Unfolded

University of Melbourne
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Seasons change. An actor prepares. A birthday is removed from the calendar.  A hypnotist causes chaos on a cruise ship. A new life awaits at a petrol station. A grieving granddaughter finds a surprising stowaway. A dog makes yakisoba. The sun rises in the west.  We’ve all read stories that changed our lives. We’ve all imagined places that feel like home. We’ve all met characters who feel like family.  Now, we’ll hear the stories, then go to the source. We’ll speak with the authors, to find out what makes a story great, where they come from, and why they connect.  These are stories: Unpacked. Understood. Unfolded.  Join us for season 2 of Unfolded as Seth Robinson and Tony Birch speak with authors Melanie Cheng, Bri Lee, Dominic Amerena, Briohny Doyle, Helena Pantsis, Jumaana Abdu, Scott Limbrick and Romy Ash, or travel back through the archive to hear the incredible stories from season 1.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their history, which go back tens of thousands of years.  Hosts: Seth Robinson and Tony Birch Creator and Executive Producer: Seth Robinson Recording: Gavin Nebauer, Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne Editing and Sound Design: Nick King and Courtney Carthy, Nearly Media Artwork: Marty O'Meara

  1. Chapter 7: In conversation with Helena Pantsis

    4D AGO

    Chapter 7: In conversation with Helena Pantsis

    Helena Pantsis takes Seth and Tony through her writing process, talks genre, the surreal moments we all have in childhood, and how first and foremost she views herself as a short story writer.    Listeners are advised that this episode of Unfolded comes with a language and content warning.    About Helena Pantsis Helena Pantsis (she/they) is an editor, writer and artist from Naarm, Australia with a fond appreciation for the weird, the dark, and the experimental. She is the author of her debut short story collection, ‘GLUTT’. Her poetry collection 'CAPTCHA' and short story collection 'Mother Salad' are both forthcoming in 2026. More can be found at hlnpnts.com.    Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min
  2. Chapter 7: The Last Birthday, by Helena Pantsis

    4D AGO

    Chapter 7: The Last Birthday, by Helena Pantsis

    A birthday is removed from the calendar.    The Last Birthday by Helena Pantsis Read by Ellen Pennell.   Synopsis Lucy and Mother couldn’t be closer. She’s a perfect daughter, so when mother throw’s her a perfect 17th birthday party, she couldn’t be more grateful, but what comes next is a different kind of surprise.   The Last Birthday blurs the fairytale genre with elements of horror and the surreal, in a story that will stay with listeners for many Birthdays to come.   The Last Birthday is part of Mother Salad, available now from UWP.     Listeners are advised that this episode of Unfolded comes with a language and content warning.    About Helena Pantsis Helena Pantsis (she/they) is an editor, writer and artist from Naarm, Australia with a fond appreciation for the weird, the dark, and the experimental. She is the author of her debut short story collection, ‘GLUTT’. Her poetry collection 'CAPTCHA' and short story collection 'Mother Salad' are both forthcoming in 2026. More can be found at hlnpnts.com.    Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  3. Chapter 6: In conversation with Claire G. Coleman

    08/21/2025

    Chapter 6: In conversation with Claire G. Coleman

    In the final episode of Unfolded for this season, Claire G. Coleman takes us into the workings of her story, Ancestral Memory / As Slippery as an Eel. We talk about how she finds inspiration in all kinds of mediums (especially music), how writing speculative fiction allows her to speak about the real world, and the importance of Ancient Knowledges and stories being told, without being exploited.    About Claire G. Coleman  Claire G. Coleman is a Wirlomin Noongar woman whose Country is on the south coast of Western Australia. She writes prose, non-fiction, verse and criticism and has written 4 books including Terra Nullius and Lies, Damned Lies. She is a founding collaborator on the Creative Climate consortium with her collective the Centre for Reworlding.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min
  4. Chapter 6: Ancestral Memory / As Slippery as an Eel, by Claire G. Coleman

    08/21/2025

    Chapter 6: Ancestral Memory / As Slippery as an Eel, by Claire G. Coleman

    A navigator reckons with the gift, and burden, of ancient knowledge.     Ancestral Memory / As Slippery as an Eel by Claire G. Coleman Read by Chelsea Hawke.   Down in the belly of the ship, a crewmate waits for the test that will determine her role, and how she will pay her way on this ride across the stars. But it's in her dreams and the memories that can't possibly be hers that destiny awaits. A destiny shaped by blood.  Ancestral Memory / As Slippery as an Eel, considers how there are some knowledges as old as time, ways of being, and knowing that will survive long into the future, perhaps even once we have left this world.    About Claire G. Coleman  Claire G. Coleman is a Wirlomin Noongar woman whose Country is on the south coast of Western Australia. She writes prose, non-fiction, verse and criticism and has written 4 books including Terra Nullius and Lies, Damned Lies. ' She is a founding collaborator on the Creative Climate consortium with her collective the Centre for Reworlding.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 min
  5. Chapter 5: In conversation with Miriam Webster

    08/19/2025

    Chapter 5: In conversation with Miriam Webster

    We get the dirt on how 'Farrow' came to be with Miriam Webster, and talk about our love of 'sparkly' language despite (or perhaps because of) it's limitations, writing for all the senses, and how Miriam was always going to be a writer, despite her best efforts.    Listeners are advised that this episode of Unfolded comes with a language and content warning.    About Miriam Webster  Miriam Webster's fiction and essays have been published in Aniko Magazine, HEAT, Island, Overland, The Suburban Review, swim meet lit mag and certain zines. She was a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellow and won the Peter Steele Poetry Award in 2025. Her first book, The Slip, is out now.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min
  6. Chapter 5: Farrow, by Miriam Webster

    08/19/2025

    Chapter 5: Farrow, by Miriam Webster

    A gardener seeks solace in the earth.   Farrow by Miriam Webster Read by Molly Holohan   Synopsis On the day of his Grandmother's death, a gardener digs back through the fertile ground of his memory, seeking something down in the roots of his family tree. He finds comfort amongst fecund, and a connection to the earth few of us will ever understand. Farrow delivers a sensory experience that goes beyond the page or the headphones, and leaves listeners tingling.    Listeners are advised that this episode of Unfolded comes with a language and content warning.    About Miriam Webster  Miriam Webster's fiction and essays have been published in Aniko Magazine, HEAT, Island, Overland, The Suburban Review, swim meet lit mag and certain zines. She was a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellow and won the Peter Steele Poetry Award in 2025. Her first book, The Slip, is out now.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
  7. Chapter 4: In conversation with Paige Clark

    08/17/2025

    Chapter 4: In conversation with Paige Clark

    Join us as we speak with Paige Clark about what made her story possible. From inspirations and influences, to writing the specific and the hyperlocal. 'It's Possible' is a story about the big issues, and menace playing out in the minor moments.    About Paige Clark Paige Clark is a Chinese/American/Australian writer and teacher. Her first book of fiction, She Is Haunted, was shortlisted for the Readings Prize and longlisted for the Stella Prize.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min
  8. Chapter 4: It's Possible, by Paige Clark

    08/17/2025

    Chapter 4: It's Possible, by Paige Clark

    A young mother wrestles with the unknown.   It's Possible by Paige Clark read by Gabrielle Ng   Synopsis On an unseasonably beautiful day, a trip to the park paints a picture of potential. From a moment on the monkey bars, to a dog without a lead, there is what is, and what could be. There is what is safe, and what's known, and then, there's something else ... It's Possible presents a scene of the everyday, a story that is equal parts charming and sinister. It reminds us that life is lived on the edge of uncertainty, and there is beauty in the balance.    About Paige Clark Paige Clark is a Chinese/American/Australian writer and teacher. Her first book of fiction, She Is Haunted, was shortlisted for the Readings Prize and longlisted for the Stella Prize.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min
See All (14)

About

Seasons change. An actor prepares. A birthday is removed from the calendar.  A hypnotist causes chaos on a cruise ship. A new life awaits at a petrol station. A grieving granddaughter finds a surprising stowaway. A dog makes yakisoba. The sun rises in the west.  We’ve all read stories that changed our lives. We’ve all imagined places that feel like home. We’ve all met characters who feel like family.  Now, we’ll hear the stories, then go to the source. We’ll speak with the authors, to find out what makes a story great, where they come from, and why they connect.  These are stories: Unpacked. Understood. Unfolded.  Join us for season 2 of Unfolded as Seth Robinson and Tony Birch speak with authors Melanie Cheng, Bri Lee, Dominic Amerena, Briohny Doyle, Helena Pantsis, Jumaana Abdu, Scott Limbrick and Romy Ash, or travel back through the archive to hear the incredible stories from season 1.   Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their history, which go back tens of thousands of years.  Hosts: Seth Robinson and Tony Birch Creator and Executive Producer: Seth Robinson Recording: Gavin Nebauer, Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne Editing and Sound Design: Nick King and Courtney Carthy, Nearly Media Artwork: Marty O'Meara

Information

  • Creator
    University of Melbourne
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 University of Melbourne
  • Show Website
    Unfolded

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