Late Night Live — Full program podcast

Wendy Harmer has lived a life full of 'firsts' - she was the first female news cadet in an all-male newsroom in Geelong, the first Australian female stand-up comedian and the first female co-host on a commercial radio breakfast program. How did she go from a little girl with a cleft palate growing up in rural Victoria to a household name? She reveals all in this broad-ranging interview with Phillip Adams. 

First broadcast 1 November 2023

Simon Winchester takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of how we have shared information: from the book to the library, the encyclopaedia, the internet and now to artificial intelligence. 

Originally broadcast on 24 August 2023.

Sarah Ogilvie found a notebook containing the names of all the earliest contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary and so she spent the next 8 years finding all she could about these varied and fascinating characters. Florence Hazrat provides the history of the exclamation mark and why it should be preserved. 

America was a land born in paranoia, and that has coloured people's thinking ever since, Colin Dickey argues. And what would Charles Dickens make of the literary tourism trend he has inspired? Lee Jackson joined the Dickens trail. 

As well earning him multiple Walkley and Logie awards, the work done by investigative journalist Chris Masters PSM has arguably changed Australia, for the better. He speaks to Phillip Adams about his distinguished career, which culminated in his latest book Flawed Hero: Truth, lies and war crimes. 

First broadcast 13 July 2023

In the final episode of our 'Histories of Everything' series, Phillip Adams explores our obsession with words, and how it led to the invention of the index, the encyclopedia and crossword puzzles. 

The ability to swim, or not, has always been a social divider and often an indicator of cultural power. But there have been periods and places where those who considered themselves superior chose not to swim. And why it wasn't until the mid-20th century that body hair came to be viewed as unhealthy, even filthy.

Guests: 

Karen Eva Carr,  Associate Professor (Emerita) in History, Portland State University, Oregon and author of ‘Shifting currents: a world history of swimming’.  (Reaktion Books) 

Rebecca Herzig, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Chair of the Program in Women and Gender Studies at Bates College, Maine.

Wearing it – the stories and meaning of trench coats, pockets, textiles and fabrics 

Have you ever wondered about the human need to count, measure and quantify?

When did humanity start drawing borders? Why have nomadic cultures been so maligned? And how do states wield "soft power" through diplomatic gifts? 

Guests: 

James Crawford, author, The Edge of the Plain

Anthony Sattin, author, Nomads: The wanderers who shaped our world

Paul Brummell, author, Diplomatic gifts: a history in 50 presents