Recipient of the Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellowship and acclaimed Indonesian writer and poet, Norman Erikson Pasaribu, sits down in conversation with local Perth author, Rashida Murphy. Together, they discuss navigating the literary world as a writer in translation, the labels of Western literature and queer Indonesian writing. This conversation was held at the University Club Banquet Hall at the University of Western Australia in November 2022. 

Born in Jakarta in 1990, Norman's first short story collection 'Hanya Kamu yang Tahu Berapa Lama Lagi Aku Harus Menunggu (Only You Know How Much Longer I Should Wait)' was shortlisted for the 2014 Khatulistiwa Literary Award for Prose. Their debut poetry collection 'Sergius Mencari Bacchus (Sergius Seeks Bacchus)' won the 2015 Jakarta Arts Council Poetry Competition, was translated into English by Tiffany Tsao, and published by Giramondo in Australia in 2019. In 2022, 'Happy Stories, Mostly' was released to critical acclaim and longlisted for the International Man Booker.

The Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellowship is possible thanks to the sponorship of Dr George Kailis.

Norman Erikson Pasaribu in Conversation with Rashida Murphy

Content Warning: Substance abuse/drug addiction.

This story was shared by Tanya Smith, who shares how just one person viewing her as a human being helped her to overcome a drug addiction and find meaning in her life. Tanya now helps others recovering from substance abuse at Doors Wide Open.

Funded by Anglicare WA and produced by Centre for Stories, Against All Odds is a collection of lived experiences of homelessness, housing insecurity and financial distress. These stories reflect on experiencing a broken system. Although these struggles happened many years ago for some of them, their stories were ironically recorded during Australia’s cost-of-living crisis in 2023, which continues today. The public health issues of homelessness and poverty are as relevant as ever for many modern families. Here, our storytellers share what they believe needs to change about that system.

Find out more at www.centreforstories.com.

Against All Odds - Tanya Smith

Content Warning: Family and domestic violence.

This story was shared by Lisa Dodson, who escaped an abusive relationship and started a new life with her children. Still under constant threat and struggling to find a place to rent in the cost-of-living crisis, this is how Lisa found a light at the end of the tunnel.

Funded by Anglicare WA and produced by Centre for Stories, Against All Odds is a collection of lived experiences of homelessness, housing insecurity and financial distress. These stories reflect on experiencing a broken system. Although these struggles happened many years ago for some of them, their stories were ironically recorded during Australia’s cost-of-living crisis in 2023, which continues today. The public health issues of homelessness and poverty are as relevant as ever for many modern families. Here, our storytellers share what they believe needs to change about that system.

Find out more at www.centreforstories.com.

Against All Odds - Lisa Dodson

Content warning: Suicidal ideation.

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people.

This month's theme is LOVE. Love, the essential force behind all human experience, shapes our identities, fuels our passions, and binds us together in ways both tender and complex. Love can be exhilarating, uplifting, and transformative, yet it can also be complex, challenging, and riddled with uncertainty. It's both a beacon of light and a shadowy abyss, weaving its threads through the fabric of our lives. 

Find out more about our stories and storytelling services at www.centreforstories.com.

Sound engineering and original music from Mason Vellios.

Story Hour Ep 2: Love

Content Warning: Domestic violence, suicidal ideation, drug use.

This story was shared by Bianca, who escaped an abusive relationship and quit drugs after falling pregnant. And yet her ex-partner still refused to leave her alone. Struggling with a broken legal system, it was the love for her children that kept her going in the darkest times. 

Funded by Anglicare WA and produced by Centre for Stories, Against All Odds is a collection of lived experiences of homelessness, housing insecurity and financial distress. These stories reflect on experiencing a broken system. Although these struggles happened many years ago for some of them, their stories were ironically recorded during Australia’s cost-of-living crisis in 2023, which continues today. The public health issues of homelessness and poverty are as relevant as ever for many modern families. Here, our storytellers share what they believe needs to change about that system.

Find out more and support our mission at www.centreforstories.com.

Against All Odds - Bianca

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people.

This month's theme is LANGUAGE. Language, the very fabric of human connection, holds within it a myriad of stories, experiences, and emotions. It serves as a vessel for our thoughts, a mirror reflecting our heritage, and a bridge connecting us to one another. 

If you liked this episode, find out more about our stories and services at www.centreforstories.com.

Sound engineering and original music from Mason Vellios.

Story Hour Ep 3: Language

This story was shared by Jerome Masamaka. Jerome shares how as a young boy growing up in Ghana he accidentally killed his clan’s sacred totem bird – the sparrow. The guilt and anxiety that plagued Jerome kept him up at night and would eventually influence the writer he would one day become.

Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stories, Colourful Stories is a collection of experiences set to the theme of ‘Better Together’ and showcased at the Joondalup Festival 2024. These stories came from residents living in Joondalup and the surrounding suburbs who shared a belief in the power of connection and community, reminding us of the strength and value we gain when we overcome individual desires, ego and biases to value unexpected people and places around us.

If you enjoyed this episode, learn more about Centre for Stories at www.centreforstories.com or donate to support us. Thank you.

Colourful Stories - Jerome Masamaka

This story was shared by Jenny Martin. Here, she shares how after her divorce, she entered the ‘age of invisibility’ as a single woman in her 50s and struggled through anxiety and depression. Her saving grace was an unexpected place – Mullaloo Beach.

Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stories, Colourful Stories is a collection of experiences set to the theme of ‘Better Together’ and showcased at the Joondalup Festival 2024. These stories came from residents living in Joondalup and the surrounding suburbs who shared a belief in the power of connection and community, reminding us of the strength and value we gain when we overcome individual desires, ego and biases to value unexpected people and places around us.

If you enjoyed this episode, learn more about Centre for Stories at www.centreforstories.com or donate to support us. Thank you.

Colourful Stories - Jenny Martin

After a shock diagnosis of a brain tumour, Natalie Bock's surgery left her vulnerable and isolated at home while she recovered. She couldn’t work, she couldn’t live, and as she wasn’t technically a ‘senior’ or ‘living with a disability’, many support services wouldn’t help her. Desperate, she decided to make friends in unexpected places.

Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stories, Colourful Stories is a collection of experiences set to the theme of ‘Better Together’ and showcased at the Joondalup Festival 2024. These stories came from residents living in Joondalup and the surrounding suburbs who shared a belief in the power of connection and community, reminding us of the strength and value we gain when we overcome individual desires, ego and biases to value unexpected people and places around us.

If you enjoyed this episode, learn more about Centre for Stories at www.centreforstories.com or donate to support us. Thank you.

Colourful Stories - Natalie Bock

After ending an abusive and unhappy marriage, Rachel Farnay decided to become an IT and STEM teacher. She hoped that through teaching, she would never be lonely again. Soon she found that it was the students who would give her a joy and meaning she had never experienced before.

Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stories, Colourful Stories is a collection of experiences set to the theme of ‘Better Together’ and showcased at the Joondalup Festival 2024. These stories came from residents living in Joondalup and the surrounding suburbs who shared a belief in the power of connection and community, reminding us of the strength and value we gain when we overcome individual desires, ego and biases to value unexpected people and places around us.

If you enjoyed this episode, learn more about Centre for Stories at www.centreforstories.com or donate to support us. Thank you.

Colourful Stories - Rachel Farnay

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people.

This month's theme is TRANSITION. Transition is the silent conductor orchestrating the symphony of life, guiding each individual through the ebb and flow of change. It shapes our identities, reshapes our destinies, and beckons us forward with the promise of new beginnings while bidding farewell to the comforts of the past. 

Featuring Dr Tanja Glusac, Uncle Ben Taylor, Shamit Saggar and Paddi Creevey.

If you liked this episode, find out more about our stories and services at www.centreforstories.com.

Sound engineering and original music from Mason Vellios.

Story Hour Ep 4: Transition

Centre for Stories is a vibrant, inclusive literary arts and cultural organisation based in Perth, Western Australia. We use storytelling to inspire social cohesion and improve understanding of diverse communities. We cultivate stories that inspire thought, spark empathy and challenge intolerance, with a focus on empowering people whose experiences and perspectives are often marginalised.

Norman Erikson Pasaribu in Conversation with Rashida Murphy

Centre for Stories

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