Before Mahmood Fazal was a writer and journalist, he was part of an outlaw motorcycle club, abusing drugs and running wild. He saw plenty of destruction and death, but when his best mate was killed everything changed. Mahmood shared this story for Better Off Said: Eulogies for the Living and Dead. Better Off Said is a spoken-word event celebrating stories and human experiences. Presented by Emilie Zoey Baker and Marieke Hardy. For more information check out their website: betteroffsaid.com.au...
Dec 06, 2022•11 min
Adelaide in the 1980s was not the easiest place for a kid to figure out their gender. Jen Cloher's stint as "John" the Galaga-playing champ at the local takeaway was short-lived and ended ingloriously. Jen first told this story for the national LGBTQI+ storytelling project Queerstories, curated by Maeve Marsden. Subscribe to the podcast or check out the Queerstories book.
Dec 06, 2022•16 min
Three years before she transitioned genders, Cadance was a fat, depressed guy buying weed from bikie gangs and nursing a near-killer blood clot. Then came a surprising chat in the most unlikely place. Cadance first told this story for the national LGBTQI+ storytelling project Queerstories, curated by Maeve Marsden. Subscribe to the podcast or check out the Queerstories book. Content warning: This story contains adult themes and touches briefly on suicide. For support in a crisis contact Lifeline...
Dec 06, 2022•17 min
Growing up can be pretty hard work and there's not a lot of room to think about anyone else, especially your parents. Rebecca Day has some fond memories from her days as an angsty, rebellious teen, but she does regret the trouble she caused for her poor old dad. This story was first told for SPUN Stories, a live storytelling podcast created in Darwin by StoryProjects. For more stories like this go to spun stories.
Dec 06, 2022•16 min
From a rebelling teen who lands her dad in a world of hot water, to a kid named Jennifer, with a secret identity, this season host and curator Mahmood Fazal brings you five frank, funny and fearless stories of rebellion. You’ll hear from people finding themselves through their rebellion and another who found himself in the wrong place during a rebellion. Tall Tales and True finds the best of live storytelling from around Australia.
Nov 29, 2022•2 min
When Leah Potter was at uni, her topless-barmaid girlfriend asked her to join her for a private gig. All she had to do was wear a corset and g-string and whip a few blokes. So began her career as a dominatrix. This story was first told for SPUN Stories, a live storytelling podcast created in Darwin by StoryProjects. For more stories like this go to SPUN Stories. Content warning: This story contains adult themes and touches briefly on child abuse. For support in a crisis contact Lifeline on 13 11...
Sep 06, 2022•14 min
Gala Vanting is a sex worker. But that's not something she can tell her stepdaughter. This story is a touching collection of moments as Gala navigates her role as stepmother in her blended family. This story was first told as part of the national LGBTQI+ storytelling project Queerstories, curated by Maeve Marsden. Subscribe to the podcast or check out the Queerstories book.
Sep 06, 2022•16 min
As a trans woman in a small town 30 years ago, Chantell Martin saw the desperation to be "genetically born female" lead others to self-harm, even suicide. So, she made a choice to be proud to be trans. That choice changed everything for her. This story was first told as part of national LGBTQI+ storytelling project Queerstories, curated by Maeve Marsden. Subscribe to the podcast or check out the Queerstories book. Content warning: This story contains adult themes and touches briefly on the conce...
Sep 06, 2022•11 min
What risks do sex workers face when their profession is criminalised? And what measures do they take to avoid being busted? "Jane Whatshername" tells a story about working in a South Australian brothel and what happened when the police inevitably turned up. This story was first published on The Intro Room, an online sex worker storytelling night organised during the pandemic by Debby Doesn't Do It for Free, an Australian sex workers art collective celebrating sex worker stories and culture. For ...
Sep 06, 2022•12 min
When you're new to sex work there's a lot to learn and there are choices to make. What will your boundaries be, and will you be prepared to cross them? And what name will you use? This storyteller chose the name Betty. These days she works in alternative trauma therapy, but she looks back fondly on her days as a sex worker. This story was first published on The Intro Room, an online sex worker storytelling night organised during the pandemic by Debby Doesn't Do It for Free, an Australian sex wor...
Sep 06, 2022•11 min
Pris tells the story of the first time a low-key celebrity hired her and her friend for a threesome. It was also the first time a job went horribly – but hilariously – wrong for Pris. This story was first published on The Intro Room, an online sex worker storytelling night organised during the pandemic by Debby Doesn't Do It for Free, an Australian sex workers art collective celebrating sex worker stories and culture. For more stories from the Intro Room visit https://omny.fm/shows/introroom Con...
Sep 06, 2022•12 min
Have you ever had to work closely with an ex? Sex worker Tilly Lawless has and it's one of the four bookings she reflects on in this story about processing her personal life through her work. Tilly first told this story for the national LGBTQI+ storytelling project Queerstories, curated by Maeve Marsden. Subscribe to the podcast or check out the Queerstories book. Content warning: This story contains strong adult themes.
Sep 06, 2022•13 min
This season, sex worker and author Tilly Lawless (Nothing But My Body) brings you seven stories from sex workers across Australia. You'll hear stories about the job, stories about life, and stories about a community that looks out for its own in the face of stigmatisation. Often funny, sometimes sobering, always candid, Tall Tales & True showcases the best of live storytelling from around Australia.
Aug 31, 2022•2 min
No one cares about your perfect holiday. When things go wrong, that's when the stories get interesting. Bobuq Sayed found themselves stranded, and alone with nowhere to stay on an island in Hawaii. What could have ended badly turned into a lesson for us all: you can always rely on the kindness of strangers. This story was first told at Queerstories, a national LGBTQI+ live storytelling event and podcast.
Apr 11, 2022•14 min
Sometimes, it's the small off-the-cuff comment that can have a lasting impact. For Angie Farrugia, this moment has happened twice. And both times, these choice few words have changed the course of her life. This story was first told live on stage in Melbourne at a Generation Women storytelling event.
Apr 11, 2022•12 min
Footy clubs aren't just about the game, they're community too. And, for Amy Chittick, when a shock accident left her needing support, her footy club were there through her darkest days. This story was first aired on SPUN Stories, a live storytelling podcast created in Darwin by StoryProjects. For more stories like this go to Spun Stories.
Apr 11, 2022•10 min
Cyclone Tracey changed Darwin forever. Generations have heard about what happened from an adult's perspective, but what was it like for a four-year-old waiting for Santa? Jame Parfitt-Fejo recounts his family's experience of Cyclone Tracey, and how Australians rose up and helped them in their time of need. This story was first aired on SPUN Stories, a live storytelling podcast created in Darwin by StoryProjects. For more stories like this go to spun stories.
Apr 11, 2022•16 min
Moving to a new city is hard. Making new friends, in a new city, as a lonely adult can be terrifying. Cobey Bartels tells the story of how motorcycles have saved him from loneliness more than once. This story was first told a GOMA, in conjunction with The Motorcycle Design, Art, Desire' exhibition in April 2021. The event was presented by the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art, in partnership with Yarn Storytelling.
Apr 11, 2022•12 min
We're back, with the best of live storytelling from around Australia. This season — hosted by journalist and mental health advocate Cobey Bartels — is a celebration of community. Whether it's at home where you grew, or somewhere new; communities can form when you least expect it. Hear five short stories from Aussies around the country about how community shaped their lives. And with it, the lessons that changed them forever.
Apr 04, 2022•2 min
Most people aren’t friends with their ex, but Ally Garrett and Stevie Wilder are the exception. Where many relationships crumble and reach the point of no return, Ally and Stevie’s has lived to tell the tale. From young love, to overseas moves, and a gender transition; Ally and Stevie recount how they managed to rebuild their relationship to become something new entirely.
Sep 29, 2021•19 min
Landing your dream job is never easy, especially when life keeps blowing you off course. Every time Jackson Browne seemed to be on the right track, life and death would get in the way. Many other people would have given up, but Jackson shows us that grit, determination and love can get you to where you want to go.
Sep 29, 2021•13 min
Gladys got the call from the police that every parent dreads: her daughter Quita had been badly injured. Doctors said that she would never recover from her catastrophic brain injury. But what happened next surprised everyone.
Sep 29, 2021•13 min
Hooking up at weddings? We've all heard stories. Hooking up at a funeral? Not so much. At the height of another pandemic, Paul Kidd lost his boyfriend Darren. Paul tells the remarkable story of their relationship, from meeting on an overnight train, to going to Darren's last party together. This is not a story about death, it’s about life, love and living hard for those who cannot.
Sep 29, 2021•16 min
Musician and activist Deena Lynch, aka Jaguar Jonze, gets knocked down literally and figuratively on her motorcycle all the time. She gets back up every time. Deena shares her experiences of hits and runs, and offensive assumptions about her while she’s on her motorcycle.
Sep 29, 2021•14 min
Tough times never last, but tough people do. This is the best of Australian live storytelling. True stories, from all around the country. This season we’re showcasing resilience. Aussies from all different walks of life share how they got knocked down, both figuratively and literally, and rose again. There's death, sex, and catastrophic injuries to overcome. You'll hear five stories celebrating those who faced the worst of times, and lived to tell the tale... live on stage....
Sep 26, 2021•2 min
From the heartbreaking to the hilarious, each episode of Days Like These introduces you to one regular human as they live through something wild. This season, we follow two men, facing off in the Tasmanian wilderness, there’s a shark-hunt through a university campus, and a strange chase down Sydney streets, in the pursuit of a Russian spy. There’s an avalanche, an addiction, and a drive down the east coast of Australia in relentless, flooding rain. Welcome to the days when everything seems to ch...
Jul 27, 2021•1 min
Growing up as a Muslim in Australia, author Amal Awad had some excruciating dating experiences, most with her parents inviting prospective partners and their parents into the living room for awkward chats. Meanwhile, her dreams of hooking up with a celebrity suffered their own setbacks. Then, she decided to take matters into her own hands and leave both doorknock appeal daters and rock god fantasies behind her. This story was first told at The Full Catastrophe , a live storytelling event at Gian...
Dec 25, 2020•17 min
Veteran Northern Territory broadcaster Charlie King is the son of two people from very different worlds and a consummate storyteller. After arriving in Darwin by bicycle, Charlie's 19-year-old father, from a well-to-do Victorian family, became ill and ended up in hospital where he met his bride-to-be, a Gurindji woman. Charlie's Dad was determined their different backgrounds wouldn't keep them apart. This story was first told at SPUN Stories, a live storytelling podcast created in Darwin, hosted...
Dec 25, 2020•17 min
Midnight footsteps on a central staircase and a misplaced baby. New South Wales ABC TV newsreader Juanita Phillips was someone who didn't believe in ghosts or haunted houses... until she lived in one. A seriously rattled mother-in-law finally sparked a call for help. Enter ghost whisperer Pat, courtesy of a spiritualist church in Sydney. This story was first told at The Full Catastrophe , a live storytelling event at Giant Dwarf, Sydney....
Dec 25, 2020•16 min
Working on a boat off an island in the West Australian Kimberley region, Dave Pears learns a lesson about relying on the care of strangers. Stung by a blue-ringed octopus while making his way to the toilet, he manages to get to a house where the occupants and his crew mates must take action to save his life.
Dec 25, 2020•12 min
