Tall And True Short Reads

My wife and I visited Turkey in 1988. We had endured our first English winter and spent two weeks hugging the coastal sites and sunny beaches. We returned in 1990, venturing far from the coast to the mountains of eastern Turkey, where Kurds befriended us, and we learned a little of Kurdish culture. Kurd Friends in the Mountains is a travel memoir blog post from the Tall And True writers' website,...

This story begins at the end. But my time spent observing your planet has taught me humans like to process events and information in an orderly, if not entirely predictable, sequence. So forget the first sentence, and I'll serve you a linear tale. Just don't skip to the end and spoil it. Once Upon A Time is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairh...

Tall And True Short Reads is a storytelling podcast featuring short stories, blog posts and other writing written and narrated by Robert Fairhead from the Tall And True writers' website. Launched in September 2020, Season Three starts in September 2022 with a "story that begins at the end", Once Upon A Time.  Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com Support the podcast: https://...

In February 1998, I started an eight-week evening college course, Introduction to Philosophy. I was in my mid-thirties, and while I was aware of philosophers, I hadn't read their works and knew nothing about critical thinking. Our text was Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. And our tutor was a Marxist. My Marxist Philosophy Class is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and...

In their heyday, the Ian St James Awards offered the biggest fiction prize in the UK and Ireland. Launched by the thriller writer Ian St James in 1989 to encourage new writers, the awards were open to 5,000-10,000 word short stories by unpublished writers. Thanks Ian St James Awards is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead . Read the post on T...

You know what it's like when you lose something. It's always in the last place you look. So I write down all the possible places the lost thing could be and work through the list in reverse order. But how do you find a lost hour? It's not like it can slip down the back of a sofa like coins or keys! The Lost Hour is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robe...

In May 1992, the Sydney literary news was full of Tim Winton's success and his novel, Cloudstreet. And I thought it an omen. Winton was thirty-one, and I was thirty. He'd grown up in W.A., and so had I. He'd just won his second Miles Franklin Award. And I was having a second crack at being a writer! Cloudstreet by Tim Winton - Omen or Inspiration is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' webs...

It's 1997. I'm fifteen, and Dad's delivering another lecture on my poor prospects: "If you carry on like this, son, you'll end up in prison." I won't admit it, but he may have a point. Because today on the drive home after catching me shoplifting again, the local cop issued a "last warning". Stuck in Time is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fair...

In 2018, I shared a blog post about My Week in Politics, handing out how-to-vote cards for Dr Kerryn Phelps, an independent candidate for Wentworth. Kerryn won that by-election but lost the seat in the 2019 Federal election. Three years later, I spent six weeks in teal helping another independent, Allegra Spender. Six Weeks in Teal is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, writt...

The tree stood in front of a vacant block at the end of the street. It had thick, leafy branches and was easy to climb. It was Matty's special place. And then, one day, he saw a sign on it. Matty couldn't read the big words and went to find his sister. Jess was a school captain, so she'd know what the sign said. The Special Tree is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and...

Airports are the same the world over. Full of frenetic activity, people coming and going, joyful reunions and teary-eyed farewells. Though not in the middle of the night. And apart from the passengers sprawled across and under the international airport's departure terminal chairs, it was empty and silent. Departure is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by R...

My parents separated in 1967 when I was five, and my younger brother and I went to live with our grandparents. Nan looked old to my young eyes, and leathery Pop ancient. But born in 1907, Nan was only sixty when we moved in, a cause for reflection when I reached my milestone sixty in March 2022. Milestone Reflections is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by R...

Their eyes locked across a crowded room at the cocktail bar. He looked well-heeled and handsome, and his brazen gaze told her he knew it. But she was his equal with pert features and confidence. They raised their glasses to each other and soon found themselves shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar. A Night Out is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairh...

The policewoman at the front of the Court is trying to catch my eye. I have a thing for women in uniform. It's what attracted me to my wife. That night we met at the pub across the road from the hospital where she worked as a nurse. I couldn't stop fantasising about the front zip on her uniform. Judgement is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fair...

I post a #bookcovers and #firstsentences homage series on Instagram (as @tallandtrueweb) featuring fiction and nonfiction from my bookcase. Sharing the posts has brought back fond memories of dusty books I haven't read in years. And I recently shared a favourite tear-jerker, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. Memories of Tuesdays with Morrie is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website...

A long time ago, poverty, floods, droughts, famines and war blighted a pale-blue planet. But the people endured the hardships and were happy. They believed life in the Here and Now and Ever After was predetermined and fixed like the stars in the sky. And the people found solace and solidarity in their faith. The People Were Happy is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written an...

"And the winner is–" Zoom freezes on my laptop. But I don't care. From the gallery director's opening comments in her awards speech, praising this year's portraits, it's clear my landscape has not caught the judges' eyes. Again! However, I've learned to channel disappointment into creative energy. The Winner's Toast is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by...

Writing can be lonely, especially if you're living on your own in a cramped flat, in another country, far away from family and friends. So when I lived in Brighton in the early-1990s, I volunteered to work one afternoon a week at an Oxfam op shop. I needed to get out and meet and mingle with people. Writing Can Be Lonely is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated...

Nadine lies on her mattress on the floor of the attic. She stares up at the naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling and the moth circling it. Wind gusts through cracks under the doors and windows, whistling down hallways and upstairs, carrying with it the storm-muffled moans of Paul and the new housemate. A Free Spirit is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrate...

When I was a boy, I thought the spirit of Xmas was receiving: from my overflowing Santa Sack and gifts under the Xmas tree. Then I grew up, and for me, especially after I became a dad, it's giving. I like choosing gifts for family and friends, which is why I say bah humbug to the modern Kris Kringle. The Spirit of Xmas is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by...

The shitstorm hit the Twitter fan overnight. Deeman had thought his followers would laugh at his sarcastic tweet. He'd watched a news clip about refugees from a COVID ravaged continent. And before setting aside his phone for the night, he'd retweeted it with a tongue-out emoji, "Let them eat COVID. In their own country. LOL!" Cancelled is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, writ...

In my writer’s bio on Tall And True, I admit I've enjoyed a one night stand. It was November 2003, but I remember the night like it was yesterday. I had worked up to it for two weeks. However, though I'd practised my lines, I suffered first-time jitters as I took the stage to perform my stand-up comedy routine. My One Night Stand is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and...

The golden glow of Norman's youth was a distant memory. The passing years had added aches and pains and padding, and his soft and doughy love handles had long since served no purpose with Alice. But when he looked in the mirror, Norman recognised the man he had once been. Just wiser and more wizened. Reminiscing with Alice is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narra...

A friend shared a Facebook post from November 2017, inviting the reader to "Step Inside the World's Coolest Library". The futuristically designed library in Tianjin, China (aptly nicknamed "The Eye") is lined from floor to cathedral high ceilings with bookshelves, which follow the building's curved contours. My Favourite Libraries is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and...

The group trekked for several weeks over rough terrain to reach the border town. On the way, they pooled their meagre resources and precious reserves of e-credits and cash to buy food and water. And begged when these ran low. Welcome to the Lucky Country is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead . Read Welcome to the Lucky Country: https://ww...