renderer-mark="true" data-is-router-link="false" data-testid="link-with-safety">qweekend.com.au</a>.

Ballet icon Li Cunxin on the lessons that shaped his extraordinary life

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/8d6bc51e-9c58-4cb5-9509-b4d0004d5491/transcript

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Bestselling author Matthew Reilly on King's Ransom and writing 

Bestselling author Matthew Reilly on King's Ransom and the secret to becoming a writer 

In this episode bestselling author Matthew Reilly shares the story of how he rose to fame and how he kick-started his career when he self-published his first book.

He tells Frances Whiting about the importance of perseverance and encouragement from loved ones, and how it's never too late to pursue your dreams.

Reilly has a DeLorean DMC-12 car from Back to the Future, a life-size Han Solo in carbonite hanging on his office wall and an imagination as big as the Star Wars universe. 

It’s that imagination that has fuelled Reilly’s 23 best-selling books that have sold more than eight million copies in more than 20 languages.

Now living in Los Angeles, Reilly has just released his latest action-packed blockbuster, King’s Ransom, a sequel to last year’s The Detective, which introduced his legions of fans to the quirky and endearing private investigator Sam Speedman. 

Reilly tells Frances Whiting ]about his latest book, his memorabilia collection and gives an insight into writing and provides words of encouragement for would-be authors.

Matthew Riley's King's Ransom is out now. 

Frances Whiting's Humankind is a new limited series from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail.

Read more from Frances Whiting in QWeekend.

Frances Whiting's novel, The Nocturnals, is out now as is

In this episode bestselling author Matthew Reilly shares the story of how he rose to fame and how he kick-started his career when he self-published his first book.
He tells Frances Whiting about the importance of perseverance and encouragement from loved ones, and how it's never too late to pursue your dreams.
Reilly has a DeLorean DMC-12 car from Back to the Future, a life-size Han Solo in carbonite hanging on his office wall and an imagination as big as the Star Wars universe.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s that imagination that has fuelled Reilly&rsquo;s 23 best-selling books that have sold more than eight million copies in more than 20 languages.
Now living in Los Angeles, Reilly has just released his latest action-packed blockbuster, King&rsquo;s Ransom, a sequel to last year&rsquo;s The Detective, which introduced his legions of fans to the quirky and endearing private investigator Sam Speedman.&nbsp;
Reilly tells Frances Whiting ]about his latest book, his memorabilia collection and gives an insight into writing and provides words of encouragement for would-be authors.
Matthew Riley's King's Ransom<a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781761906886/"> is out now.&nbsp;</a>
Frances Whiting's Humankind is a new limited series from <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail</a>.
<a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting">Read more </a>from Frances Whiting in QWeekend.
Frances Whiting's novel, <a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/pages/nocturnals">The Nocturnals</a>, is out now as is

Bestselling author Matthew Reilly on the secret to becoming a writer 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/2909332a-73bc-45f9-b4e1-b4e10018f0f7/transcript

Trent Dalton interviews Frances Whiting at the launch of her new book The Nocturnals  at Brisbane Powerhouse

Bestselling author Trent Dalton turns the tables on Frances Whiting, interviewing her live onstage at the launch of her third novel, The Nocturnals at the Brisbane Powerhouse. In front of a sold-out crowd, the two old friends and former colleagues dive deep into the origins of the book, the power of friendship, the characters that haunt us, and the stories behind Frances's celebrated journalism career. From a Robert Redford look-alike sighting at Indooroopilly traffic lights to a $2 million philanthropic miracle, this is a warm, funny, and moving conversation between two of Australia's finest storytellers - introduced by their teenage daughters, and featuring an audience who came to do more than just listen.

This is a new limited series from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail.

Read more from Frances Whiting in QWeekend.

Frances Whiting's novel, The Nocturnals, is out now as is Trent Dalton's latest novel Gravity let Me Go.

Bestselling author Trent Dalton turns the tables on Frances Whiting, interviewing her live onstage at the launch of her third novel, <a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/pages/nocturnals">The Nocturnals</a> at the Brisbane Powerhouse. In front of a sold-out crowd, the two old friends and former colleagues dive deep into the origins of the book, the power of friendship, the characters that haunt us, and the stories behind Frances's celebrated journalism career. From a Robert Redford look-alike sighting at Indooroopilly traffic lights to a $2 million philanthropic miracle, this is a warm, funny, and moving conversation between two of Australia's finest storytellers - introduced by their teenage daughters, and featuring an audience who came to do more than just listen.
This is a new limited series from <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail</a>.
<a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting">Read more </a>from Frances Whiting in QWeekend.
Frances Whiting's novel, <a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/pages/nocturnals">The Nocturnals</a>, is out now as is Trent Dalton's latest novel&nbsp;<a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/pages/trent-dalton">Gravity let Me Go.</a>

Author Trent Dalton on the power of friendship - Live at the Brisbane Powerhouse

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/5efc8737-c518-4844-952c-b4cd004c3e57/transcript

Radio star Robin Bailey discusses her toughest times including her husband's suicide and the death of her new love

For years, Robin Bailey has avoided some hard truths and difficult questions. In her honest and emotional memoir Flamingos Arent's Born Pink she reveals the most challenging moments of her private life.  In this episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind, Robin recounts her grief and guilt following her husband's suicide, and after finding love again, mourning the death of her new partner less than a year after their wedding. She reveals - with brutal honesty - the good, the bad and the ugly times and what her three brave sons mean to her.

 

This is a new limited series from The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail.

Read more from Frances Whiting, including her Qweekend story on Robin Bailey.

Frances Whitng's novel, The Nocturnals, is out now. 

 

Content warning: this episode contains references to suicide. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now call 000.  You can also reach out to Lifeline for 24/7 crisis support on 13 11 14.

For years, Robin Bailey has avoided some hard truths and difficult questions. In her honest and emotional memoir <a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/products/9781460768839">Flamingos Arent's Born Pink</a> she reveals the most challenging moments of her private life.&nbsp; In this episode of Frances Whiting's Humankind, Robin recounts her grief and guilt following her husband's suicide, and after finding love again, mourning the death of her new partner less than a year after their wedding. She reveals - with brutal honesty - the good, the bad and the ugly times and what her three brave sons mean to her.
&nbsp;
This is a new limited series from <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail</a>.
<a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/journalists/fran-whiting">Read more </a>from Frances Whiting, including her Qweekend story on Robin Bailey.
Frances Whitng's novel,&nbsp;<a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/pages/nocturnals">The Nocturnals</a>, is out now.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Content warning: this episode contains references to suicide.&nbsp;
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now call 000.&nbsp; You can also reach out to Lifeline for 24/7 crisis support on 13 11 14.

Radio star Robin Bailey on the hardest truths she's had to face

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/97e7e79b-dfcd-40da-b7f6-b4c8006189a1/transcript

Ballet icon Li Cunxin on the lessons that shaped his extraordinary life

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