Maria Takolander – Australian Short Story Fest – 19–21 Oct

In the lead-up to the 2018 Australian Short Story Festival (Perth, 19–21 October), staff member Maria Takolander spoke to The West Australian about the power of this distilled literary form.

“I often say (short stories) are like specimen jars, intimate studies of human lives in this sometimes cruel, sometimes wondrous world of ours,” says Maria. “And because they have that brevity and intensity, they allow for very intense experiences.”

Maria will deliver the closing speech at the three-day festival. Other speakers include David Malouf, Amanda Curtin, Josephine Taylor, Elizabeth Tan, Anthony Macris, Laura Elvery, Dennis Haskell, Richard Rossiter and Roanna Gonsalves. Read Maria’s full interview here >