In this episode, Cate reads Little Plastic Shipwreck from her collection, Like a House on Fire (Scribe) and talks about why this particular story is still mysterious to her. Cate also discusses many aspects of writing, including the value in capturing the small, ordinary details of our lives, plus fiction’s great superpower: its ability to reveal a character’s sense of interiority. She explains the power of the three layers of a character’s “self” and the richness that the gap between these provides to both reader and writer. 

This episode was recorded on the unceded lands of the Yuggera and Turrbul people in Brisbane and the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung people in Castlemaine, Victoria.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands

 In Episode 7 Jane reads her story Kangaroo, which was published in KYD’s 2019 Speculative Showcase, and originally published in the Ticonderoga anthology Ecopunk! as The wrong side of history. 

 Hear Jane discuss different types of speculative fiction, the role imagination plays and why she loves this genre. We also discuss her approach to writing, her role as an editor of short stories, and how she views the current status of publishing short stories in Australia. 

This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people and on the traditional lands of the Melukerdee people, who did not survive colonisation. I acknowledge the ongoing custodianship of the Palawa people of Lutruwita Tasmania.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands

In this episode Kate reads her story The Mighty have Fallen published in the Summer 2022 issue of Meanjin. Then we chat about the broad themes influencing her work, the tips she gives when mentoring writers and how reading helps when her writing stalls.

This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people in Meanjin, Brisbane and on the lands of the Wurundjeri people in Naarm, Melbourne.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands

Anne’s short story collection Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls was published by Scribner/Simon & Schuster in September 2022 and was longlisted for the 2023 Indie Book Awards.

In this episode, Anne reads her story, Starving in the Land of Plenty.

Hear Anne discuss her views on the origins of status anxiety, laughing at your own funny lines and why she favours the first person POV.

This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people in Meanjin, Brisbane and on the lands of the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands

She is a past winner of the Josephine Ulrick Prize for Literature, the Margaret River Short Story Competition, the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize and the Fair Australia Prize for Fiction.

Ordinary Matter won the 2021 USQ Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection. The judges described it as ‘elegant, inventive, and often deeply touching’. The collection was also shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Award for a Work of State Significance and the 2022 Barbara Jefferis Award.

Laura’s first novel, Nightingale, was shortlisted for the Fiction Book Award and won the People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award at the 2025 Queensland Literary Awards.

Laura has a PhD in Creative Writing and Literary Studies from QUT. 

In this episode, Laura reads Grand Canyon from her second collection. Hear how Laura combined fact with fiction for this story, why she chose to tell it through Frank’s voice, how she feels about beginnings and endings in stories, how reading your work aloud differs from reading it in your head, and more!

This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people in Meanjin, Brisbane.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands

Laurie edited the short story anthology Shibboleth and Other Stories, published in 2016. His debut novel You Belong Here was published in 2018 and shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards. His memoir, Love, Dad, was published in 2023. Laurie’s collection of short stories, Greater City Shadows, won the 2021 Henry Handel Richardson Fellowship for Short Story Writing and was published in 2024. 

In this episode, Laurie reads The Punch. Then we talk about how this story came into being and Laurie tells us why it’s easier to take risks with short stories and talks about the joys and pitfalls of writing across literary forms, and the long game of writing.

This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people in Meanjin, Brisbane, and on the lands of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people in Boorloo, Western Australia.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands

Her collection of short stories and novellas, titled The Burnished Sun won the 2022 UQP Quentin Bryce Award. On selecting The Burnished Sun, Dame Quentin Bryce says:

What a remarkable and skilful writer Mirandi Riwoe is … the sheer breadth of talent showcased across this collection of fiction is astounding.

In addition to her short story collection, Mirandi has published a novella, The Fish Girl, and two novels, Stone Sky Gold Mountain and Sunbirds. Her third novel, A Short History of Longans will be available in 2026. Mirandi’s books are published by UQP. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Mirandi read Invitation from her collection and learn about the real-life events that fed into the creation of this story. We then chat about Mirandi’s writing process and discuss the importance of craft and practice when honing your writing skills. Mirandi also shares insights into selecting winners for short story competitions.

This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people in Meanjin, Brisbane.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands

Amanda has written and published many short stories and her fiction has been awarded and shortlisted in numerous contests in Australia, Ireland, and the UK.

Her story collection, This Taste for Silence (UQP), was shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction and longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize (UK). It was described as “a stunning achievement” by Readings’ Ellen Cregan, with stories that maintain “a subtle, compelling sense of intrigue that makes each story highly readable without compromising the quality and detail of her writing.”

In this episode, Amanda reads Things from her collection. Then we chat about her writing process and how writing short stories differs from writing long form and flash fiction.

You will hear Amanda talk about the power that lies in a good short story, the courage it takes to write, “the tea bag process” of writing and why Amanda gets surprised by the stories she puts on the page.

This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people in Meanjin, Brisbane.

Australian Shorts, a podcast about short stories written by Australian authors, is produced by Karen Hollands