Drawing on the motifs and archetypes of mythology and folklore, R.I. Sutton’s stories explore the human experience. Her style tempers the lyricism of nineteenth century prose with modern concision, bringing to life narratives both melodic and eloquent. Combining the potency of the gothic fairytale with the honesty of Paulo Coelho, her work confronts the vulnerability and power of our humanity: the ache of our exile, the joy of our communion, and our struggle as creatures ‘of woman born’.
R.I. Sutton attained her Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing in 2003 and then went on to study philosophy, comparative religion, and literature at LaTrobe University. She graduated with her honours degree in 2006. Since then she has been working on her first collection of short stories, A Phantom of the Earth and of the Water. Her work has been published in Australia and the U.S.A, and in 2009 was nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
She currently lives in Bendigo, a town in Central Victoria, Australia.
Portrait photograph by Hans Jansen
Header photograph: Birth of a Man by Kain White