Description
Praise
‘Slinkies is an annual collection from Australian writers under 30, and it’s pulled out all the stops for the 10th anniversary edition. Printed in colour, the volume features original illustrations and is book-ended by two short graphic fictions. Those are fascinating. In Helena and Aggy Pantsis’ Orchids, a woman reflects on her mother, who failed to protect her children from domestic violence; in Miles Mazzocato’s Wharf Rats, a member of the precariat, having to choose between rent and food, is tempted to join the horrors of another monstrous rat race. Fiona Wilkes’ Coffee with Joan imagines a meeting with Joan of Arc in a hipster cafe through an ambivalent, awkward chat about her life and place in history. Jewel Swe’s Death and Decomposition delves into an eldritch pact between nature witches, and Georgia Loadsman’s Penelope Seven draws a portrait of AI-assisted recovery from an eating disorder. It’s a short but scintillating showcase from younger storytellers strutting their stuff.’
Review by Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll, Sydney Morning Herald/Age, 9 January, 2025
Events
****Join us on Thursday, Oct 24 from 7pm to 9.30pm for a free online event to celebrate the 2024 Slinkies. Register via Eventbrite.
**** Order your pre-release copy now.
A young woman in an eating disorder ward is captivated by an avatar. A reclusive witch confronts an intruder on her land. Two writers use graphics to explore the cost of living crisis and intergenerational trauma. We meet Joan of Arc over cake in a coffee shop.
Welcome to this diverse collection of contemporary stories from exciting new writers under 30 years of age. Through a mixture of textual and visual storytelling, this anthology explores worldly relationships with other-worldly beings and the dead.
Read our exclusive interviews with the 2024 Slinkies here: Fiona Wilkes, Georgia Loadsman, Miles Mazzocato, Jewel Swe, Helena and Aggy Pantsis.
Illustrations by Lauryn Evans.
About The Editors
EMMA WORTLEY has a background in academia and has published papers on children’s and young adult literature (the subject of her PhD thesis) in various journals. Her reviews, stories and poetry have appeared in Voiceworks, Southerly, Going Down Swinging, Paper Crown Magazine, textLitmag, Scintilla Magazine, Scum Mag and an episode of the Story Club podcast.
SOFIANA BAHRUM, an Indonesian-Australian Muslim, is a dynamic writer, reviewer and editor passionate about the intersection of diverse cultures in creative art forms.
Editorial assistance by Zara Kernan, Erin O’Connor, Nilushi Jayawardena, Miah Foster and Vanessa Perera.