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 is an author and journalist. His first book was a memoir, The Feel-Good Hit of the Year, shortlisted for the National Biography Award and the Ned Kelly Best True Crime award. His second was the Penguin Special Mistakes Were Made, a volume of humorous essays. He was co-recipient of the 2014 M Literary Award, winner of the 2015 Geoff Dean Short Story Prize and the inaugural creative resident of the UNESCO City of Literature of Prague. His first novel, The Toymaker, received the 2016 Christina Stead Fiction Award from the Fellowship of Australian Writers.
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
The Next Big Thing takes place every month at the Moat and is a cherished Melbourne institution. It's the place to be if you want to hear great emerging writers read from new and adventurous work.
Enjoy a delicious drink and a bite to eat, while sampling writing from tomorrow's best and brightest literary stars.
