StorySALOON

In our latest 'In the SALOON with…', host Jane Messer talks with writers Luke Johnson and Michelle Hamadache. We delve into their short stories 'Ferocious Animals' and 'The Crane Flies', their creative processes, writing craft, and discuss why literary journals have a key role for creative writers and readers.

Luke Johnson is the author of the short-story collection Ferocious Animals (Recent Works Press) which takes its title from ...

In this episode we’re going to hear the short story ‘The Crane Flies’ by Michelle Hamadache, read by Charlotte Salusinszky at StorySALOON's Nov 4, 2025 show.

Michelle Hamadache is a writer of short stories, essays and reviews, with publications in Australian, British and US journals. She’s had short stories long listed for the Elizabeth ...

In this episode we’re going to hear the short story ‘Ferocious Animals’ by Luke Johnson, read by Bayley Prendergast.

Johnson is the author of the short-story collection Ferocious Animals (Recent Works Press) which takes its title from today’s short story, and an acclaimed poetry collection titled Kangaroo Unbound (Puncher & Wattman)....

In this episode we hear 'Zucchini' written and read by Monikka Eliah. Eliah is a talented emerging writer and playwright from Fairfield, located Sydney's western suburbs.  Monikka has published short stories, poetry and essays in Australian literary journals and sites including SBS Voices, Meanjin, Southerly, and Kill Your Darlings, and as an emerging playwright and fiction writer has received new work development awards and reside...

In our latest 'In the SALOON with…', host Jane Messer talks with writer Ren Wyld and actor and playwright Katie Beckett. Together, we delve into Wyld's short story 'Clatter Tongue' which Katie Beckett read at StorySALOON Live on Oct 7, 2025. We explore the two artists' creative processes, challenges and pleasures of writing, what's current in  contemporary First Nations narrative and theatre, and much more. We recommend that you li...

In this episode we’re going to hear ‘The Couples Therapist, by Abigail Ulman from our October 7 show.   

Abigail Ulman is a talented short story writer whose first book Hot Little Hands received rave reviews. Her stories have appeared in Australian and international journals including The Monthly where this story was first published, and New England Review, Best Australian Stories, BBC Radio 4, Elle, Frankie, Literary Hub, and else...

In this episode we’re going to hear ‘Golden Hour’ by Claire Aman, from our October 7 show.

Claire is the consummate short story writer, and ‘Golden Hour’ is just one of it’s just one of her many prize-winning stories.  The story was first published in the journal Overland, and she’s published an acclaimed collection of short stories, Bird Country.

In this story we meet Faye and Dawn, two neighbours. ‘Golden Hour’ is a story about s...

In this episode we’re going to hear ‘Clatter Tongue’, by K.A. Ren Wyld, from our October 7 show.

Ren Wyld is a South Australian writer of Martu descent. This prize-winning short story combines realism with the fantastic. The young girl Treanna finds herself struggling to speak; instead of words other things come out and as the story unfolds we come to understand how her Aboriginal voice is profoundly linked to missing family and hi...

In this week's episode we're going to hear 'Apocalypse, then?' by Jake Dean, read by Adam Dunn.

Jake Dean writes shorts stories and rides waves on Kaurna Country in South Australia. His writing is razor sharp, and not surprisingly he’s been published widely in Australian journals including Griffith Review, Going Down Swinging, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Overland, Kill Your Darlings, Crikey, and Surfing World.  

His story ‘Ap...

In this week's episode we're going to hear 'Dance Hall Days' by Christos Tsiolkas, read by Alex Dimitriades.

Tsiolkas is the Melbourne-born, Greek-Australian author, playwright, essayist, and screenwriter internationally known for his award winning novels, Dead Europe, Loaded, The Slap, and Barracuda.  

In this story, we meet Dimitri and Marlene, former friends who haven’t seen each since the 1980s Melbourne’s party and music scene...

In this week's episode we're going to hear 'The Skit' by Roanna Gonsalves, read by Vinaya Elijala.

Gonsalves’ short story ‘The Skit’ is from her collection titled The Permanent Resident, winner of the 2018 Multicultural NSW Award. Roanna is a writer of short stories, long fiction and radio essays, and has been published widely in Australian and international journals and anthologies. She is a lecturer in Creative Writing at the Uni...

In our latest 'In the SALOON with…', host Jane Messer talks with writer Margo Lanagan and performer, Paul Capsis.  

We take a deep dive into Margo's short story ‘Singing My Sister Down’ which was performed by Paul at StorySALOON’s June live show. In this episode, Margo speaks about the original writing of 'Singing My Sister Down', and the unique aspects of the short story as a genre. Paul discusses his performance of the work, and ...

In this week's episode we’re going to hear ‘In Disguise, Lying Low’ by Anne Casey-Hardy, read by Esha Jessy.

The story is taken from Anne’s debut collection of short stories, wickedly titled Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls (published by Scribner https://shorturl.at/Wk1To). Her acclaimed short stories are wonderfully sharp, irreverent tales of sisterhood, motherhood and friendships. In the words of one reviewer, her stories “cr...

In this episode we’re going to hear Margo Lanagan’s short story ‘Singing My Sister Down’, read by Paul Capsis. This is a story with a big heart that may well move you to tears.

Margo Lanagan is one of Australia’s most outstanding writers of short stories and novels for adults and young adults. Her work has been published widely in Australia and internationally.

For those amongst you who’re unused to the fantasy genre, what you’ll f...

In this episode we present three flash fictions by West Australian writer Gillian O'Shaughnessy, from our June live show.

Gillian is an award-winning writer whose flash fictions and short stories have been published widely in Australian and international journals and anthologies. 

The reading is by Monica Sayers, returning to StorySALOON a second time. Sayers is a proud Australian born Chinese actor, director, and voice artist. She...

Welcome to 'In the Saloon With...', where StorySALOON host Jane Messer meets with an author and actor from the live show for a deep-dive into the writing of the short story and the actor's performance of it.

In this episode we talk with Paddy O'Reilly, author of 'Baggage Claim' and Monica Sayers, who read the story live for StorySALOON's May 2025 show. 

Paddy's novels and short stories have been published, anthologised and broadcas...

Our final story from StorySALOON's live 6 May show is 'Baggage Claim' by Paddy O'Reilly. Paddy's novels and short stories have won and been shortlisted for a number of major awards, and been published, anthologised and broadcast in Australia, Europe, China, the UK and the USA. 

'Baggage Claim' was read by Monica Sayers, a proud Australian born Chinese artist who works as an actor, director, and voiceover artist. Her tv and stage ro...

This week's short story is 'GPS' by Cate Kennedy. It's a short story for lovers of twisted fairy tales and bushland suspense. Every girl should have a grandmother like this one in their lives.

Cate Kennedy has been writing and publishing short stories, along with poetry, novels and essays for over three decades. Recent short stories have been published in The Saturday Paper, and the anthologies The Scarlet Stilleto: 30 Years of My...