Masterclass: Short Story

It seems the days of short stories being considered somehow inferior to the novel are gone. In fact, in our fast-paced lives it seems short stories are the perfect form. In Australia, the success of short story collections are testament to our appreciation of the short form. This masterclass will examine all aspects of short story writing, including hints and tips for submissions to short fiction prizes, readying manuscripts and submitting to literary journals, where to source opportunities, the road to publishing a body of short stories and pushing the boundaries of the form.

10am: Keynote by Tony Birch

What is the place of short fiction in Australian literary culture? Gain insight and advice from one of Australia’s most accomplished short fiction writers, and author of three collections of short stories Shadowboxing, Father’s Day and The Promise.

With: Tony Birch

10.30am: Short Cuts

Short cuts to cut your shorts. How do you edit short stories? What are editors looking for in short fiction? Three short fiction editors cover the basics of redrafting, and give you some hot tips on pitching for literary journals.

With: Cate Blake, Ellen van Neerven, Anupama Pilbrow

11.30am: #Winning

What can short story competitions do for your career? What publishing opportunities might winning or placing in a competition lead to? Get some hints and tips for submitting to short story competitions from those who’ve written, judged and published award winning writing.

Presented in partnership with Melbourne Books.

With: Pia Gaardboe, David Tenenbaum, Amy Baillieu, Jennifer Down

12.30pm – 1.30pm: Lunch

1.30pm: Collected Works

How do you move from writing individual short stories to putting together a collection? Is pitching short story collections to publishers different to pitching a novel?

With: Laura Elizabeth Woollet, Ali Alizadeh, Melanie Cheng

2.30pm – 4pm: Editing Workshop

Bring along work up to 1,500 words long to edit in this intensive facilitated by Express Media. Learn practical skills for writing and editing your short fiction, as well as giving and getting some constructive feedback.

Presented by Express Media.

With: Elizabeth Flux

4pm: Rachel Funari Prize announcement

For the third year in a row, we are honoured to announce the winner of The Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction. Run by Lip Magazine, this prize is dedicated to fostering female talent. This year, entrants were invited to engage with the theme ‘rebirth’.

Presented by Lip Magazine.