EVERYONE'S STORY MATTERS

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Mentoring Project for Early and Emerging Writers of Indian Ocean Heritage
Mentoring Project for Early and Emerging Writers of Indian Ocean Heritage

A new mentoring project for early and emerging writers of Indian Ocean heritage funded by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

Jay Anderson
Jay Anderson

Bright Lights No City, was a project documenting LGBTQIA+ youth from country WA

LOCAL STORIES

'Local Stories' are mini-series focussed on stories from individuals based in Western Australia. We're proud to be Perthlings and want to share the stories of the people that make our state great. 

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Rottnest Swim
Rottnest Swim

The Rotto Swim is one of Western Australia's most iconic events and one of the biggest open-water swimming events in the world.

Off the Shelf: Interviews with our book donors
Off the Shelf: Interviews with our book donors

Dennis Haskell, Susan Midalia and Peter Dowding have been three of the most generous book donors behind Centre for Stories' new library. 

CONVERSATIONS

Centre for Stories loves live storytelling! Our 'Conversations' series is a selection of recordings from our live events. 

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Perth Festival: The Poets Speak
Perth Festival: The Poets Speak

The Poets Speak was held at the Centre for Stories as part of Perth Festival's Writers Week 2018. Featuring: Robert Wood, Charlotte Guest and Siobhan Cooley. 

Stories from Country: Joseph Northover
Stories from Country: Joseph Northover

Joseph Northover speaks about love, loss and growing up in Northbridge in the 80's.

Twitter: @Centre4Stories

UPCOMING EVENTS

Today is World Refugee Day! This is a day to commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees. We believe that refugees and migrants are incredibly valuable to Australian society and we stand with them in the fight for equality and safety. - Here's a throwback to a story that we collected with the Office of Multicultural Interests on a project called Food, Faith and Love. Fauzia Sufizada is originally from Afghanistan. Her husband, Farid, survived a treacherous journey to Australia from Indonesia. The fishing boat he was on sank and he was rescued by a Norwegian cargo ship - the MV Tampa. Fauzia and Farid didn't see each other for 7 years. They were reunited in 2008 when Fauzia and their children were given residence. - You can watch her story on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&list=PL2PmPCBnZ_AN5hr3X-RA7MK7cSRuqU3uA&v=2T-IOl_RUBs
"Sometimes I think I’m not me in Kalgoorlie; when the Welcome to Kalgoorlie sign blinks past I collapse in on myself, like a butterfly crawling into a cocoon. Shrinking." - As part of our Bright Lights, No City project Jay Anderson shared his story about growing up LGBTQIA+ in country WA. Over a number of weeks, Jay worked alongside writing expert Susan Midalia to craft and perfect his written story. - You can read and listen to Jay's story, and many more of the remaining Bright Lights, No City stories, over on our website. [Link in bio] #centreforstories #brightlightsnocity #lgbtpride #lgbtqia #gaypride #pride
It's Jenny! One of our amazing Fem Book Club hosts! She's chosen 'Adult Fantasy' by Briohny Doyle for this month's FBC read. It's not too late to start reading- grab your copy today and join us next Wednesday night for cups of tea, excellent company, and great conversation 😉💃 - WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE FEMALE AUTHOR AND WHY? I have a very hard time ranking my favourites, since I've enjoyed so many of the amazing authors we've read in previous Fem Book Club sessions! Chris Kraus, Maggie Nelson, Zadie Smith and Rebecca Solnit are some of my FBC highlights so far - all are such eloquent, incisive and inspiring writers. If columnists count, I'll also add Heather Havrilesky for her existential advice. - WHAT BOOK HAVE YOU CHOSEN FOR FEM BOOK CLUB AND WHY? I’ve chosen Briohny Doyle's ‘Adult Fantasy’. I can't wait to read this book, which is promoted as both a personal essay and a cultural critique of what it means to be an adult today. I love learning about other people's priorities in life, how they find meaning and define success, particularly when the traditional milestones of adulthood are becoming increasingly precarious and irrelevant. I've heard mixed reviews about this book, so I'm looking forward to our discussions! - WHY DO YOU THINK STORIES ARE IMPORTANT? I think stories help us relate to each other and make sense of the world. As a museum worker, storytelling plays a huge role in my job. Plus, they're fun to read! - Catch Jenny at the next FBC. More info and RSVP on our website. #centreforstories #perthsbest #perthisok #perthsbest
Our Storyteller for this month's Bread & Butter: Sandi Parsons. Sandi considers her guardianship of gifted lungs one of her many victories in her on-going battle with Cystic Fibrosis. She was 38 when she underwent a double lung transplant. At Bread & Butter, she will be sharing with us her story about her battle with Cystic Fibrosis, and the fulfilling life she has managed to create for herself despite its ongoing challenges. - Hear Sandi's story and join us for a meal on the 28th of June. Tickets on our website now. Get them before they're gone. Link in bio. #centreforstories #breadandbutter #whatsonperth #perthisok #perthsbest
"And being in a small country town, I don’t think I’d ever met anyone that I knew was gay. I didn’t really know it was a thing. It was a – it was like fiction. It was something you saw on American TV shows as a joke." - Holden Sheppard • We collected 9 stories from LGBTQIA+ youth from country WA. You can read and listen to the rest of Holden's story, and more, on our website (link in bio!).
This photo was taken by Steve Crossley. Steve is a medical physicist who works in radiology. After traveling to Cambodia with his wife and seeing the devastating conditions many animals, such as sun bears and moon bears, were living in, they decided to put their specific skill set to good use. Steve and his wife set up a working clinic for veterinarians in Cambodia to treat ill and recently freed animals. Steve's photography reflects the urgent need for animal care, rehabilitation, and freedom. • Join us next Tuesday for 'Stories Beyond the Lens' as we explore Steve's story through his thoughtful photographs. We will also be joined by Ann Jones as she explores her story through photographs of Myanmar. • Any profits from the sale of Steve's photographs will be donated to Free the Bears. • Tickets available from our website
Do you have a story to tell based on your own life or family history? How can you capture these moments and bring them vividly to life? We are offering a 7-week course with Rosemary Stevens that offers an intimate, safe and relaxed environment in which to begin, or reinvigorate, your life story. 'Life Writing' is designed to nurture your writing and give you insight into the world of publishing. Ticket numbers are strictly limited with the intention to keep this course as interactive and intimate as possible. Head to the link in our bio and click on events to find out more!
Our next Stories Beyond the Lens event will feature two photographers, Ann Jones and Steve Crossley from the Western Australian Camera Club. • This photograph, titled 'Boatman at Lake Inle' was taken by Ann on a trip to Myanmar. She visited Myanmar just prior to the 2015 elections when there appeared to be such hope for the country, which had been isolated for so long. Unfortunately more recent political events have made it less appealing as a holiday destination for some. She hopes to showcase the beauty of Myanmar through her photos. • Tickets to this installment of #StoriesBeyondTheLens are available from our website! We hope to see you there. • #Myanmar #Stories #TravelPhotography #PerthisOK
We've got quite a lot coming up in the next couple of days! We hope you can join us for some fun! • TUESDAY Teachers Workshop with Josephine Taylor. The English and Literature Curricula require students to produce a creative piece of writing; that is, one that’s imaginative rather than analytical. • TUESDAY Poetic Traditions from the Subcontinent. In this session Associate Professor Samina Yasmeen will discuss the poetry written for Begum Sarfraz. • WEDNESDAY Lit Live: Crossing the Line with performances from Thomas Papathanassiou, Greg McNeill and Sarah McNeill. • THURSDAY Northbridge Crime Walk. Join Sean Cowan and take a walk in the footsteps of gangsters, murderers, drug dealers and sex workers in this 90-minute tour of Northbridge’s most notorious crime spots of yesteryear. SOLD OUT. • SATURDAY 'The Past' Book Launch.