The Next Chapter 2022 Showcase
The Next Big Thing wraps up for 2022 with an evening of readings from this year’s Next Chapter writers.
About
For four years, The Wheeler Centre’s Next Chapter writers’ scheme has been working to change the Australian publishing landscape by providing a foot in the door for writers who have historically been overlooked by the industry.
As we begin to wrap up 2022, join us for this year’s final instalment of the much-loved literary event The Next Big Thing, featuring writers from the 2022 Next Chapter scheme.
Over a drink, you’ll hear works-in-progress from Jumaana Abdu, Jose da Costa, Monikka Eliah, Tristen Harwood, Brooke Maddison, Luke Patterson, Micaela Sahar, Jocelyn Suzanne, Anne-Marie Te Whiu and more.
The Next Chapter writers scheme is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Aesop Foundation and George & Rosa Morstyn.
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible
Accessible toilets available
You can learn more about the Wheeler Centre’s accessibility policies here. Please notify us of all access requirements when booking online so we can assist you with your visit. If you require further information, please contact reception on 03 9094 7800 or ticketing@wheelercentre.com.
The Next Big Thing
The Next Big Thing takes place every month at the Moat and is a cherished Melbourne institution. It’s the place to be if you want to hear great emerging writers read from new and adventurous work.
Featuring
Jumaana Abdu is the author of Translations (Vintage). She is a Dal Stivens Award winner and a Wheeler Centre Next Chapter alumnus. Her work has been published widely, including in Thyme Travellers (Roseway Publishing), an international anthology of Palestinian speculative fiction. During the day... Read more
Jose da Costa was born in Timor-Leste where he was a youth clandestine activist. Arriving by boat as a refugee, he campaigned extensively, especially throughout regional Victoria, for East Timorese independence. He has worked professionally as an actor and filmmaker in Timor-Leste and Australia and ... Read more
Monikka Eliah is an Assyrian-Australian writer and performer from Fairfield. She has participated in National Theatre of Parramatta’s Page to Stage program, Playwrights of Parramatta, CuriousWorks Breakthrough Screen Writing Program and STC’s Rough Draft. Her work has been published in The Big B... Read more
Tristen Harwood is an Indigenous writer, critic, editor and researcher. The eldest of seven children, he was raised in Perth’s outer suburbs by a single mother on welfare. His poetry and short fiction is concerned with ambiguous loss, wounded attachment, and homesickness. Tristen has published wri... Read more
Brooke Maddison is a writer and editor working on unceded Turrbal and Yuggera land. She is completing a Masters of Writing, Editing and Publishing at the University of Queensland and is the founder and co-editor of Crackle, the university’s anthology of creative writing. Her work has been publishe... Read more
Luke Patterson is a Gamilaroi poet, educator and musician living on Gadigal lands. His poetry has appeared in Cordite, Plumwood Mountain, Rabbit, Running Dog and The Suburban Review. Luke’s research and creative pursuits are grounded in extensive work with First Nations and other community-bas... Read more
Micaela Sahhar is an Australian-Palestinian writer and educator. Her poetry and essays have appeared in Overland, Cordite, the Age, Southerly, and the Conversation, among others, and she was shortlisted for the Blake Poetry Prize in 2014. She was commissioned to contribute to Forensic Architecture... Read more
Josie/Jocelyn Suzanne is a freelance editor/writer/programmer. Their work has appeared in Cordite, Southerly, Rabbit Journal and Overland, among others. They were shortlisted for the 2022 Val Vallis award, and were the recipient of the 2021 Harri Jones memorial prize, as well as being one of the 202... Read more
Anne-Marie Te Whiu (Ani) an Australian-born Māori who belongs to the Te Rarawa iwi in Hokianga, Aotearoa NZ. She lives on unceded Wangal Country. She is a cultural producer, writer, editor and weaver. Most recently she has edited Woven (Magabala Books), Tony Birch’s Whisper Songs (University of... Read more
Xanthea O’Connor is the Wheeler Centre’s Program and Special Projects Producer. She has previously worked in music and events management and spent a handful of years as an usher at the Wheeler Centre before joining the team in 2021. Xanthea has collaborated on projects as a writer, musician, pro... Read more
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