On the last day of May, amidst the wonderful works of local artist, Geoff Matthews, I ran a Flash Fiction Night with two friends who’ve opened a new art gallery in the Blue Mountains. Eleven writers including authors, Debra Tidball, Mel Jacob and Ashley Kalagian Blunt (whose story was read by Mark Denny) together with eight of us ‘locals’ got to read our work to a responsive and enthusiastic audience. There’s something very special about sharing stories 'live'. Most of the time, we write alone. We send our stories out into the world and never really know who reads them or what those readers think or feel about them. With a live audience there’s an immediate reaction. The stories ranged from the experimental and literary, to serious, poignant and moving, ending with great hilarity as an onomatopoeic mosquito entertained the crowd. A convivial night of story, conversation and community.
