Dodging the Taliban, camel spiders and becoming 'impervious to shock': Former special forces soldier Bram Connolly 

Bram Connolly is the type of person you want as a neighbour if there's ever a crisis or an emergency on your street. Connolly spent 20 years in the Australian special forces navigating the world's most dangerous landscapes, from Afghanistan to Somalia, so he knows how to stay cool in the heat of ba…

Up close with the Donald Trump ‘regime’ – New York Times reporter and Australian Jonathan Swan

Australian journalist Jonathan Swan, a White House reporter for TheNew York Times, is perhaps best known for his hard-hitting interviews with US President Donald Trump. Most famous was his August 2020 exchange with Trump, in which Swan's real-time fact-checking (and incredulous facial expressions) …

Comedian Myf Warhurst turns serious – about everything

Think of Myf Warhurst and the word “bubbly” might spring to mind. With everything the radio and TV personality does – from Spicks and Specks to the Eurovision Song Contest or her documentary, The Truth about Menopause – Warhurst is known as the ray of sunshine, the nice one (she’s even the voice of…

George Megalogenis on immigration, instability and the 'three shocks' shifting modern society

George Megalogenis is known as a big thinker about Australian politics and culture, searching beyond the noise for what’s really going on in our country. He has four decades' experience in the media, including time in the parliamentary press gallery. In his new book, Three Shocks: Who We Are Becomi…

Maria Ressa on journalism, the new internet, and AI ‘strip-mining our humanity’

Maria Ressa is one of the most celebrated journalists in the world. Born in Manila in 1963, she moved with her family to the US, studying at Princeton University before returning to the Philippines to forge a career covering the growth of terrorism in South East Asia. In 2012, she co-founded online…

Anthony LaPaglia on therapy, chasing zen – and realising 'there's nothing to be afraid of'

Anthony LaPaglia is best known to audiences for a host of big- and small-screen roles, including films such as Looking for Alibrandi, Lantana and Balibo and US TV shows including Without a Trace. But the 67-year-old is also no stranger to the stage, having once won a Tony for his performance in th…

Journalist Neil Mercer and the true stories of wrongful convictions in Australia

Nothing exposes the flaws of a justice system more than the wrongful conviction of an innocent person for murder. Adelaide man Henry Keogh languished in prison for two decades after being wrongfully convicted of his fiancée’s drowning, while Andrew Mallard – a vulnerable, troubled outsider – had hi…

Comedian Arj Barker on Letterman, the Conchords, and 'babygate'

Arj Barker has been a fixture on the local comedy scene for decades, headlining our comedy festivals and turning up on shows including Thank God You’re Here and Spicks and Specks. But the San Francisco-born stand-up began telling jokes at open mic nights in 1989, before appearances on American late…

‘I know enough to be dangerous’: Boost Juice founder Janine Allis on failure and success

Starting a business is one thing, running it successfully is another – but doing it with your spouse and four kids is a different kettle of fish. Janine Allis has done all of the above, after founding Boost Juice as a single store in the 2000s and growing it into a global empire. She’s since become…

‘I’ve mellowed a little bit’: Peter Singer on the limit of free speech and his guidance for giving

Peter Singer, often called the world's most influential philosopher, is turning 80, and he's returned home to Melbourne too, after almost 25 years as a professor of bioethics at Princeton University. Singer's practical ethics has had a huge impact and caused controversy across issues as diverse as …