One of the highlights of this year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival is Little Fictions, an evening of lively performances of long and short stories from Spineless Wonders authors.
Featuring work by Ryan O’Neill, Claire Aman and Julie Koh, Little Fictions is a platform for Australian writers to have their work read by professional actors, and for the public to indulge in the simple pleasure of being read to.
In the style of New York’s Selected Shorts, this event was born out of an ardent desire to bring together people who love literature.
Julie Koh (Sydney): ‘The Trading Floor in Heaven’ is a story from my capsule collection, Capital Misfits. It’s a wild piece of fiction about dead people trading their karma. I’m excited that it’s going to be performed at Little Fictions – a rare opportunity to see it connect with an audience in real time.’
Ryan O’Neill (Newcastle): I love the thought of one of my short stories being performed in front of a live audience, especially “My English Homework” which experiments with language and form. Seeing how such a story is translated to the spoken word is fascinating.
Ben Brooker (Adelaide): I’m delighted that the very talented Alex Williams will be giving voice to my story ‘Awake’ at Little Fictions. I don’t often write in the present tense but ‘Awake’ is an exception, an attempt to lend a frightening scenario added layers of immediacy and uncertainty. For this reason, I think the story will benefit hugely from being read aloud. As someone who has also written for the stage, I know well the power of the performed word in engaging, moving, and confronting audiences. My only regret is that I cannot be there!
Claire Aman (Grafton) : Writers can be introverts – I am anyway – and if I have to read my own work aloud I feel embarrassed. So I hang my head and mumble and rush. Having an actor read my work with a flourish is so good! Stories should be told aloud. That’s how it starts for readers, when we’re small. I want people to hear ‘Those Gauls Must be Crazy’. I want you to imagine your blue-spangled tights, and the stolen dog you are tugging along on a dressing-gown cord, a surprise gift at a wedding to which you hadn’t been invited.
Monday, May 18 2015 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets at the door: $10
Knox St Bar, 21 Shepherd Street, Chippendale
About the Contributor
Andrew Cattanach
Andrew Cattanach is a regular contributor to The Booktopia Blog. He has been shortlisted for The Age Short Story Prize and was named a finalist for the 2015 Young Bookseller of the Year Award. He enjoys reading, writing and sleeping, though finds it difficult to do them all at once.
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