What happens when you let your inner voice become heard? When an artist blurs the lines between personal keepings and performance? Roundtable Readings is a monthly gathering that celebrates the raw and real exploration of words through hosting writers of any medium; poets, diary writers, note-app keepers, tumblr-bloggers and essayists alike- for an evening of sharing art. Creator and host of the readings, Lili Ward describes the roots in which Roundtable has grown within the community for emerging and experimental writers and describes so heartily as we pick her brain on the nuances of consolidating themes, locations and the reward of celebrating writing.

Jordan Schembri, is a 28-year-old creative raised in Northcote. She describes herself as being a bit of a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. She wears many hats with Wimsy, among also navigating everyday life which while at times is absolutely overwhelming, also keeps her on her toes. “Wimsy came to be when I needed a system of some sort to guide my days. A project personified, in a way.”. Studio Wimsy is a Naarm-based graphic design studio indulging in both self-led and commissioned pieces that manifest across modes of apparel, prints and both digital and physical content. As Jordan describes, Wimsy has become an avenue for her to do favourite thing, research. The majority of Jordan’s work is symbolic of where she is at in life, whether it’s a new obsession or an ode to her inner child, with a dash of ‘unseriousness’, “(because you can’t be serious all the time, that would be tiring)”.

Wedged between the new developments and heritage packed streets of Melbourne’s Swanston St, pockets the Nicholas Building. It’s vast levels and twisting chapters of tiled hallways invite visitors to step into something of a twilight zone with every level offering arcades of art that vary from vintage stores, metaphysical supplies to installations. Tucked neatly on Level 4, exists Asphalt Books. Like a storybook cottage warmed by a little furnace, is home to shelves and stacks of a curation of second hand works of writing. Armani, Asphalt’s owner offers us insight into the backbone that operates the store, the careful care behind it’s composition and it’s residence to the Nicholas Building.