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.

Nadia Townsend is a writer, director, dramaturg and actor whose work has taken her from the sands of Namibia on Mad Max to the heart of Darra in Queensland on Boy Swallows Universe. This year she has contributed to script development with Goalpost Pictures, directed two new theatre works, completed a short film (The Great Divide), and begun writing a new play with Luke Carman, supported by Wyong Art House.

Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

Ross Markey is a Central Coast writer.

Music Courtesy of Sean Peter.

Rob is co-host of Bravewords Live, alongside his wife Adrienne Ferreira.

Rob is an actor, writer and director. His current story telling show, VIRGIN IN A KNIFE FIGHT, is touring nationally in 2026. For more information follow @robbyjcarlton on insta.

Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

Bravewords - true stories told well.

The first story in this podcast series is DUBROVNIK, written and told by Bravewords founder, Adrienne Ferreira.

Adrienne is an author and writing coach and co-host of Bravewords Live. Her writing studio, Bravewords, is based on the Central Coast of NSW.

Music courtesy of Sean Peter.