Welcome to the Tall And True blog and profile website of writer and podcaster Robert Fairhead.
Robert shares his writing on the Tall And True writers' website and writes and narrates episodes for the Tall And True Short Reads storytelling podcast, which features his short stories, blog posts, memoirs, travel and other writing.
Robert's book reviews and other writing have appeared in print and online media. He has published three short story collections — Both Sides of the Story (2020), Twelve Furious Months (2021) and Twelve More Furious Months (2022) —, a microfiction anthology, Tall And True Microfiction (2023), and a collection of speculative fiction, One Day in the Life of Alex's AI and Other Speculative Fiction (2024).
You can follow Robert on the Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky and Mastodon social media platforms.
Since 2020, I’ve published three short story collections and a microfiction anthology: Both Sides of the Story, Twelve Furious Months, Twelve More Furious Months and Tall And True Microfiction. In December 2024, I added a speculative fiction collection, One Day in the Life of Alex’s AI and Other Speculative Fiction.
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In March 2020, I wrote a blog post marking my 58th birthday, questioning if it was one to remember or forget (thanks, COVID!)? I dipped into my diaries dating back to 1987 and shared a selection of birthday highlights, and I revealed how I set birthday challenges. So what 63 things could I do this year?
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Margaret Chittenden observed: “Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do much the same thing.” Instead of staring at a wall, I was walking my dog when I heard my uncle’s voice.
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Tyson leaned against the bar, waiting for his cocktail and staring at his reflection in the mirror above the drinks display. A late-thirties sales manager on the rise, he wore a few smile lines and flecks of grey, but thankfully, there was no sign of a receding hairline. Tyson winked at himself. With luck, he wouldn’t leave the singles bar alone tonight.
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I joined Twitter in August 2011. My early tweets read like short text messages between friends. But then, tweets were only 140 characters long, and I had few followers. Twitter is now X. I can post 280 characters and have many more followers. I’ve enjoyed tweeting, but it’s time to say Goodbye Twitter.
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Episode 102 (6 February 2025): The terrace house door creaks open, and the women sitting in the converted front room glance at the newcomers: another nervous-looking young woman in her late teens or early twenties and an older woman, probably her mother, judging by their shared chubby features. The two women cross to the receptionist’s desk.
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I enjoyed the pub last night, chatting with old friends, and I wish Ellie had joined us. But I should have listened to her, drank less, and popped a blocker. I’ll get no sympathy from Ellie today, waking with a hangover and viral thoughts I feel compelled to share.
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Most episodes from the past four seasons of Tall And True Short Reads are standalone, but I’ve also released multipart episodes for longer short stories. For Season Five, I’m doing something different. I’m writing and narrating a series of interconnected short stories titled The Nine Lives of Leo Roberts.
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I shared my first “Year of Books” post in December 2018, featuring the sixteen books I read that year. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, I listed a similar number of paper-based books and ebooks but also included audiobooks. By 2022 and 2023, I listened to far more books than I read, and the trend continued in 2024!
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Episode 101 (20 December 2024): Since Episode 100, I’ve taken a break from podcasting to plan a new direction for Season Five of Tall And True Short Reads, which I hope to launch early in 2025. Meanwhile, I’ve “gift-wrapped” the first episodes from Seasons One to Four of the podcast for this year’s bumper Kris Kringle.
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The job offer notification pops up on my phone early on Christmas Eve. It’s a short-term role helping with overnight deliveries. The regular delivery driver has hurt his back and needs an offsider for heavy lifting. Once, I would have declined the job and spent Christmas Eve with my kids.
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In April, June and September 2024, Danielle Baldock (@WritingDani) ran a #30Words30Days microfiction challenge on Twitter/X, posting daily prompts and inviting the #WritingCommunity to share our 30-word creations. Despite NaNoWriMo in November, I hoped Dani would run a fourth challenge. And she did!
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My hearse is lost. I’d like to let the mourners know that, for once, this debacle is not my fault. But my spirit is tethered to my body until they lower the coffin into the grave and bury it. And communicating with the living would be difficult unless someone brings a Ouija board to the funeral.
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On the steps of Parliament House on Remembrance Day, 11 November 1975, the Governor-General of Australia’s Official Secretary read a proclamation signed by Sir John Kerr dismissing Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s Labor government. When he had finished, Whitlam strode forward and delivered his response.
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Zing and Zap’s flying saucer orbited the barren planet. “Why didn’t global warming galvanise them into action?” Zing asked. It seems they were too busy posting cat videos,” Zap replied. I wrote this 30-word story for September 2024’s #30Words30Days challenge on Twitter/X. Is it sci-fi or speculative fiction?
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Your William Shakespeare crafted clever lines with hidden meanings, like, “All the world’s a stage.” It’s as if he had insight into my five-act play on my pet subject, humanity. Act One: Earth is a Garden of Eden. A troop of apes descends from the trees and totters on two legs on the African savannah.
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Dad probably hoped to take his secrets to the grave, but a heart attack scuppered his plans. “Will you come back for the funeral, Aaron?” my sister, Becky, asked when she called with the news. “Yes, of course,” I replied. “And can you stay a few days to help Mum and me tidy up Dad’s stuff?”
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In September 2024, Danielle Baldock (@WritingDani) from the #WritingCommunity on Twitter/X ran her third #30Words30Days microfiction challenge for the year. She posted daily prompt words and invited writers to share our 30-word stories. As with the earlier challenges, it was fun and addictive!
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Episode 100 (1 October 2024): Thinking about things was not supposed to happen during matter transference. Scientists couldn’t predict what it would feel like, but the disassembly, transfer and reassembly of a test pilot’s atoms occurred at the speed of light, so in theory, there was no time for thoughts.
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"For Alex his the Adaptive Generation, AI was a logical step in human evolution. It enhanced life, leaving them feeling less stressed and anxious. AI also offered hope for mitigating and adapting to the existential effects of climate change."
By definition, brevity is the key to good microfiction. There is no time for plot and character development, so every word must count. ~ Robert Fairhead
I hope readers enjoy the short story journeys in Twelve More Furious Months and make it home in time for dinner. ~ Robert Fairhead
I look forward to the Writer's Centre's monthly Furious Fiction competitions because I've become addicted to the escapism of writing short stories! ~ Robert Fairhead
This slim book is hard to put down. And the only regret we may feel after reading it is that we reached the end too quickly! ~ Denise O'Hagan
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. ~ Maya Angelou
Share your untold story — fiction, nonfiction and reviews — on Tall And True, an online showcase and forum for writers, readers and publishers.
