A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard

Suzie Miller on theatre as a theatre as a force for social change

To kick off our new season, Julia sits down with award-winning playwright and former criminal defence lawyer Suzie Miller.Suzie’s work sits at the intersection of law, storytelling and social change. Before becoming one of the most influential voices in contemporary theatre, she spent years working inside the justice system as a criminal defence lawyer – an experience that would later shape many of her plays.She is best known for her groundbreaking play Prima Facie, a one-woman production that premiered in Sydney before becoming a global phenomenon on the West End and Broadway. The play won major international awards and sparked powerful conversations about sexual assault, consent and the limits of the legal system.In this conversation, Suzie reflects on her journey from the courtroom to the theatre, the responsibility of artists to engage with difficult truths, and why storytelling can sometimes shift public thinking in ways that policy and law cannot. She also discusses her latest play, Inter Alia, which continues her exploration of justice and power through a new lens — masculinity, parenting and accountability. Together, Julia and Suzie discuss the power of theatre to challenge the justice system, shift public debate and spark cultural change.This is a deep and wide-ranging discussion that touches on difficult topics, including rape, sexual assault and consent. We encourage listeners to be mindful of this before listening and to take care if these topics are difficult for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette look back on 2025

In the final episode of 2025 Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette look back on their favourite books of the year.In a candid and funny chat they also discuss writing memoirs, the upcoming release of Kathy's new book, Julia's role as Chair of the Women's Prize for Fiction and their plans for the holiday season.Show notes:Kathy Lette's new novel The Sisterhood Rules will be published in Australia on February 3, 2026 and in the UK on April 9.For more information about the Women's Prize for Fiction visit https://womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-fiction/For more on our 2025 Julia's Book Club reads visit our Instagram page @apodcastofonesown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Catherine & Naomi on job sharing & diversity in national security

This month's episode of A Podcast of One's Own is a little unusual because you'll hear from two guests, who are unaccustomed to the limelight as they work in the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office which is one department of the UK’s national security community. They're also both mums and in a long term job share. They talk to Julia about the stereotypes and misconceptions of their work, what it’s really like for women, diversity in national security and how they make job-sharing work in such an important area. For more on diversity in the intelligence sector:https://giwl.anu.edu.au/our-research/classified-and-secrethttps://giwl.anu.edu.au/our-research/why-do-women-remain-under-represented-international-affairs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kelly T. Clements on the global refugee and foreign aid crisis

Kelly T. Clements has made it her life’s mission to help people who have been displaced by war, violence, famine and other catastrophes.Kelly has served as Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR (The United Nations High Commission for Refugees) since 2015.In this episode Julia Gillard and Kelly discuss her 30 year career that’s taken her to conflict zones around the world.They delve into the devastating cutbacks to foreign aid spending and how that’s impacting millions of people in desperate need. Show notes:To learn more about the work of UNHCR visit https://www.unhcr.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia's Book Club - Highway 13

In this month’s Book Club episode, Julia Gillard and her co-host Sarah Holland-Batt explore Highway 13 by internationally acclaimed Australian author Fiona McFarlane.The award-winning book is a series of loosely connected short stories focusing on the lives of everyday people who have all been affected by a single serial killer in a small Australian town.Paul Biga is arrested and charged over the brutal murders of at least a dozen backpackers and hitchhikers along an Australian highway in the 1990s.The reverberations of his crimes stretch far and wide, with McFarlane delving into the past and the future, and across continents, to explore the impact on those with strong links to the killer, as well as those with an interest in the case.Julia and Sarah discuss how the book connects to real life cases and places and which stories left the biggest impression on them .Show notes:Highway 13 is published by Allen & Unwin and available in most good book shops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.