The Next Big Thing
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With each year that passes, Australia consistently produces a wealth of new literary talent. From debut novelists to short-story writers, memoirists to poets, we are truly living in a golden age for the written word.
How to keep up? It’s simple. Once a month, head on down to The Next Big Thing, where you will hear from and meet four exciting new authors, and maybe a few who’ve been around for a while but haven’t had the exposure they deserve. These are the literary stars of tomorrow. Come and hear from them today.
Ellie Marney is a young adult author whose debut crime thriller Every Breath came out in 2013, and is followed this year by Every Word, and in 2015 by Every Move.
Liam Pieper is a journalist and author whose memoir about being an inept gangster, The Feel-Good Hit of the Year, hits the shelves this month.
Tom O’Byrne is a short-story writer and student, currently working on his first novel.
Diana Sweeney is a lecturer and model, whose acclaimed debut young adult novel The Minnow is out this winter.
Who?
Ellie Marney
Ellie Marney is a teacher and Young Adult author who specializes in crime and all things involving dastardly mystery. Her highly-awarded adult short stories have been published in Australia and the UK, and her debut YA crime thriller Every Breath (Allen & Unwin, 2013) is followed by two sequels, Every Word (June 2014), and Every Move (March 2015).
Liam Pieper
Liam Pieper’s grandmother introduces him to her friends, as ‘my grandson who writes for the Internet’. You might find his work in the Monthly, Meanjin, The Best of The Lifted Brow, Going Down Swinging and The Sleepers Almanac. He is the author of a memoir, The Feelgood Hit of The Year; a collection of essays, Mistakes Were Made; and a novel, The Toymaker. Find him on Twitter, @liampieper.
Tom O'Byrne
Tom O’Byrne is a Melbourne based writer who’s been published in various literary journals. He’s currently balancing his fiction with a corporate day job managing web content.
Diana Sweeney
Diana Sweeney is a university lecturer and model, whose acclaimed debut young adult novel The Minnow is out this winter.
The Next Big Thing
Want to meet tomorrow’s literary stars today? Let us introduce you.
Our long-running Next Big Thing series is our showcase for great new local talent. You’ll hear emerging writers reading from bold and adventurous work. Enjoy a delicious drink and a bite to eat at the Moat, while your future favourite authors knock your socks off.
