Ep 6 Geraldine Brooks: Grief is the Debt that is Paid to Love

Having travelled the world covering conflict zones, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Geraldine Brooks turned her considerable observation skills to novel writing after deciding to become a mother whilst in a Nigerian prison. When her husband, an acclaimed journalist himself, died suddenly on a book tour, she had to entirely re-frame her life, as well as meet the looming deadline for her bestselling novel Horse.

About the guest
Australian-born Geraldine Brooks is an acclaimed author, journalist and parent whose writing has captivated readers around the world. Raised in Sydney, she began her career at The Sydney Morning Herald before winning a scholarship to Columbia University and joining The Wall Street Journal, where she reported from conflict zones across the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. Her reporting earned international recognition, including the Overseas Press Club Award.

Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2006 for March. Her novels Year of Wonders, People of the Book, Caleb’s Crossing, The Secret Chord and Horse have become international bestsellers, while her nonfiction explores history, home and the lives of women. Her latest memoir, Memorial Days, reflects on grief, love and family following the sudden death of her husband, fellow journalist Tony Horwitz, in 2019.

Credits
Host: David Leser — Director: Ian Darling — Camera and lights: Ben Cunningham, Harry Kielly, Tiernan Rennie — Sound: Andy Gordon — Front of House: Sarah Butler — Photography: Harry Kielly — Editors: Sally Fryer and Harry Kielly

Ep 5 Deborah Thomas: Do You Want the Cash or the Caché?

Deborah Thomas’s career in fashion and media started in the dress-ups of her teen years, took her through the punk scene of Melbourne and onto the catwalks of Europe, before she became known Australia-wide as the Editor in Chief of Australian Women’s Weekly. She opens up about her stellar media career, then becoming a female CEO in a male dominated industry, and the later career heartbreak of the Dreamworld theme park accident, together with the deep friendship she built in its aftermath.

About the guest
Deborah is one of Australia’s most respected magazine editors who began her career in publishing after a successful modelling career on the catwalks of Paris, Milan and London. After joining Cleo magazine in 1987 as their beauty and lifestyle editor, she went on to become editor of Mode, Elle, Cleo and then, for a decade from 1999 the award-winning editor-in-chief of the Australian Women’s Weekly. She then became director of media, public affairs and brand development at Bauer Media before being appointed chief executive officer of Ardent Leisure Group. She is currently chief executive Officer of the national children’s charity, Camp Quality.

Credits
Host: David Leser — Director: Ian Darling — Camera and lights: Ben Cunningham, Harry Kielly, Tiernan Rennie — Sound: Mary Macrae — Front of House: Sarah Butler — Photography: Harry Kielly — Editors: Sally Fryer and Harry Kielly

Ep 4 Rob Hirst: The Final Interview

Recorded just months before his death in January 2026, Midnight Oil co-founder, drummer and songwriter Rob Hirst joins his close friend David Leser for one of his final filmed interviews.

In a candid, generous and deeply moving conversation, Rob reflects on his childhood, his early love of The Beatles, the profound influence of his parents, his creative partnership with his Midnight Oil “blood brothers”, and his enduring passion for poetry, melody and history.

He also speaks about the things that mattered most to him: family, friendship, gardens, music and creativity. In the face of terminal illness, Rob reflects with characteristic honesty and grace on mortality, gratitude and what he describes as a blessed life.

About the guest
Born in Camden, New South Wales, Rob Hirst was a founding member of the internationally successful Midnight Oil and one of Australia’s most influential musicians.

As drummer, songwriter and lyricist, Rob wrote or co-wrote many of Midnight Oil’s most iconic songs, including Beds Are Burning, The Dead Heart, Power and the Passion, Short Memory, Forgotten Years, King of the Mountain and Armistice Day.

For more than fifty years, Rob gave voice to the storm and rage of the times through Midnight Oil and a range of other musical projects, including Ghostwriters, Hirst & Greene and Hirst & O’Shea, the latter producing the acclaimed album The Lost and the Found with his daughter, Jay O’Shea.

About Heart & Soul with David Leser
Heart & Soul is a filmed and recorded interview series exploring the seminal experiences shaping the inner lives of remarkable Australians.

Hosted by award-winning journalist and author David Leser.

These are the conversations we rarely hear from people we think we know.

Credits
Host: David Leser — Director: Ian Darling — Camera: Harry Keilly — Sound: Mary Macrae — Editors: Harry Kielly and Sally Fryer.  Filmed on location.

Ep 3 Jennifer Byrne: When Mother Breaks the Rules There’s No Stopping You 

Starting her career in journalism at sixteen, Jennifer Byrne broke the mould of what women in her family were expected to do in life. Stories from a privileged childhood, a devastating family scandal, the Packer media empire and journalism in its heyday, Jennifer also opens up about falling in love on the phone and the joys of travel — even to outer space.

About the guest 
Jennifer Byrne is one of Australia’s most respected journalists and broadcasters and has worked across print, radio and television for more than half a century. Following her cadetship at The Age, she worked in Fleet Street in London and in San Francisco as the Age’s correspondent before returning to Australia to join Channel Nine’s Sunday program. She then spent some 12 years travelling the world for 60 Minutes and, later, as anchor for Foreign Correspondent. In her glittering career, Jennifer has also been Publishing Director of Reed Books, morning presenter on ABC radio, and won national awards for her journalism. In May 2006, she returned to television to create the country’s first televised book club, which found a loyal audience and ran on the ABC for 11 years. More recently, she was the host of the Australian version of Mastermind and its celebrity edition.

Credits
Host: David Leser — Director: Ian Darling — Camera and lights: Ben Cunningham, Harry Kielly, Tiernan Rennie — Sound: Mary Macrae — Front of House: Sarah Butler — Photography: Harry Kielly — Editors: Sally Fryer and Harry Kielly

Ep 2 Ben Quilty: Problems to Solve, Not People to Kill

Ben Quilty on love, masculinity, anxiety and the power of kindness. This wide-ranging conversation delves into the art and passions of Ben Quilty, also his friendship with Bali Nine prisoner-turned-artist Myuran Sukumarun, as well as the silence surrounding abuse during his schooling years. A visual artist always asking the ‘why’, Quilty is candid about the ‘unknowingness’ of creating and the cultural importance of art.

About the guest
Ben Quilty is one of Australia’s most celebrated artists whose work continues to draw critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally. Quilty won the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2009 and was runner up in the 2009 Archibald Prize with his portrait of singer Jimmy Barnes. In 2011 he won the Archibald for his portrait of artist, Margaret Olley. That same year he travelled to Afghanistan as an official war artist with The Australian War Memorial. In 2016, he was invited by World Vision Australia to travel to Greece, Serbia and Lebanon with author, Richard Flanagan, to witness — and document — firsthand the international refugee crisis. His work is represented in numerous major public, corporate and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and QAGOMA.

Credits
Host: David Leser — Director: Ian Darling — Camera and lights: Ben Cunningham, Harry Kielly, Tiernan Rennie — Sound: Mary Macrae — Front of House: Sarah Butler — Photography: Harry Kielly — Editors: Sally Fryer and Harry Kielly

Ep 1 Jennifer Robinson: Living in the Age of Consequences

If you want to hear some of the inside experience of the Amber Heard/Johnny Depp UK Trial and the role of the court in silencing women then this episode is for you! Jennifer Robinson speaks about some of her most famous cases and clients — including Julian Assange and Amber Heard – shares insights from her Grandmother and talks about Silenced, the film adaptation of her book, and how achieving change can take a lifetime.

About the guest
Jennifer Robinson is one of the world’s leading human rights lawyers, known for her fearless advocacy on behalf of journalists, protesters and human rights defenders facing persecution. She has worked on some of the most significant media legal cases of our time, including representing Julian Assange and helping secure his freedom in 2024. Jennifer has long championed the rights of the people of West Papua, and is at the forefront of climate justice litigation.

A passionate advocate for women’s rights, Jennifer challenges the ways legal systems can silence women, as explained powerfully in her co-authored book How Many More Women? and the documentary based on it, Silenced. Jennifer Robinson and Keio Yoshida’s book is available at all good book stores and the film Silenced is in theatres in Australia from September 3rd 2026: https://www.silenced-film.com

Jennifer Robinson is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London and was awarded the 2026 Sydney Peace Prize.

Credits
Host: David Leser — Director: Ian Darling — Camera and lights: Ben Cunningham, Harry Kielly, Tiernan Rennie — Sound: Andy Gordon — Front of House: Sarah Butler — Photography: Harry Kielly — Editors: Sally Fryer and Harry Kielly

Heart & Soul with David Leser is a filmed and recorded interview series for YouTube and podcast audiences that explores the seminal experiences shaping the interior world of some remarkable Australians. These thoughtful, multi-layered conversations delve into universal themes of courage, creativity, grief, loss, mortality and what gives our lives purpose and meaning.

Created and produced by Shark Island Productions and conceived and directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ian Darling, together with host and award-winning journalist David Leser, the series premieres on Monday 24 August 2026.

These are conversations we rarely hear from people we think we know.

“Heart & Soul begins with the simple belief that beneath our opinions, accomplishments and public identities, there is an inner life asking to be heard. These will be unhurried conversations. No real agenda. No fixed destination. Simply a shared willingness to get curious, to speak honestly and to listen deeply.” — David Leser

“For more than 25 years, Shark Island Productions has been telling stories through documentary film. With Shark Island Sessions, we’ve created a place for artists, audiences and ideas to come together. We believe stories, conversation, art and music can spark curiosity, deepen human connection and help us make sense of the world around us.” — Ian Darling

The inaugural season features internationally renowned human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson; Archibald Prize-winning artist Ben Quilty; journalist, broadcaster and publisher Jennifer Byrne; businesswoman and former editor-in-chief of the Australian Women’s Weekly Deborah Thomas; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks; former Foreign Minister and NSW Premier Bob Carr; author, journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law; award-winning investigative journalist and author Jess Hill; and a special conversation with Midnight Oil co-founder and drummer Rob Hirst, recorded just months before his death in 2026.

Episode 1: Jennifer Robinson reflects on justice, family, women’s rights, climate advocacy, high profile clients such as Julian Assange and Amber Heard, and the responsibility of being in service to others. Her life and work are featured in the documentary Silenced, released in Australian cinemas from 3 September 2026.

Episode 2: Ben Quilty grapples with themes around art, love, masculinity, anxiety, empathy, creativity and the enduring power of kindness.

Episode 3: Jennifer Byrne reflects on her remarkable family, her storied career in print, radio and television journalism, and a life shaped by privilege, curiosity, ambition and a fierce independence.

Episode 4: Rob Hirst’s Final Interview
In one of the season’s most significant conversations, Midnight Oil co-founder and drummer Rob Hirst offers final reflections on music, songwriting, family, friendship, mortality and gratitude. Recorded just months before his death in 2026, the conversation stands as a rare and deeply personal portrait of one of Australia’s most important cultural figures.

Episode 5: Deborah Thomas delves into a life informed by fashion, music, magazines, leadership, the power of friendship and a remarkable resilience in the face of tragedy.

Episode 6: Geraldine Brooks reflects on her extraordinary career as a journalist, foreign correspondent and author, while also plumbing the depths of memory, grief and what it means to love well.

Episode 7: Bob Carr reveals a life devoted to politics, history and reading, and what it took to learn to live without his lifelong partner Helena.

Episode 8: Benjamin Law delights us with stories around family, identity, sexuality, belonging and growing up as an Australian-Chinese in the shadow of Pauline Hanson’s rise to prominence.

Episode 9: Jess Hill reveals the intrigues of her own uniquely colourful family system and the systems that enable gendered violence, as well as her love of singing and the challenges of living with a life-threatening illness.

About Shark Island Sessions
Shark Island Sessions is a new platform from Shark Island Productions for Australian stories, conversations, art and music, bringing together creative voices from across Australia’s cultural landscape.

Filmed with a small live audience at The Old Store in Kangaroo Valley and shared with larger audiences across YouTube and podcast platforms, Shark Island Sessions connects people through stories, ideas and creative experiences that matter.

About Ian Darling
Ian Darling is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer, philanthropist, and founder of Shark Island Productions. His films include The Final Quarter, Paul Kelly: Stories of Me, The Oasis, The Pool and The Valley.

About David Leser
David Leser is one of Australia’s most respected journalists and interviewers. A two-time Walkley Award winner and author of eight books, he is renowned for his long-form feature writing, opinion columns and deeply observed portraits of public figures.

WATCH & LISTEN

Heart & Soul with David Leser premieres Monday 24 August 2026.

Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

YouTube youtube.com/@SHARKISLANDSESSIONS

Instagram instagram.com/sharkislandinstitute