Skip to content

The Next Big Thing: Bodies of Work [Booked Out]

When

Event Status

Join us at the Moat to hear new work from a line-up of writers exploring the body and its intersections with gender, sexuality, fashion, genetics and age.

About

For this instalment of The Next Big Thing, a line-up of writers explore the body – the bodies we inherit, how we clothe our bodies, and how different bodies experience youth, gender and sexuality.

Alice Boyle’s debut novel Dancing Barefoot traverses teenage sexuality and love; Eloise Grills’ big beautiful female theory sees the author turn her life, body and mind into art; Ryan Gustafsson’s contribution to the collection Against Disappearance explores adoption and the unknown legacy of the body; Chloe Komesarook shares her Voiceworks essay ‘The Part of My Body I Am Willing to Sell’; and Lucianne Tonti examines the ethics of clothing in Sundressed.

Join us at The Moat for the next edition of this popular series, and celebrate and support new work from these exciting writing talents.

The bookseller for this event is Readings.

Accessibility

You can learn more about the Wheeler Centre’s accessibility policies 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 reception on 03 9094 7800 or ticketing@wheelercentre.com.

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.

 

The Next Big Thing

Featuring

Alice Boyle

Alice Boyle is a teacher and writer living in Naarm/Melbourne. She has written for SBS Voices, the Stella Prize and the Wheeler Centre, and her short story ‘The Exchange’ was published in the Black Inc. anthology Growing Up Queer in Australia. In 2021 she won the Text Prize for her debut novel, ... Read more

Eloise Grills

Eloise Grills is a writer and visual artist living on Dja Dja Wurrung land. Her collection of illustrated nonfiction, big beautiful female theory, was shortlisted for the 2023 Stella Prize and the Indie Book Award for Illustrated Nonfiction.

Ryan Gustafsson

Ryan Gustafsson is a writer and researcher living and working on Wurundjeri land. Their writing has appeared in the International Journal of Cultural Studies, Australian Feminist Law Journal, Peril Magazine, Island Magazine, and Bent Street, among others.

Chloe Komesarook

Chloe Komesarook is an emerging writer originally from Washington DC, USA, who moved to Melbourne to study Creative Writing at RMIT. Her work has been published in the Bowen Street Press Review, The Adelaide Literary Magazine, and recently, Voiceworks. Titled ‘A Summary of Parts’, it is ... Read more

Lucianne Tonti

Lucianne Tonti has worked in fashion in Melbourne, Sydney, London and Paris. In 2020 she launched the sustainable fashion site Prelude, as profiled in Vogue. Her writing appears in The Guardian, The Saturday Paper and Lindsay. ... Read more

Jamila Djafar Khodja

Jamila is the Wheeler Centre’s Programming Manager. Prior to this, she worked in the publishing industry as a publicist and sales manager, working with local and international writers. Jamila holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Postgraduate Certificate in Publishing and Communications, both from th... Read more

Location

The Moat

176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

More details

Stay up to date with our upcoming events and special announcements by subscribing to The Wheeler Centre's mailing list.

Privacy Policy

The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.