Imagined Biography
The space between pure fiction and fact harbours many curious things. When it comes to famous (or infamous) historical events, we may know broadly what happened – but the inner lives and private worlds of key players are literally left to the imagination. Enter fiction.
For this edition of The Next Big Thing, we’ll hear stories of real lives reimagined. How can we make sense of history, and lend humanity to its most influential (or discreet) figures? When legacy overshadows experience, how might we fill in the gaps? Come and find out – with readings from Kelly Gardiner (Goddess), Marija Pericic (The Lost Pages), Bram Presser (The Book of Dirt) and Joey Bui (‘Dinosaurs’).
Readings will be our bookseller for this event.
Featuring
Stella is the Wheeler Centre’s Programming Coordinator. An emerging arts manager and event producer, Stella was previously the Marketing and Events Coordinator for Readings, and the Festival Manager for the National Young Writers’ Festival, Australia’s largest gathering of young and innova... Read more
Kelly Gardiner writes historical fiction for readers of all ages. Her latest novel is 1917: Australia’s Great War, recently shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Young History Prize and the Asher Award. Kelly’s previous books include the young adult novels Act of Faith and The Sultan’s E... Read more
Marija Pericic grew up in Perth, Western Australia, the child of German and Croatian immigrants. She holds a Masters degree in English Literature. She now lives in Melbourne where she teaches English as a foreign language. The Lost Pages is her first novel.
Bram Presser was born in Melbourne in 1976. His stories have appeared in Best Australian Stories, Award Winning Australian Writing, The Sleepers Almanac and Higher Arc.
Joey Bui is a Vietnamese-Australian writer. She graduated from New York University Abu Dhabi where she completed her first collection of short stories, Lucky Ticket, based on interviews with Vietnamese refugees around the world. Joey has been published in journals and magazines in the US and Au... Read more
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