How is it that, in this podcast, we so often dabble in the paranormal and supernatural? In this story, my good friend and most esteemed Henri Rennie takes us once again into the interesting and intriguing world of Renoir; the writer, not the painter. Another great Northern Rivers talent.

This is an early story from the dubious MAGIC series. Set during the early events of book 1, “The Wizard of Warramanga”, in which the character, Wilco gets a little foretaste of the weirdness he’ll come to know around the character John B Stewart

A student of so many different disciplines that he wryly describes himself as

“probably over-qualified for jobs that haven’t been invented yet”, Karl Johnston is a

writer fascinated by how things work.

That fascination extends to people and relationships. This story has some of the

style and overtones of the Arabian Nights and Arthurian legend, and more than a

touch of whimsy, as it delves into the mind of a powerful but lonely man.

Ogres have layers, Onions have layers, and yes, Parfet, has layers too. But how often have you considered the distinct layers of Earth itself? And to visit these layers and experience them firsthand, is something only a select few will ever do. But sometimes a story will take you places you've never been before, and may never be able to go in the flesh. This one takes you on a journey through the uppermost reaches of our atmosphere then plunges into the depths of the sea, only to follow the humble journey of a tiny bubble through the stratifications of the ocean and up to the surface.

There are days that we just don't want to do what's in front of us. Where it just doesn't seem to make sense. It's days like these where an extra word or two of encouragement can make the world of difference and help us move in the direction we need to go. In today's short story, we're invited to witness an interesting meeting between a young boy and an old woman, where the boy needs just a little bit of encouragement to follow through with a very important choice. A choice that has far longer-reaching consequences than may initially meet the eye.

After a working life of having more jobs than some people have hot meals, Renoir retired to the simple delights of being a writer. His head is full of stories, many of them fiction. Sometimes, though, he writes about himself, which may be stranger than fiction. When he does, it's because it's something that really matters to him. Proud is just such a story.

In the film industry, finding child actors can be a bit tricky. There are a lot of things to consider that you would normally take for granted with adults. So imagine not only finding the perfect child actor, but finding a child who is 130 years old totally independent, and, shall we say, living impaired, is something else. Yep, she's a ghost. Today's short story follows Marjorie, a young ghost girl who finds herself acting alongside a very intriguing old man. Join Marjorie as she navigates the mystery of her co-star and finds herself facing the most important decision of her death.

This unique and hilarious short invites you into a professional development plan meeting between a high school principal and a fascinatingly apocalyptic teacher with extremely unique solutions to the apparently changing world. Or perhaps this is just how it feels when you find yourself teaching a bunch of modern-day teenagers. A warning, though, you may find yourself giggling in public with this one.

Read by Nicole Sullivan

Ken Sharp is a Lismore local and occasionally does find himself in front of a classroom full of teenagers guiding them in the intricacies (sometimes successfully) of how the physical world works. Ken also writes the occasional short story, among other things, and practices being an awesome human being.

We've all had one. A moment that at first glance seems fairly mundane, fairly every day, but sticks with us in profound and life-altering ways. In this short story, Darius takes us into one of these real experiences. Beautifully written and revealing a raw and vulnerable edge, we're invited to sit in on this fragile exchange between the writer and a young hitchhiker.

Darius Devas is a producer and director of feature films and other film content including "Unravelling", his latest feature drama. He is also a poet and writer in various forms and tops it off by being a really nice guy. Take it from me.

The transition between one year and the next can be more profound than we give it credit for., and we're about to go through it once more.

In this episode, along with a small insight into my thoughts on anthropomorphizing things, family, and my wife's Italian heritage, I give you a short piece of prose beautifully read in Italian by my sister-in-law, Rosaria Sharp, which honours the relationship between ourselves, this year and the coming year.

Almost an invocation or a blessing, this very short piece is a lovely way to farewell this year, welcome the next year, and prepare yourself for the transition between the two.

Like most good writers, Maggie Wildblood is a keen observer of life. It’s said that

‘every person has a story’, but if you don’t know the person the opportunity is there

for the imagination to go to work.

‘Monty’ is based on a chance encounter with a man who was interesting enough to

inspire contemplation. Some people try not to look at the less fortunate in the

community, perhaps thinking if they’re ignored they’ll just somehow go away.

Maggie on the other hand looks deeper – how does that person feel, and think?

Maggie Wildblood is an author living in Ballina NSW