Kate is one of Australia's most popular writers and her novels have won numerous awards in Australia and the UK, including the Orange Prize.

Anatomist Dr Walter Wood brought a new level of respect to the process of scientific body donation

Professor Craig Franklin is a zoologist at the University of Queensland.

Dick grew up on a farm and later became a meatworker and a shearer.

Christine Bryden became aware at an early age that she had a near-photographic memory and a brilliant intellect.

Writer, critic and commentator Bob Ellis was a colourful, erudite and always provocative figure.

Freda Marnie Nicholls reveals the life of a notorious fraudster and con-artist from 20th Century Australia

Freda is a NSW sheep farmer and a former journalist.

She was introduced to the story of Mrs Ethel Livesey by her friend, Ethel's grand-daughter. Freda quickly became consumed by mapping Ethel's extraordinary life.

Ethel was at the centre of a major scandal in 1940s Sydney when her lavish society wedding was cancelled just hours before the ceremony.

It was discovered that Ethel Livesey had eight official marriages, over forty aliases, and a long list of outstanding fraud charges against her.

In her time she'd claimed to be a cotton heiress, a wartime spy, an opera singer, and a friend of the King's. She was none of those things. But she was a gifted imposter and a dangerous con-artist.

Further information and listening

The Amazing Mrs Livesey is published by Allen & Unwin

A Conversations playlist: Crime, Criminals and the Law

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Nigel founded the publishing house, Bloomsbury, in London during the 1980s.

Pyotr was determined to win his freedom

Trevor was adopted in the 1950s, under a closed adoption system.