In conversation with BOTY shortlisted contributing author: Elizabeth Flux
In the lead-up to the 2021 Book of The Year winner announcement on Friday 26 November, conference co-ordinator Chloe Hogan-Weihmann sat down with Elizabeth Flux to discuss the shortlisting of Collisions: A Liminal Anthology (Pantera 2020).
Collisions is a collection of stories from the inaugural Liminal Fiction Prize longlist. The book has been described as experimental, genre-bending, and necessary reading for the future of fiction, and the future of our shared world.
One among many fascinating stories
‘The Voyeur’ by Elizabeth Flux has been dubbed a ‘real highlight’ of the collection. Her story explores themes of family, history and grief through the idea of travelling back in time to live through the eyes of your ancestors.
Flux said time travel is something she thinks about a lot, and the thoughts that follow are what inspired the premise of her story.
‘I found myself wondering what would happen if you were able to visit certain moments from your family’s past. By making it an inherited skill I was able to explore more than one way that a person might approach–or be destroyed by–having this ability.
‘I think it is a really human trait to dwell on the past, and so having the option to, quite literally, go back there and just watch would be tempting and horrifying and beautiful all at the same time. Even after writing ‘The Voyeur’ I don’t know how I would handle it if I had the ability, but the process of writing it allowed me to play through a lot of different scenarios,’ Flux said.
Being a part of the collection
Flux said one of the most exciting parts of being a part of the collection was finding out who she would be sharing the pages with.
‘I’m in amazing company in Collisions–each and every story offers something new whether that be experimentation in form, in perfectly crafted lines, or in images that stick with you.
‘Liminal is remarkable in so many ways; this anthology is just one of them. Through their work I’ve found so many new writers whose work I now love, and I am constantly impressed and taken aback by how many ways they find to spotlight and platform new work,’ Flux said.
Collisions was edited by Leah Jing McIntosh, Cher Tan, Adalya Nash Hussein, and Hassan Abul, and features stories by Bryant Apolonio, Kasumi Borczyk, Claire Cao, Claire G. Coleman, Elizabeth Flux, Jason Gray, Eda Günaydin, Naima Ibrahim, Cb Mako, Sumudu Samarawickrama, Mykaela Saunders, Bobuq Sayed, Victor Chrisnaa Senthinathan, Misbah Wolf, Hannah Wu, Jessica Zhan Mei Yu.
The 2021 Book of the Year award winner will be presented by the Wheeler Centre as part of its Next Big Thing series, via Instagram Live on 26 November 2021 from 6:30pm.