It was a clear Autumn evening when we all gathered once again—friends, family and followers—for the latest Flinders University Speakeasy Creative Readings. Yes, the stars were bright in the sky, and the fairy lights of the Wheatsheaf Shed’s stage were twinkling beautifully as ever; but the real stars of the night were the readers.
Another incredible array of creative writing talent kept us enthralled with their tales of love, loss, lust, survival, murder and a bit of comedy for good measure. Ranging from nineteenth century Iceland, through to post-war Berlin, and finally to the contemporary angst of suburbia and a war-zone, these readers and their writings gave us an insight into the human condition in all its various guises. The performances were poignant, startling, entertaining and always well delivered. As a creative writer myself, and one who has also stood on that stage staring out into the blackness, the opportunity to perform a piece of written work is one filled with dread but also excitement. To be able to read aloud your own work to a captive audience, with the rhythm and nuances that reading alone sometimes neglects, is a powerful tool in the creative process, enabling both reader and audience to participate in the performance. And this latest Flinders University Speakeasy was no exception.
Experienced readers such as Miles Trench, Mario Pilla, Sam Williams and Tom Drahos entertained us with their stories of contemporary angst and the writing and studying dilemma. Alicia Carter, Mel Manson and Tami Milne also gave great deliveries of well-written pieces about the trials and tribulations of life in suburbia. First time reader and one of our headliners, Barbara Brown, gave a moving performance of life as a small ‘rubble’ girl in post-war Berlin, while Hannah Kent, another of our headliners, dramatically enacted the thoughts of a female nineteenth century farm worker, given the task of watching over the last woman condemned to death in Iceland. Published author, David Sornig, ended the evening for us, relaying a story of male angst in a contemporary war zone, with the well-known sound of planes flying over The Wheatsheaf in the background giving the reading an eerie reality. Congratulations to Peter Beaglehole, MC for the evening, who kept the night moving along, giving us plenty of warning and time to order pizzas and visit the bar, not to mention his witty observations and anecdotes.
Another Flinders University Speakeasy success! And after the raffle was drawn and prizes handed out, which included copies of two outstanding Australian literary journals—not bad for a night of free entertainment—we all gathered round to congratulate the readers and organisers for this well-attended and supported, soon to be iconic, literary event. I can’t wait for the next one. Be there or be square.
Another incredible array of creative writing talent kept us enthralled with their tales of love, loss, lust, survival, murder and a bit of comedy for good measure. Ranging from nineteenth century Iceland, through to post-war Berlin, and finally to the contemporary angst of suburbia and a war-zone, these readers and their writings gave us an insight into the human condition in all its various guises. The performances were poignant, startling, entertaining and always well delivered. As a creative writer myself, and one who has also stood on that stage staring out into the blackness, the opportunity to perform a piece of written work is one filled with dread but also excitement. To be able to read aloud your own work to a captive audience, with the rhythm and nuances that reading alone sometimes neglects, is a powerful tool in the creative process, enabling both reader and audience to participate in the performance. And this latest Flinders University Speakeasy was no exception.
Experienced readers such as Miles Trench, Mario Pilla, Sam Williams and Tom Drahos entertained us with their stories of contemporary angst and the writing and studying dilemma. Alicia Carter, Mel Manson and Tami Milne also gave great deliveries of well-written pieces about the trials and tribulations of life in suburbia. First time reader and one of our headliners, Barbara Brown, gave a moving performance of life as a small ‘rubble’ girl in post-war Berlin, while Hannah Kent, another of our headliners, dramatically enacted the thoughts of a female nineteenth century farm worker, given the task of watching over the last woman condemned to death in Iceland. Published author, David Sornig, ended the evening for us, relaying a story of male angst in a contemporary war zone, with the well-known sound of planes flying over The Wheatsheaf in the background giving the reading an eerie reality. Congratulations to Peter Beaglehole, MC for the evening, who kept the night moving along, giving us plenty of warning and time to order pizzas and visit the bar, not to mention his witty observations and anecdotes.
Another Flinders University Speakeasy success! And after the raffle was drawn and prizes handed out, which included copies of two outstanding Australian literary journals—not bad for a night of free entertainment—we all gathered round to congratulate the readers and organisers for this well-attended and supported, soon to be iconic, literary event. I can’t wait for the next one. Be there or be square.
Review by Amanda Williams
Amanda Williams is currently completing a Masters Degree in Creative Writing at Flinders University, working on a coming of age novella set in the seventies on the Lefevre Peninsula.
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