Luke Carman’s debut work of fiction, An Elegant Young Man, won the 2014 NSW Premier’s New Writing Award and was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal, the Steele Rudd Short Story Prize and the Readings New Writing Award. His essay collection, Intimate Antipathies, was published in June 2019. His collection of stories, An Ordinary Ecstasy, was published in July 2022. Luke is the 2025 Judy Harris Writer-in-Residence Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre.

Music courtesy of Sean Peter

Donne Restom is a singer, writer and storyteller. She is the founder of sell-out storytelling event, Kink in the Tale: Storytelling for Grownups and her debut one woman show, Everyone in my Family is Dead or About to be was nominated for Sydney Fringe 2024’s Best in Theatre Award. Donné has written and released three albums, and her fourth is scheduled for release next year.

Tix for Donne's January show in Gosford:

https://funhausfactory.org.au/whats-on/eimfid/2026-01-10/

This story was recorded live at the Funhaus Factory in Gosford.

Music courtesy of Sean Peter

Stephanie was brought up in Penrith – when it was still a semi-rural town, rather than an outer suburb of Sydney. Stephanie left school at 15, doing a variety of jobs while trying to complete my education: cleaning, nursing aide, process worker.

Most of Steph's working life was spent in Sydney courts andtribunals, as a transcription typist, then training court typists and recording monitors.

Steph moved to Wyong 15 years ago. It reminds her of the Penrith she grew up in.

Music courtesy of Sean Peter.