Supported by
The Wheeler Centre’s Hot Desk Fellowships are wrapping up for 2026 and in this instalment of The Next Big Thing, we’re showcasing writers from the third intake of fellows.
For this year's final edition of The Next Big Thing, writers awarded a 2026 Hot Desk Fellowship will share exclusive excerpts from their works-in-progress.
Grab a drink and settle in as host Pranati Narayan Visweswaran introduces Anna Carlsson, Frankey Chung-Kok-Lun, Eric Jiang, Gurmeet Kaur, Sarinah Masukor, Vuong Pham and Samantha Smith to The Moat for an evening of captivating readings – from a political thriller screenplay to poetry and non-fiction – and insights into their creative practice.
The Next Big Thing series is generously supported by George and Rosa Morstyn
The Hot Desk Fellowships are supported by the Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, the Readings Foundation and the Just Pretending theatre group.
Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Monday 23 November
6.30 - 7.30pm
Tickets
$19.50
Full
$15.50
Concession
$15.50
Under 30
$0.00
Pay What You Wish
Location
Accessibility
Accessible toilets available
Assistive Listening
Auslan interpreting available by-request
Companion tickets available
Registered Assistance Animals welcome
Wheelchair accessible
For information regarding accessibility at The Wheeler Centre, click here.
Please notify us of all access requirements when booking online so we can assist you with your visit. If you require further information, please contact ticketing@wheelercentre.com.
Featuring
Anna Carlsson
Anna Carlsson is a writer and editor born in South Korea, raised in Warrnambool but now resides on Wurundjeri land. She has a background in publishing with an arts and cultural focus and ...
Frankey Chung-Kok-Lun
Frankey Chung-Kok-Lun is an artist raised equally in Naarm and Mauritius. He explores how narratives shape human relationships with nature, focusing on the perspectives of nonhumans, from birds ...
Eric Jiang
Eric Jiang is a queer Chinese-Australian poet, playwright and filmmaker based on Gadigal land. His poetry has been published in Cordite, Liminal, Australian Poetry Journal, Going Down Swinging ...
Gurmeet Kaur
Gurmeet Kaur is a poet and critic. Her writing is published in Best of Australian Poems, Sydney Review of Books, Kill Your Darlings, Liminal, Cordite, Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal, and ...
Vuong Pham
Vuong Pham’s poetry explores themes of displacement and cultural identity. One of his poems, ‘Mother’ is studied as a prescribed text in the New South Wales Higher School Certificate English ...
Samantha Smith
Samantha Smith is a Naarm-based children's picture book author. She lives with her three junior co-authors (all expert Morgenmuffels!), an adopted cat, and 997 compost worms. Her debut, Harriet's ...
Sarinah Masukor
Sarinah co-wrote the finale of Good Cop Bad Cop (STAN/CW/HBO Max) and wrote on and script edited the outback comedy Population 11 (STAN/AMAZON). She wrote an episode of Netflix’s ...
Pranati Narayan Visweswaran
Artist, creative worker, and culture junkie, Pranati is a staunch supporter of the arts. They have experience working with emerging, independent BIPOC artists, and are the founder of local initiative South by South East ...