Richard Fidler

Richard Fidler is a writer and broadcaster whose work seamlessly blends history, travel writing, mythology, and deeply human storytelling. He is best known as the long-standing presenter of ABC Radio’s Conversations, Australia’s flagship long-form interview program, which he has hosted for more than two decades. The program attracts several million podcast downloads each month, making it one of the most widely listened-to interview podcasts in the country.

As an author, Richard has written multiple best-selling and award-winning books, celebrated for their ability to bring the past vividly to life while illuminating timeless human themes. His writing reflects a rare capacity to connect scholarship with curiosity, and intellectual depth with accessibility.

In 2026, Richard launched the Viking Lives podcast with Icelandic author Kári Gíslason, presenting the sweeping arc of Viking history through a sequence of intimate and compelling life stories. The series exemplifies Richard’s talent for re-imagining history as lived experience, rather than distant chronology.

Before his broadcasting and writing career, Richard lived an entirely different creative life as a member of the confrontational music-comedy trio The Doug Anthony Allstars (DAAS). Alongside Paul McDermott and Tim Ferguson, he helped form the group while studying in Canberra. What began as a busking act evolved into an internationally recognised phenomenon, performing everywhere from the West End of London to the streets of Paris and New York, and in remote mining towns across outback Australia.

DAAS became legendary for its anarchic performances, including famously cramming audiences into venue toilets for encores—creating moments of unexpected intimacy and irreverence that became part of Australian cultural folklore. The group disbanded in 1994, having left a lasting imprint on Australian comedy and performance.

Following DAAS, Richard transitioned into television, presenting a number of programs for ABC Television, including Race Around the World and Aftershock, a series exploring radical emerging technologies. In 2005, he began presenting Conversations, collaborating closely with senior producer Pam O’Brien. The program was soon adopted nationally across ABC Radio networks and has since become a cultural institution.

Across radio, podcasts, books, and public appearances, Richard Fidler is known for his intellectual curiosity, generosity of spirit, and exceptional ability to draw people into meaningful conversation. Whether speaking with world leaders, artists, thinkers, or everyday individuals, he creates space for insight, vulnerability, and reflection.