Supported By
Be the first to hear from emerging writers as they share what they’ve been working on during a ten-week fellowship at The Wheeler Centre.
At this special edition of The Next Big Thing, writers awarded a 2025 Hot Desk Fellowship will share exclusive excerpts from their works-in-progress.
Grab a drink and settle in as host Pranati Narayan Visweswaran introduces Jamil Badi, Libbie Chellew, Emma Clancey, Elliott McMahon, Katie Paine, Graham Panther, Bek Schilling and Rebecca Zhong to the Moat for an evening of captivating storytelling – from dark satirical comedies to heartfelt coming-of-age narratives - along with insights into their creative practice.
The Hot Desk Fellowships are supported by the Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, the Readings Foundation and the Just Pretending theatre group.
Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Monday 22 September
6.30 - 7.30pm
Tickets
$19.50
Full
$15.50
Concession
$0.00
Pay What You Wish
Location
Accessibility
Accessible toilets available
Registered Assistance Animals welcome
Wheelchair accessible
For information regarding accessibility at The Moat, click here.
Please notify us of all access requirements when booking online so we can assist you with your visit. If you require further information, please contact ticketing@wheelercentre.com.
Featuring
Jamil Badi
Jamil Badi is a writer living on unceded Wurundjeri land. Inspired by oral storytelling practices, his work primarily consists of folktales which aim to blend the properties of the spoken word with the written. His fiction, poetry ...
Libbie Chellew
Libbie Chellew is a writer and academic, whose short fiction appears in various anthologies and literary journals. Her story ‘Razors’ was shortlisted for The Iowa Review Award. Libbie completed a PhD in Literature and ...
Emma Clancey
Emma Clancey is a writer and medical student. Her debut fantasy novel, This Dream Will Devour Us (Allen & Unwin), was published in 2025, with a second novel forthcoming. Her current work-in-progress, a literary thriller ...
Elliott McMahon
Elliott McMahon is a writer, social worker and family therapist working on stolen Wurundjeri land. His current focus is on exploring the relationships between agency, responsibility and shame. Elliott lives with his partner and ...
Katie Paine
Katie Paine is an artist and writer living and working in Naarm. Her practice spans installation, video, narrative fiction, drawing, photography and occasionally performance. Paine has an interest in archival politics, semiotics ...
Graham Panther
Graham Panther writes about mental health for people who've done all the things you're supposed to do, but still feel really stuck. He's written regularly for the ABC about his own mental health and co-runs the Big Feels Club ...
Bek Schilling
Bek is a 2025 Associate Artist at Theatre Works and is lending their hand to both the directorial and choreographic team for Love and Information by renowned playwright Caryl Churchill.
Rebecca Zhong
Rebecca Zhong is a Chinese New Zealander writer and editor based in Naarm. She started writing at her parent's fish'n'chip shop in the mid-2000s, where she would sit on stacks of empty cardboard McCain boxes and ...
Pranati Narayan Visweswaran
Artist, creative worker, and culture junkie, Pranati is a staunch supporter of the arts. They have worked with emerging, independent BIPOC artists, and are the founder of local initiative South by South East Asian (SXSEA ...