Richard Fidler
Fidler in 2013
NationalityAustralian
SpouseKhym Lam
Children2
Websiterichard-fidler.com/

Richard Fidler is an Australian radio presenter and writer, best known for his hour-long interview program, Conversations with Richard Fidler on ABC's Radio National, and as a former member of the Australian comedy group the Doug Anthony All Stars. Conversations consists of in-depth interviews with local and international guests from all walks of life, and has been very popular as a podcast.

Career

Fidler (right, holding guitar) performing with Tim Ferguson and Paul McDermott as the Doug Anthony All Stars

Fidler came to prominence in the 1980s as a member of the Doug Anthony All Stars (DAAS), an Australian musical comedy group also comprising Tim Ferguson and Paul McDermott. The guitar Fidler used often during his time with the DAAS was a black Yamaha APX 9-12 tuned to D standard; however he did use a metallic green 6 string acoustic in standard tuning in a couple of songs on Live at the National Theatre (New York) and used a generic electric guitar in a cover of "Anarchy in the U.K." on The Big Gig. That guitar was in standard tuning. On DAAS Icon, the bulk of the album was recorded with an electric guitar in standard tuning; however, some songs featured the APX 9-12. The group disbanded in 1994.

Fidler began his broadcast career on TV and presented shows including Race Around the World, Aftershock, Mouthing Off and Vulture.

In 2001, he was elected to the national committee of the Australian Republican Movement and was the chair of their Constitutional Issues committee. He resigned from these positions in 2007.

In 2005, Fidler moved to Brisbane, Queensland, to host the 7pm to 10pm shift on ABC Local Radio station 612 ABC Brisbane. The following year, he took on the newly configured 11am to 3pm shift on 612 ABC. The first hour, a long-form interview program known as Conversations, was also heard on 702 ABC Sydney. Since 2012 Fidler has focused solely on Conversations. '

Conversations is broadcast each weekday on ABC Local Radio[1] in all Australian states except Victoria,[2] and on ABC Radio National.[3] It has over many years been one of the top five most downloaded podcasts in Australia, according to iTunes charts.[4] In 2018, the program's name changed to Conversations and former Radio National arts journalist Sarah Kanowski joined Fidler as a regular host. The two presenters share duties, with Fidler usually presenting on Monday to Wednesday and Kanowski on Thursday and Friday.

In 2011, Fidler was awarded a Churchill Fellowship[5] to investigate new forms of public radio in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Saga Land, written with Kari Gislason (ABC Books, 2019) was shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Douglas Stewart Prize for non-Fiction.[6]

Fidler is the immediate past-president of Brisbane's Institute of Modern Art (IMA) and a member of its board of directors.[7]

The Golden Maze was shortlisted for the General nonfiction book of the year at the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards.[8] The Book of Roads and Kingdoms won the Nonfiction prize at the 2023 Indie Book Awards.[9]

Personal life

Fidler is married to Khym Lam and they have two children.

Published works

  • Doug Anthony Allstars, namely: Ferguson, Tim; Fidler, Richard; McDermott, Paul (1989), DAAS Book, Allen & Unwin/Haynes, ISBN 978-0-04-442110-8
  • Doug Anthony Allstars, namely: Ferguson, Tim; Fidler, Richard; McDermott, Paul (1992), DAAS Kapital, Allen & Unwin/Haynes, ISBN 978-1-86373-101-0
  • Jack, the Insider; Fidler, Richard; Hoysted, Peter (2007), The Insider's guide to power in Australia, Random House Australia, ISBN 978-1-74166-689-2
  • Fidler, Richard (2016). Ghost Empire. ABC Books. ISBN 9780733335259.
  • Fidler, Richard; Gíslason, Kári (2017), Saga land (First ed.), HarperCollins Publishers Australia, ISBN 978-0-7333-3823-6
  • Fidler, Richard, 1964- (2020). Golden Maze. ABC Books. ISBN 978-0-7333-3526-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • Fidler, Richard, 1964- (2022). The Book of Roads and Kingdoms. ABC Books. ISBN 978-0733342592.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Appearances

Fidler was scheduled to appear in two events at the 2017 Brisbane Writers Festival in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.[10]

Fidler was also the presenter of the annual 2018 Seymour Biography Lecture at the National Library of Australia, speaking to the topic "Telling and writing the story".[11]

References

  1. ↑ "ABC announces 2020 lineup including replacements for Chris Bath and Myf Warhurst". Mumbrella. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  2. ↑ Lallo, Michael (2 December 2019). "Victoria to keep local Conversation Hour, ABC confirms". The Age. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Broadcast Schedule". ABC Radio National. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "iTunesCharts.net: 'Conversations' by ABC Radio (Australian Podcasts iTunes Chart)". itunescharts.net. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  5. ↑ The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust 2011 Retrieved 8 March 2013
  6. ↑ Perkins, Cathy (Summer 2019). "Excellence in Literature an History". SL Magazine. 12 (4): 52–55.
  7. ↑ "About us". Institute of Modern Art. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "ABIA 2021 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "'Runt' wins 2023 Indie Book of the Year". Books+Publishing. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Brisbane Writers Festival 2017". Uplit. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "2018 Seymour Biography Lecture". Retrieved 29 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
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