'Aitu' by Oliver Coulter, read by Chris Alosio

This week's short story is 'Aitu' by Oliver Coulter, was performed live by Chris Alosio for StorySALOON on May 6, 2025 at The Vanguard, Newtown. A young man of Samoan heritage is driving along a Northern Territory highway carrying special cargo. It's a road story that's both spiritual and darkly funny, and is about the importance of knowing your culture. In Polynesian languages the word 'aitu' refers to ghosts or spirits.

Oliver Coulter is a Samoan-Australian writer raised in the Northern Territory. He has won a NT Literary Award and his work has also featured on ABC Radio National.

Chris Alosio is a rising star in screen and television, acclaimed for his roles in the Netflix series, Surviving Summer, and feature films Talk to Me, Next Goal Wins and Fighting Season.

'Aitu' was first published in the online Australian journal Going Down Swinging, Nov 2022.