Podcast
Sunday Extra - Separate stories podcast
Hosted by ABC Australia · EN
Sunday Extra presents a lively mix of national and international affairs, analysis and investigation, as well as a lighter touch.
35episodes
Episodes
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The Year that Made Me: Alice Pung, 2006
3w ago00:30:06Tap to summarizeAlice Pung is the daughter of ethnic Chinese Cambodian migrants who fled the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge for Melbourne in the 1980s. She wrote about the joys and struggles of growing up in a migrant community in her first memoir Unpolished Gem, which won the 2007 Newcomer of the Year Award in the Australian Book Industry Awards.Alice went on to write five other books to much acclaim and her first novel Laurinda was adapted for the stage. She was awarded an Order of Australia medal for services to literature in 2022.Guest: Alice Pung, writer-in-residence at Janet Clarke Hall at the University of Melbourne, Adjunct Professor in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University and lawyer at the Fair Work Commission
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From Mussolini to Beyoncé: Mary Beard talks Classics
3w ago00:24:16Tap to summarize'Rock star' classicist Mary Beard is back in the spotlight with a new book, Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old.' Reflecting on half a century spent teaching and studying the classics, the beloved British historian explains why revolutionaries, dictators and pop stars have all been transfixed by the ancient world. Mary also reveals how her own passion for classics was sparked by a close-up childhood encounter with a 4,000-year-old piece of Egyptian bread.Guest: Mary Beard, Professor Emerita of Classics at Cambridge, Classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement and trustee of the British Museum.Mary Beard co-hosts the Instant Classics podcast with Charlotte Higgins.
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Mapping the global fungi network
3w ago00:14:21Tap to summarizeScientists have drawn up the first complete global map of the hidden fungal super-highway that runs beneath our feet. These mycorrhizal networks stretch an astonishing 110 quadrillion kilometres, which is about 1 billion times the distance of the Earth to the sun. Researchers estimate that the fungal super-highway moves around 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide into soils each year and plays a major role in supporting plants and regulating the climate.Guest: Dr Justin Stewart, data scientist at the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
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Angertainment: Ed Coper on why we are stuck in a rage loop
3w ago00:16:55Tap to summarizeIn his new book, Angertainment, Ed Coper explores how online rage has grown into a cultural force offline, shaping politics, identity and influence. Coper argues that the fury flooding our feeds is not a reflection of human nature. It is the product of a purpose-built machine engineered to amplify division and monetise outrage. Guest: Ed Coper, political advisor, communications consultant and author
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Apes and humans have been sharing a laugh for 15 million years
3w ago00:11:59Tap to summarizeLaughing might seem uniquely human, but our closest relatives in the animal kingdom do it too. A groundbreaking new study has now compared the laughter of chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans and humans. They were able to identify rhythmic similarities in laughter recordings which could shed light on how human speech evolved.Guest: Dr Chiara De Gregorio, a primatologist at the University of Warwick and lead author of the study published in the June issue of Communications Biology.
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The arrest of rapper Mehdi El Youbi: Morocco cracks down on critical voices
3w ago00:12:47Tap to summarizeThe Moroccan rapper and filmmaker Mehdi El Youbi was arrested in Casablanca on Monday 13 July. Activists say El Youbi's arrest coincides with Moroccan authorities' intensifying repression of critical voices and the Gen Z protest movement. Omar Radi, an investigative journalist and human rights activist who was previously jailed in Morocco himself, describes El Youbi as "the most outspoken and politically direct Moroccan rapper."Guest: Omar Radi, investigative journalist and human rights activist
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John Safran on Race Around the World in the digital age
4w ago00:14:33Tap to summarizeSix Australian filmmakers are currently on the adventure of a lifetime, tasked with making 10 short films, in 10 different countries, across 100 days.The ABC's iconic doco-making competition Race Around the World is back. But how does the show hold up in today's digital world dominated by selfies, streaming and Tik Toks?Guest: John Safran, People's Choice winner of Race Around the World 1997. Now judge and mentor on Race Around the World 2026.
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The Year that Made Me: S. Shakthidharan, 2008
4w ago00:27:22Tap to summarizeS. Shakthidharan, aka Shakthi, is a Western Sydney playwright, author and film-maker with Sri Lankan heritage and Tamil ancestry. He exploded onto the international stage in 2019 after his debut play Counting and Cracking premiered at the Sydney Festival.Shakthi went on to win rave reviews for his follow-up plays and his memoir Gather Up Your World In One Long Breath. In April of this year, he won the Windham-Campbell Prize for drama, a prestigious international award that recognises his body of work.Guest: S Shaktidharan, playwright, author and film-makerThe Jungle And The Sea will run in Sydney The Jungle and the Sea — Belvoir St Theatre, Canberra The Jungle & The Sea | Canberra Theatre Centre and Melbourne The Jungle and the Sea | Melbourne Theatre Company
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Chris Cody’s jazz travels from Mountain to Sea
4w ago00:08:58Tap to summarizeChris Cody is an internationally renowned jazz pianist and composer. He has recorded 14 albums, played with the likes of Herb Geller and Rhoda Scott and performed concerts for former Australian and French prime ministers. He tells Damien Carrick about his latest album Mountain to Sea and his upcoming stint as Artist in Residence on ABC Jazz in August.Guest: Chris Cody, jazz pianist and composerMonday Night Confessions – Chris Cody Mountain to Sea | SIMA
Transcribe →Chris Cody’s jazz travels from Mountain to Sea
4w ago00:08:58Tap to summarizeChris Cody is an internationally renowned jazz pianist and composer. He has recorded 14 albums, played with the likes of Herb Geller and Rhoda Scott and performed concerts for former Australian and French prime ministers. He tells Damien Carrick about his latest album Mountain to Sea and his upcoming stint as Artist in Residence on ABC Jazz in August.Guest: Chris Cody, jazz pianist and composerMonday Night Confessions – Chris Cody Mountain to Sea | SIMA
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