Such a talented and varied group of writers

And what fabulous readers they were. For the first time, the on-campus speakeasy event featured a microphone and speakers, and it made a huge difference. Words were no longer caught on the breeze and gone was that awkward silence where the audience tries to discern whether the reader’s lips have ceased moving so that they can applaud. Instead, we were able to savour every word, be it sweet and touching, funny and awkward or downright bloody and morbid. And there seems to be a lot of delightfully twisted minds at work in Flinders University. As our wonderful MC, Courtney, observed, “There’s so much blood today!” Whether it was the tragically bloodied breast of a seventeen year old girl, or the comically bloodied severed leg of a parking inspector, the stories were oozing with it. It wasn’t all gore, mind you, and less grim tales seemed to attract the interest of some very attentive ducks. It all proved too much for one duck, however, whose exit from the event comically coincided with a reader’s mention of “duck hockey.” Having attended both on-campus Speakeasy events, and having read at the first, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the readings, both in content and presentation. Everyone seemed incredibly at ease in front of the crowd, aided by the relaxed environment of the Humanities Courtyard and the splendid weather we enjoyed. It was great to hear the work of such a talented and varied group of writers. Writing can be such a lonely enterprise, and it’s a true testament to the organisers of this event that they have created a community where writers can escape from the solitude of their computer rooms to share their brilliant creations with the world. We began the day split into the factions of teachers and students, each side seeking refuge from the sun in the shadows cast by the Humanities building. But as the event wore on, we were brought together by so much more than the passage of the sun across the sky. We were brought together by the shared experience of listening to these wonderful stories. I look forward to the next public event, and the future of Speakeasy, with plans announced to join forces with the undergraduate and postgraduate students of Adelaide University to create a cross-campus event. This sounds like a fantastic way to foster community between both universities, and share our work with each other. Congratulations to all of our incredible readers, and to everyone on the Speakeasy committee for organising such a fantastic event. And special thanks to Margot and Threasa for making Speakeasy happen. I feel like this is the start of something big.



Review by Phillip Kavanagh Phillip Kavanagh is currently completing a Masters Degree in Creative Writing at Flinders University. He has had several short plays produced and is working towards completing his first full length stage play. .

Our fabulous readers

Tom, Alicia, Stephanie, Miles .

Courtney, Eliza, Cara, Mel

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Miranda, Angela, Ronald, Luke .

Anna, Mario, Tamara, Samuel

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19/11/10 on campus event

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“There is something very human about gathering together to read.”

When we talk about success a few things pop into mind; the first being that we had some sort of goal, secondly that this goal was attempted, and lastly that is was completed and accomplished in a triumphant way. Success for the Speakeasy team just continues to visit their events and if it wasn’t for all their hard work, it may appear unfair to the rest of us. It’s a very pleasing thing to be able to enjoy the work of other writers who have joined the ranks of the Speakeasy readers. As a reader from the last campus event, I can safely say that standing up in front of a room full of people who are expected to glance in your direction for that length of time (which feels like forever) is rather daunting. Something which I’m proud to say (and a little jealous) that none of the readers at this event seemed to be showing. The crowd appeared to grow as the night progressed and many of the mismatched chairs had been moved from and to several different tables. Trips were repeatedly made inside to the bar and not one person returned empty handed, some having numerous glasses balanced among weakening fingers. Soon, the pizza was to arrive and the soft chatter turned into deep chewing. In the breaks from the sets the room seemed to have a constant murmuring, one which invited conversation and allowed the readers of the next set to ease into something other than their own terrifying thoughts. All of these things combined managed to create a strong, thick atmosphere for the evening and I’m sure that the reason the attendees had such an enjoyable night wasn’t just for the food, friends and fresh air, but for the fantastic words spoken from the stage. Each speaker had differing quirks and hand gestures, different voice projections and very different story lines. However, that doesn’t mean any of them were less. After all, we’re all human, and there is something very natural about it. It’s here that we should acknowledge those readers, and who best to start with then the Flinders first year BCA Creative Writing students who feel no fear in showing their talent; Jaqui Lawson, Mario Pilla and Samuel Williams. Having studied with these writers myself, I am very proud to have heard their wonderful words read aloud from the page. Next we’ll move on to those who have studied much further into Creative Writing, and as such had many interesting stories to share; Brendan Whittaker, Tom Drahos, Neil Philbey and Helen Dinmore. Of course, we cannot forget the remarkable guest headliners who took the time to show us how it’s done—Ben Chandler, Molly Murn and Kate Hayford. I must encourage support and praise for the readers and organisers, and with any luck those of you who’ve yet to experience such an event will be just as impressed in the future when I expect to see the likes of you amongst the crowd. Speakeasy Review for Sept 22nd 2010 at the Wheatsheaf Hotel– Molly Paton.

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Molly Paton is a first year Creative Writing Student at Flinders University. She believes somewhat in the quote ‘a writer can only write what they know’ and feels that she writes about everything and nothing. This is of course what she knows. Whether actually knowledge or just things she knows she doesn’t know. .

Speakeasy at the Wheatsheaf Sept 2010

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