STORIES ON STAGE 2015

Stories on Stage 2015 at Koorliny Arts Centre is about to get under way in Perth’s southern suburbs, with author Brooke Davis kicking off a year of book-ish events on March 11. She’ll be talking about grief and how it has shaped her writing, as well as reading from her hit novel, Lost and Found. Brooke has a great reputation for being a warm and engaging speaker, so I’m really looking forward to this event. For those who don’t know, Stories on Stage is held six times a year. I created the event in 2012, as much from a desire to share my love of books, as one to bring authors and literary events to an area known for its high unemployment, socio-economic disadvantage and poor literacy and numeracy levels. Working in an arts centre with a strong theatre focus, I wanted literature, as one of ‘the arts’, to have a little more focus. Since its inception, Stories on Stage has hosted a diverse group of authors including Kim Scott, Dawn Barker, Liz Byrski, Amanda Curtin and Ian Reid, Stephen Scourfield, Rachael Johns, Yvette Walker, Annabel Smith, Dawn Barker and more. All the authors who have taken part have commented on the wonderful sense of community they feel at the centre – it’s warm, inviting, informal and friendly. You can imagine how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel to organise an event like this. I’m able to share my passion and provide an opportunity for locals to meet people they would not ordinarily be able to meet; in the warmth of a small community theatre, they are encouraged to have reading conversations that often linger for some time afterwards.

The Stories on Stage 2015 line up

In 2015, Stories on Stage is continuing to invite leading West Australian authors to showcase their latest books or discuss key issues in publishing/writing through in-conversations, debates and panels. The authors are: Brooke Davis (March 11); Jennie Jones, Juanita Kees and Lily Malone (April 29 – Date Night); Mark Greenwood (June 10); Joan London (July 22); Felicity Young (September 16); and Juliet Marillier (October 14). As you can see, this year, I’m introducing a romance-themed special event called Date Night, just to spice things up a little (with Jennie, Juanita and Lily on board, that’s guaranteed); this event is being supported by Escape Publishing with lots of books and USBs pre-loaded with books to give away. I’m grateful to all the publishers who have helped make these events happen – this year, thanks to Hachette Australia, Random House and Escape. If you live in Perth, I hope to see you at Stories on Stage – make sure to come up and say hi! You can expect a friendly welcome, great book-ish conversation and a tasty supper. What’s not to love? To book, just call the centre on (08) 9467 7118 or click here. Finally, I will be looking for authors to take part in 2016, but I will make it clear upfront that the centre has a tight budget and cannot cover accommodation or airfares (which is why WA authors are represented so highly). Contact me via email if you would like more information. Here’s some feedback from authors and you can read more testimonials here:

“What a treat to be with not only an enthusiastic, interested, engaged and generous audience, but also in such a wonderful facility. The presentation at Koorliny Arts Centre was truly a moment where everything came together beautifully – the people and the place, and for, me, the combination of a words-and-music performance, and then a more formal “talk” about travelling and writing, which I hadn’t done before. ” – STEPHEN SCOURFIELD “Thank you again for inviting me to take part in your wonderful Stories on Stage program for 2014. It was an excellent event, very well organised, and such a lovely audience, too.” – AMANDA CURTIN (Elemental, The Sinkings) “Stories on Stage was a unique author event experience. I haven’t had one in such a gorgeous environment before and the audience were friendly and full of fabulous questions. To top it all off, the gourmet delights for after the event were mouth-watering. I’d recommend any author do an event with Stories on Stage. – RACHAEL JOHNS (Man Drought; Outback Dreams)

The West Australian travel editor Stephen Scourfield at Stories on Stage 2014.