A return to one’s childhood home unearths lost memories. A family spends an evening together listening to Grandma’s stories about their faraway homeland. A mother dreams about a daughter she’s never met. A piece of lace blurs the line between past, present and future.
A Little Better Elsewhere is a poignant anthology that grapples with the complexities of nostalgia. From intimate reflections on childhood innocence to powerful depictions of grief, love and change, this collection of short stories, essays and poetry celebrates the diverse insights of Australia’s emerging writers.
With a foreword written by Sarah Ayoub, A Little Better Elsewhere weaves together experiences of joy, longing, sadness and comfort, challenging us to consider whether nostalgia helps us make peace with the past or keeps us trapped in its shadow.
The University of Sydney Anthology is created, curated and produced by publishing students. Sarah Ayoub is a freelance journalist and best-selling author based in Sydney. Sarah attained her PhD with a thesis examining migrant narratives in Australian teen lit and currently lectures in journalism and writing at the University of Sydney and the University of Notre Dame. She has been a Stella Prize Schools Ambassador, hosted writing workshops with the Australian High Commission in Brunei, and most recently been a judge for the NSW Premiers Literary Awards. She is a former writer-in-residence of Sweatshop Literacy Movement and currently sits on the board of the Australian Society of Authors. Her work has appeared in various print and online publications. Her books include Hate is Such a Strong Word, and The Yearbook Committee and The Cult of Romance.
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Sarah Ayoub
A Little Better Elsewhere by Raghad Hilles
Bana’murrai’yung (wet becoming cooler) by Chloe Isabelle Pryce
Everything and Nothing at All by Aishmita Kumar
When Did You Say You Were Leaving by Rosanna Chim
Bougainvilliea by Mona Elhassan
Lotus Bloom by Arani Ahmed
Memory Lane by Zara Hussain
Elderberry by Lakai Tungafasi
Developing Film by Lachlan Griffiths
The Flesh Age by Prue Foster
Late Summer, Balmain by Shania Daphne Andrea OBrien
Strange Memory Mechanisms by Jennifer Scarini
The Whole of the Moon by Amalia Stone
Aubade by Lachlan Griffiths
Free to a Good Home by Cherie Baird
Kala by Kuyili Karthik
Doc Martin by Vanessa Yenson
White Will Drink the Wine by Shania Daphne Andrea OBrien
Waiting for the Fall by Arani Ahmed
Where To? by Joseph Parker Lucas
What the Lace Remembers by Ananya Thirumalai
Gia by Yenfay Camp
Muscle Memory by Ujjwal Nandan
Squish by Sagar Nair
The White Salamander Tax by Jacob Lucas
Pocket Worlds by Lucy Blue
Tree Rings by Annis Chan
Coming Up For Air by Vanessa Yenson
His Light Guiding Me by Angela Fossi
Family Is the Thing of Dreamlikeness by Jensen Chou
Perfection by Clara Tan
Reflections by Cherie Baird
An Angel With Me by Angela Fossi
Worm by Emily Jean
A Window to You by Angela Fossi
The First Bite by Shania Daphne Andrea OBrien
Twenty Years Love by Chloe Isabelle Pryce
Day One by Alessio Maugeri
Night-child by Chloe Isabelle Pryce
Invitations by Saraa Purba
Purloin by Prue Foster
The Art of Gift Giving by Urvi Agarwal
Homecoming by Purny Ahmed
My Last Day by Komal Gupta
Liver Spots by Zara Hussain
About the Authors
About the Editors
Format:
paperback
Size: 210 x 148 mm
Copyright: 2026
ISBN: 9781742105871
Publication: 01 Mar 2026
Size: 210 x 148 mm
Copyright: 2026
ISBN: 9781742105871
Publication: 01 Mar 2026