Australian conversations, stories, art and music.
Recorded at The Old Store in Kangaroo Valley, Shark Island Sessions brings together remarkable voices from across Australia's cultural landscape through filmed conversations, live performances and original creative experiences.
Created by Shark Island Productions, Shark Island Sessions exists to spark curiosity, deepen human connection and connect audiences with stories, ideas and experiences that matter.
THE VALLEY PORTRAITS
— A photographic exhibition by Ian Darling
HEAD ON PHOTO FESTIVAL 2025, OPEN PROGRAM
Exhibited: November 2025
A new conversation series exploring the inner lives of remarkable Australians.
Journalist and author David Leser sits down with writers, artists, musicians, journalists and public figures for intimate conversations about meaning, purpose, love, loss and what it means to be human.
Featuring:
Jennifer Robinson, Ben Quilty, Jennifer Byrne, Deborah Thomas, Geraldine Brooks, Bob Carr, Benjamin Law, Jess Hill, Geraldine Doogue, and Rob Hirst’s final interview
Watch on our YouTube Channel or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
EPISODES
Ep 8 Benjamin Law
Distraction, I Welcome it and I’m Susceptible to it
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Benjamin Law reflects on the influence of family, identity and belonging, speaking candidly about his queer identity and the contemporary Australian-Chinese experience he has drawn on throughout his work so far. Self-described on his socials as ‘writer and local homosexual’ Benjamin shares affirming stories from family and professional life, with insights into his career as an author, journalist and screenwriter. This episode contains talk of nudity and the human body.
Ep 8 Benjamin Law
Distraction, I Welcome it and I’m Susceptible to it
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Benjamin Law reflects on the influence of family, identity and belonging, speaking candidly about his queer identity and the contemporary Australian-Chinese experience he has drawn on throughout his work so far. Self-described on his socials as ‘writer and local homosexual’ Benjamin shares affirming stories from family and professional life, with insights into his career as an author, journalist and screenwriter. This episode contains talk of nudity and the human body.
Ep 7 Bob Carr
Restless with Ambition, Twitching with Yearning
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Ep 6 Geraldine Brooks
Grief is the Debt that is Paid to Love
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Ep 5 Deborah Thomas
Do You Want the Cash or the Caché?
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Ep 4 Rob Hirst
The Final Interview
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Ep 3 Jennifer Byrne
When mother breaks the rules, there’s no stopping you
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Ep 2 Ben Quilty
We’ve got problems to solve – not people to kill
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
Ep 1 Jennifer Robinson
Living in the Age of Consequences
HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER
COMING SOON:
7 Songs and a Story
COMING SOON…
ADDRESS: 2167 Moss Vale Rd, Barrengarry, NSW 2577
