Rūbarū*: Digital Series
* A Persian-origin word, now in Urdu and occasionally Hindi usage, Rūbarū means coming face-to-face, to meet, to be present and to present. In this series Aotearoa and international authors explore artistic resonances, writerly preoccupations, thematic obsessions and share the pleasures and struggles of the craft.
Series is now online until 24 December. Featured authors are: Ling Ma with Rosabel Tan; Sara Baume with Catherine Chidgey; Trent Dalton with Melody Thomas; Paige Clark with Emma Sidnam; and Claudia Durastanti with Michelle Rahurahu. You can purchase one at a time or the whole package of five.
In 2021, Trent Dalton sat on a busy street corner for two weeks with a typewriter and a sign –– ‘Sentimental writer collecting love stories. Do you have one to share?’ The result was a book of nonfiction, Love Stories, tales of love told by people of Brisbane, retold by Dalton. Even before Dalton debuted as a fiction author, he was winning awards as a journalist. His first book, Boy Swallows Universe is reportedly the fastest selling Australian debut ever published and is soon to become a Netflix series. His sophomore novel, All Our Shimmering Skies has had the same meteoric rise.
From Brisbane, Trent Dalton joins Melody Thomas to talk about the experience of collecting Brisbane’s love stories, the exuberant optimism of his characters against all odds, the propulsive nature of violence in his narratives, toxic masculinity and writing larger-than-life characters.
