Really Interesting Women - the podcast

Episode 130

KATHY LETTE

Kathy Lette is a celebrated and outspoken comic writer who has an imitable take on serious current issues. She is one of the pioneering voices of contemporary feminism.

She left school at 16 which didn't please her mother who was a school Principal. She wanted to become a published writer. In Australia. In the 70s. As a teenager. And she did!

She co-wrote her first novel, Puberty Blues, when she was 17. They were the first teenagers in this country to publish a book about teenagers. The sales went ballistic. It became a film and TV series and is still an iconic piece of literature.

She moved to the UK in the late 80s and went on to write international bestsellers. Twenty of them! Her titles include Girls’ Night Out, Foetal Attraction, Mad Cows, The Boy Who Fell to Earth, and The Revenge Club, which has just been published.

Stephen Fry called her books ‘Unputdownable’ and Nicole Kidman described her work as ‘Deliciously rude and darkly funny’.

She is wickedly funny and a great conversationalist. No one is safe. I even found myself on the end of some of her 'tongue-fu' (as she describes it).

To hear our conversation head to the link in my bio.

The book is: The Revenge Club
You can find it at:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-revenge-club-kathy-lette/book/9781035901289.html

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Really Interesting Women - Podcast

Episode 129 - Professor Fiona Wood FRACS AO

Fiona Wood was born in Yorkshire and was told that becoming a surgeon was not something she could do. She’s not the sort of person that hears the word ‘no’.

She studied medicine in London and was an outlier. And there was another outlier there...a male doctor often seen in handknitted jumpers and Dunlop Volleys (as opposed to the expected blazers and ties). He was, perhaps you’ve guessed, an Australian. They fell in love, got married and immigrated to Perth with their 2 very young children in 1987 (those 2 were soon joined by 4 more).

Fiona completed training in plastic surgery and subsequently became Head of the Royal Perth Hospital Burns Unit. In fact, she became the first female plastic surgeon in Western Australia.

It was her work with medical scientist Marie Stoner on tissue engineering and burn treatments that would gain her attention within the medical world, but it was as the face of Australia’s response to the Bali bombings in October 2002 that brought her international attention as she led a team of 19 surgeons and 130 medical staff working around the clock in four operating theatres to save lives.

And her incredible ongoing medical innovations and dedication contributed to her being recognised as a “National Living Treasure” and in 2005 being named Australian of the Year.

We had a fabulous conversation. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I don’t think it was quite this.

Head to the link in my bio to have a listen to the podcast....

For those wanting to help with a donation or just read more about her incredible work, head to

www.fionawoodfoundation.org.au

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Episode 128

SUSAN JOHNSON

The Australian newspaper has described Susan Johnson as, ‘One of the finest Australian writers.’

She describes herself as, author, incurable Australian, friend, feminist, ambivalent mother skewered by love and struck by eternal wanderlust.
Isn't that a terrific description.

Her books include, From Where I Fell, published in 2021 (shortlisted for the Voss Literary Award) and The Broken Book (longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2005) and, most recently, Aphrodite’s Breath: A Mother and Daughter's Greek Island Adventure which is a memoir about living on Kythera, Greece, with her 85-year-old mother. A really great read.

She started her career as a journalist and her life trajectory changed in 1985, when she received the first of three New Writers' grants from the Literature Board of the Australia Council which allowed her to write full time. She is now the author of twelve books.

Join me for a great discussion with Susan Johnson.


Link to Susan's latest book:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/aphrodite-s-breath-susan-johnson/book/9781760876562.html

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

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Episode 127


DR SONIA HENRY

Sonia Henry is a doctor practicing in rural Australia. I mean, really rural. She’s also a best-selling author, and an advocate, not only for the welfare of overworked doctors but for the improvement of medical services to remote indigenous communities.

This is a fascinating and inspiring story of how one doctor, almost on a whim, decided to leave the hustle and hassle of the city behind and took herself to one of the most remote parts of Australia to practice as a GP.

And her experiences there changed her life.

She has written two largely autobiographical best selling books about her experiences. The joys, the frustrations, the triumphs and tragedies. She outlines the myriad of problems and potential solutions. And here's a novel approach...when faced with the huge gap in healthcare treatment and availability for first nations people, she just asked her indigenous patients what they would need.

Head to the link in my bio for Sonia's episode.

Sonia's books are:
Going Under
https://www.booktopia.com.au/going-under-sonia-henry/book/9781760878641.html

Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl
https://www.booktopia.com.au/put-your-feet-in-the-dirt-girl-sonia-henry/book/9781761068072.html

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Ep. 126 MOYA DODD AO

Moya Dodd is a lawyer, sports administrator and a former vice-captain of Australia’s women’s football team, the Matildas.

She played in FIFA’s first ever women’s tournament in 1988. Twenty-five years later, she joined the governing body of FIFA as one of the first women in its 108-year history. It's unsurprising that when she was there she found the place was rife with integrity and gender issues. She was one of only 3 of 27 FIFA Executive Committee members who declined a $25,000 gift watch at the 2014 World Cup. A year later, she found herself in a luxury Zurich hotel as her colleagues were arrested in a dawn raid.

As the 'FIFAGate' scandals unfolded, Moya led the #womeninFIFA reform movement, becoming ‘the driving force in the recent push for women within FIFA’ (New York Times) and ‘one of the most credible and outspoken voices for change within the organization’ (Vice Sports).

In 2016 she was named the most influential woman in Australia by the Australian Financial Review, and in 2018 was named by Forbes magazine as the 7th most powerful woman in international sport (outside the US).

In 2020, Moya was listed in WICC's global "Best XI" for advancing women's soccer.

She is a much sought after speaker on the international circuit on many topics including issues of equality, integrity, and change.

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Episode 125

Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli AM

It's hard to briefly describe Maria's bio - but it goes a long way explaining it by understanding she is from a Southern Italian poor, migrant, working class background which instilled in her a resistance to systemic injustice.

She has been an academic, author, activist and ally in the issues and intersections of cultural diversity, gender and sexual diversity, relationship and family diversity for over 30 years.

...and it was a really insightful discussion which was based on a lifetime's experience and an academic understanding. But it was never laced with anger or contempt or masked with utter disappointment and there were no accusations of inaction by those that could change things. Rather, it was a discussion to help others understand the effect a lack of diversity and acceptance can have. And how to fix that. By way of example, there is a lot written and said about 'safe environments' - and although I think I know what that means, when I asked her what an 'unsafe environment' looks like...I acquired a much better understanding.

Maria is regularly called upon to act as a consultant in educational, workplace, youth services, health services and community service settings. Maria is also regularly invited to speak at diverse community, educational, organisational and other functions and conferences, and in various media such as television, radio and newspaper.

Head to the link in my bio to have a listen to Maria's podcast.

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

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Ep. 124

Catherine Branson AC KC

In 1984 Catherine Branson made history when a dual appointment saw her became the first woman in Australia to be appointed Crown Solicitor and the first woman to be appointed as permanent head of a government department in South Australia.

She went to the bar in Adelaide and then took silk in 1992. An appointment as a judge to the Federal Court of Australia followed in 1994. In 2008 she was appointed President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. The following year she was appointed Human Rights Commissioner. A few months ago, it was announced that my guest would serve a 3rd term as Chancellor of the University of Adelaide.

An extraordinary career and her work with the Human Rights Commission gave her the opportunity and the platform to give a voice to immigrants detained indefinitely and to support the rights of Indigenous Australians.

Another true pioneer who paved the way for others.

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Episode 123

AMBER LAWRENCE

Amber started her professional career as a Chartered Accountant but she left that to pursue a dream.

After a very successful debut in the 2005 Tamworth Country Music Festival - coming second in the major singing competition to Jessica Mauboy - Amber took that success and started her country music journey in earnest. She put in a lot of hard work and was constantly touring. It paid off as she became one of Australia’s leading female country singers. But that’s not just my opinion. She’s won 6 Golden Guitars, including Female Artist of the Year at the 2023 Golden Guitar Awards.

On the way to that success she has toured the world, entertained Australian troops overseas and even went to New York to play a song she wrote to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea - in front of the President of the United States and the Australian PM (and 800 others).

In July 2022, she released her tenth studio album, Living for the Highlights, which reached number 1 on the ARIA charts and the Australian Country Music charts.

Head to Amber's website for info on her touring dates and a link to her albums.
www.amberlawrence.com.au

Head to the link in my bio to have a listen to our conversation.

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849