is by me, Saraid Taylor: a writer or athlete who uses she/her pronouns and is almost entirely dependant on chickpeas and virtual navigation technology. My debut literary novel is forthcoming with UQP and I am signed to the Melbourne Demons in the AFLW.
thist is for people who like sport. thist is for people who like art. thist is also for people who like curiosity and connection. thist is mostly for people who like me, and are therefore interested in helping me one day afford a house.
Sport and art are often positioned as opposing, antithetical.
I have spent most of my life wrestling with the tension between these two parts of my identity. But I have concluded both are vehicles: for growth, for expression, for change; for us to understand the world and share meaning. They cultivate connections. They forge empathy.
thist is a dialogue about sport and art across forms: interview, biography, essay, memoir and fiction. It seeks to centre community and justice in conversations around performance, fame and power.
I hold a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts (Screenwriting) from the Victorian College of the Arts. My poetry and non/fiction is printed in publications such as Overland, Meanjin, Island, Missing Perspectives and Griffith Review. I have appeared at literary festivals and schools, and on radio, television, podcasts and panels. I act, direct, model and produce. My debut novel is slated for publication next year.
I started playing basketball when I was five. From eighteen, I spent six years signed as a Development Player in the WNBL. At twenty-four, I crossed codes to accept a professional contract in the AFLW with the Richmond Tigers. I was delisted at the end of the season, played five games in the VFLW, and was recruited by the Melbourne Demons, where I am still signed.
My careers have hauled themselves forward in parallel: demarcated consistently, enduringly, by failure. As a consequence, my writing often examines the relationship between resilience and shame.
Yeah, sorry. I can’t believe it either, but unfortunately I must eat. There’s plenty of free stuff to read but if you want access to everything, full subscriptions are $12.50 a month. They are so appreciated! They keep me making stuff!
I know you also need to eat, though, so if paying for my writing is not currently within financial means (or if it is but you’re just not that invested in my home-owning potential), you can invite friends through the referral reward program and read the entire archive for free.
thist is interested in important stories that do not always get the chance to be told. Submit a (substantiated) tip here. It can remain confidential.
thist is also interested in receiving any form of praise. Writing can be quite tiring. You can leave a comment on any post or contact me here. It will not necessarily remain confidential.
Saraid Taylor trains and writes on sacred Wurundjeri country. She acknowledges Elders, past and present, and extends that respect to all First Nations peoples around the world.
