Comedian Arj Barker on Letterman, the Conchords, and 'babygate'

Nothing exposes the flaws of a justice system more than the wrongful conviction of an innocent person for murder. Adelaide man Henry Keogh languished in prison for two decades after being wrongfully convicted of his fiancée’s drowning, while Andrew Mallard – a vulnerable, troubled outsider – had his life irrevocably shattered when he was wrongly convicted of the 1994 murder of Pamela Lawrence in Perth. Neil Mercer, one of Australia’s most respected print and TV journalists, has written a new book, 'Falsely Convicted: True Stories of Injustice in Australia', in which he exposes just how easily professional hubris, police tunnel vision and flawed forensic practices can put innocent people behind bars. Today's episode is hosted by Good Weekend senior writer Greg Callaghan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arj Barker has been a fixture on the local comedy scene for decades, headlining our comedy festivals and turning up on shows including Thank God You’re Here and Spicks and Specks. But the San Francisco-born stand-up began telling jokes at open mic nights in 1989, before appearances on American late night TV for Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and David Letterman - not to mention a memorable turn on the hit sitcom Flight of the Conchords. Barker joins us to talk about consciousness, comedy, and the furore that erupted two years ago after he asked a breastfeeding mother and baby to leave his show. This episode is hosted by Good Weekend deputy editor Konrad Marshall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting a business is one thing, running it successfully is another – but doing it with your spouse and four kids is a different kettle of fish. Janine Allis has done all of the above, after founding Boost Juice as a single store in the 2000s and growing it into a global empire. She’s since become one of the most sought-after entrepreneurs in the country and a regular on small screens, both as a judge on Shark Tank and as a competitor on Australian Survivor - twice. She also owns one of Australia’s fastest-growing dessert chains, Yochi. Allis joins Good Weekend Talks to chat about the challenges and delights of building a family business, how she finds time to surf, and what she learned about leadership as a stewardess on David Bowie’s boat. Today’s episode is hosted by business reporter Jessica Yun.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Singer, often called the world's most influential philosopher, is turning 80, and he's returned home to Melbourne too, after almost 25 years as a professor of bioethics at Princeton University.Singer's practical ethics has had a huge impact and caused controversy across issues as diverse as the rights of animals, voluntary euthanasia and abortion, freedom of speech, and our moral obligation to help those living in extreme poverty.Given all that's happened in Singer's world and in the wider world, it seemed like a good time to ask him to reflect on his life and work, and about the issues of today, from Trump to anti-Semitism and the limits of free speech.Today's conversation is hosted by Good Weekend senior writer Gay Alcorn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob de Castella, otherwise known as “Deeks” - or, to his opponents, “Tree”, due to his sturdy limbs and unshiftable calm - is a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medal winner and Australian running royalty. He joins Good Weekend Talks to chat about his Indigenous Marathon Project, in which he takes a group of Indigenous people from around the country every year and signs them up for a rigorous training and education program before each of them runs the famed New York City Marathon. De Castella likes to say that the finishing line in Central Park has be their starting line - encouraging them to go home after the race and use the lessons and strength built throughout the program to be a ripple of change. A new documentary celebrating the project - The Long Run - follows a group of graduates as they’re mentored by former AFL superstar Buddy Franklin and NRL legend Johnathan Thurston. This episode is hosted by Good Weekend deputy editor - and avid runner - Konrad Marshall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian author and intellectual Anna Funder specialises in telling the stories of people forgotten or ignored by official histories. She began her writing career with Stasiland, detailing the state surveillance of the people of the former East Germany, which was followed by her prize-winning novel, All That I Am, telling the previously untold story of early resisters to the Nazis. In her most recent work, Wifedom, Funder shifted her lens to the unexamined life of author George Orwell’s wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy, whose contribution had – until then – been obscured. The recently-appointed professor in creative writing at the University of Sydney is about to embark on a national speaking tour – live conversations exploring history, power, and the stories that shape public life. In this episode, she joins The Sydney Morning Herald senior writer and columnist Jacqueline Maley for a chat about everything from the dangers of AI to the livelihood of creatives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Picture this: a crumbling Italian mansion in the Tuscan hills, an eccentric aristocrat, sun-soaked lunches, too much wine and a house humming with secrets. That’s the delightful world into which we’re heading today as we talk to writer Andrew Sean Greer, whose new novel, Villa Coco, is loosely inspired by his own time at an Italian estate around a famous Baroness. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less also joins us to discuss his life in Italy, the pleasures of the charm novel, and the one piece of travel advice he always comes back to. Today’s episode is hosted by books editor Melanie Kembrey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Safran burst into the public consciousness in 1997 as a contestant in the ABC TV show Race Around the World, where young filmmakers travelled the world making four-minute films in just 10 days. Safran won the popular vote on the reality show after running through Jerusalem naked, and asking a voodoo priest to put a curse on an ex-girlfriend. Almost 30 years on, the show is back, with Safran as a judge. Today’s conversation is hosted by Good Weekend senior writer Gay Alcorn, who talks to Safran about that early experience, but also growing up Jewish, antisemitism and the contradictions and limits of free speech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a profound grief associated with not having kids if you really wanted them, one that's rarely acknowledged, even less understood. But there's also an unexpected joy when you come out the other side. In today's conversation, Good Weekend senior writer Katrina Strickland discusses the ups and downs of her own path into childlessness with Good Weekend editor Melissa Stevens. They traverse what medical developments have given young women today, the potential downsides - and what those worried about the decline in global fertility rates should be paying attention to. They discuss, too, what Strickland wants Millennials and Gen Zs to know: it will be ok, however it turns out for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shaun Micallef has graced our TV screens since 1989 – from crime caper Mr and Mrs Murder to long-running game show Talkin' About Your Generation and weekly satirical news comedy Mad as Hell.But he's not averse to tackling the big issues, either: his latest series, Going for Broke, examines our national gambling habit.In today's conversation, with senior culture writer Kerrie O'Brien, the lawyer turned funny-man joins us for a chat about two-up, his book about the origin story of Dracula, and what drives him to keep coming up with new ideas for documentaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.