Why We Are Here Launch with Briohny Doyle

Cinematic, heart-breaking, often hilarious, Why We Are Here is a singular love story for strange days. Doyle's witty prose revels in the solace of the natural world, in conversing with writers who have lost and endured, and above all in the profound connection between a woman and her dog.

Briohny Doyle is the author of Echolalia, Adult Fantasy and The Island Will Sink. Her books have been recognised on lists for The Miles Franklin Literary Award, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and The Melbourne Prize for Literature. Her writing has appeared in The Monthly, The Guardian, Meanjin, The Griffith Review, and The Age. She is a lecturer in creative writing at The University of Sydney, and a former Fulbright scholar.

Vanessa Berry is an award-winning writer and artist who works with history, memory and archives. Her work centres around autobiography and its formal and experimental possibilities, arising from her background in zine making and DIY literary practices. She is the author of Gentle and Fierce, Mirror Sydney: an atlas of reflections and Ninety 9. Her zines and artworks have been exhibited at galleries such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and National Gallery of Australia.

Eytan Messiah is a prolific poet, artist and songwriter, and has released the vinyl Purple Rouge with his band The Broadside Push. He has performed around Australia, including at the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Festival and a solo show at the MCA.