Are there any storytelling shows in Adelaide or Melbourne?

November 13, 2009 2:51 PM

Are there storytelling/live reading shows in Adelaide or Melbourne, similar to The Moth in NYC/LA?

I write and tell short stories in NYC, mostly through The Moth, though I've gotten stuff onto This American Life and done a number of smaller shows here like The Liar Show, Risk!, and Seth Lind's Told.

Are there any opportunities to do something similar in Australia, by any chance? There's a growing storytelling scene here in New York, sort of like standup mixed with essay-writing ... wondering if there might be something similar Down Under.

A few of my stories deal directly with aspects of Aussie culture, too, as I lived there for about a year. Here's a few samples:

'Roo Shooter
Foreign Soil
Now or Never

I'm leaving for Australia tomorrow morning for a 2-week holiday, spending one week in Adelaide and another in Melbourne. And if possible, I'd love to try some of these out down there. Is there any chance for something like that to happen? If so, would you mind putting me in touch with the right folks?

Thanks so much ...

posted by chinese_fashion to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

When I lived in Adelaide there was a regular poetry/short story reading night at La Boheme, a cool little bar on Grote St. The event was called 'Animate Quarterly', but I can't find out any more at the moment because its Myspace page is blocked at work.

There was also an event called Hard Boiled that I can't find out much about for similar reasons... good luck!

If those don't help, you could potentially write to the creative writing department at Adelaide University. This is one of my lecturers there who ran the program at the time, and may be able to help.
posted by twirlypen at 3:23 PM on November 13, 2009

I'm an expat with very similar tastes, and been living in Melbourne for the last 8 years. While its a jawdropping amazingly place to live, unlike New York, it can take months or years for it really to unfold, and a lot of the events can fly under the radar. That said, you might enjoy these links:

Paper Radio - Just about to start up, looking for contributors. Good people behind it:

Self-Cultivation Very fun, but not totally regular.

Last Tuesday Society (haven't been, but heard good things.)

And for general going on's along those slants, check out ThreeThousand (for melbourne)
posted by LongDrive at 6:41 PM on November 13, 2009

I don't have anything for Australia, but if you ever find yourself in Miami, look into lip service at Bioks and Books in Coral Gables. Lipservicestories.com

I have a story up on the site in episode 6. It was a great audience to read for.

All lip service stories are true.
posted by bilabial at 6:50 AM on November 14, 2009

No real answer, but the SA Writers Centre might be another place to ask (for Adelaide). It's very centrally located, so easy to pop into. I was passing this morning and stuck my head in, and there was nothing obvious among the brochures and flyers, but I wasn't dedicated enough to actually find a staff member to ask - if there is something like what you're after, the people who work there should know.
posted by severalbees at 10:02 PM on November 15, 2009