About StorySALOON
StorySALOON Live is your mid-week creative fix. Three short stories by award-winning and emerging writers, narrated by Australia’s most talented actors. We bring you short stories that will make you laugh, keep you hooked, and make you think. If you can’t see it live on stage, listen to the weekly StorySALOON Podcast.
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StorySALOON Podcast
Immerse yourself in the world of Australian short stories with the StorySALOON Podcast, featuring 24 episodes, short stories from 18 Australian authors, and recordings from 6 unforgettable live shows. Tune in to our in-depth monthly conversation series: ‘In the SALOON with…’, our unique, in-depth, and real conversations with actors and authors.
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StorySALOON Live | Previous Shows
at The Vanguard, Newtown
StorySALOON Podcast
Listen to the individual short stories, episode by episode.
Immerse yourself in the world of Australian short stories with the StorySALOON Podcast, featuring 24 episodes, short stories from 18 Australian authors, and recordings from 6 unforgettable live shows. Our beautifully read short stories make for perfect listening when driving, exercising, or at bedtime.
Tune in to our in-depth conversation series: ‘In the SALOON with…’, our unique, in-depth, and revealing conversations with actors and authors.
Discover our YouTube exclusive interview series, 'Author Spotlight', where we shine the light on the writers behind the short stories. Hear them share the inspiration, creative process, and their experiences of seeing their words come alive at StorySALOON.
Explore StorySALOON Podcast
Celebrating StorySALOON Success!
What a year it has been! We wrapped up two incredible seasons of StorySALOON Live, bringing short stories to the stage and sharing countless moments of laughter, reflection, and connection.
We extend our thanks to the authors, actors, partners, and audiences who contributed to StorySALOON in 2025. Your support, along with that of our funders and sponsors, has shaped what StorySALOON is today. We look forward to sharing more short stories, performances, and evenings together in the year ahead.
We are excited to bring StorySALOON back in 2026 with more captivating short stories and performances. Stay up to date by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
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Vinaya Elijala, Adam Dunn, and Alex Dimitriades
FAQs
StorySALOON’s authors' short stories have been published by Australian journals, book publishers, or have achieved a place in an Australian short story prize. Here are the publication details.
NOV
Monikka Eliah, ‘Zucchini’, Meanjin, Summer 2021.
Luke Johnson, ‘Ferocious Animals’, Ferocious Animals, Recent Works Press, 2021.
Michelle Hamadache, ‘The Crane Flies’, Overland, Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize 2021 Shortlist.
OCT
K.A. Ren Wyld, ‘Clatter Tongue’, This All Come Back Now: An Anthology of First Nations Speculative Fiction, ed Mykaela Saunders, UQP, 2022.
Claire Aman, ‘Golden Hour’, Overland, Issue 249, Summer 2022.
Abigail Ulman, ‘The Couples Therapist’, The Monthly, Issue Dec 2022 - Jan 2023.
SEPT
Roanna Gonsalves, ‘The Skit’, in The Permanent Resident, UWA Publishing, 2016.
Christos Tsiolkas, ‘Dance Hall Days’, in Into Your Arms: Nick Cave Songs Reimagined, edited by Kirsten Krauth, Fremantle Press, 2023.
Jake Dean, ‘Apocalypse, then', in Griffith Review, 2024.
JUNE
Gillian O’Shaughnessy, ‘In This Tale of a Suburban Tiger, the Part of the Mother is Played by a Bird’, Splonk, 2022; ‘Starfish’ in Jellyfish Review, 2022; ‘1989’ in Aniko Press, 2023.
Margo Lanagan, ‘Singing My Sister Down’, in Singing My Sister Down and other short stories, Allen & Unwin, 2017.
Anne Casey-Hardy, ‘In Disguise, Lying Low’, in Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls, Simon & Schuster, 2022.
MAY
Oliver Coulter, ‘Aitu’, Going Down Swinging, Nov 2022.
Cate Kennedy, ‘GPS’, in South of the Sun: Australian Fairy Tales for the 21st Century, Australian Fairy Tale Society, 2021.
Paddy O’Reilly, ‘Baggage Claim’, in Overland, 2018.
APRIL
Monique Choy, ‘Tinder Date’ in Soak: UTS Writers' Anthology, Brio Books, 2023.
Nic Low, ‘Octopus’ in Arms Race, Text Publishing, 2014.
Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker, ‘Protocols of Transference’ in This All Come Back Now: An anthology of First Nations speculative fiction, ed Mykaela Saunders, UQP, 2022.
You can listen at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and iHeart. StorySALOON episodes drop weekly in the month following each live show.
StorySALOON tickets are available at the door, but it’s a gamble. We suggest you buy tickets in advance through The Vanguard or Moshtix. Online ticket sales close at 4pm on the show date.
$35 + booking fee.Doors open: 6.00pm
Shows starts: 7.00pm
Short interval midway
Show ends: 8.30pm
Want to buy StorySALOON a book or a drink? We welcome donations of $15 $25, or even $50.
We’re building a new cultural event for Australia via our live show and podcasts.
Your donation* supports StorySALOON by providing work and wages for Australian writers, actors, and crew.
* Donations over $2 are tax deductible via the Australian Cultural Fund.
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Vinaya Elijala, Adam Dunn, and Alex Dimitriades
Vinaya Elijala, Adam Dunn, and Alex Dimitriades
StorySALOON champions Australian short stories
Our mission is simple: to grow audiences for short fiction and bring these stories to life in unforgettable ways.
At StorySALOON live shows, talented actors take centre stage, performing hand-picked short stories with passion and flair. Each show is a one-of-a-kind mix of lively conversation, devilishly good short stories, and remarkable performances.
StorySALOON Podcast is building a lasting archive of these brilliant Australian works, capturing every vibrant reading and conversation so the short stories live on for new audiences anytime, anywhere.
Founded by writer Jane Messer, StorySALOON is where Australia’s finest short stories find their audience — and where stories, laughter, and community meet.
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Donate to StorySALOON
Want to buy StorySALOON a book or a drink? We welcome donations of $15 $25, or even $50.
We’re building a new cultural event for Australia via our live show and podcasts.
Your donation* supports StorySALOON by providing work and wages for Australian writers, actors, and crew.
* Donations over $2 are tax deductible via the Australian Cultural Fund
Acknowledgement of Country
StorySALOON acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first storytellers of this land. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, as we create, perform and listen on unceded Gadigal land.