I’m not anti-woke, but the interview line-up in reception for the call centre job looks like your typical twenty-first-century checklist to ensure unsuccessful applicants can’t sue the company for discrimination.

For a start, the six serious candidates, a mix of twenty and thirty-somethings, are split fifty-fifty between males and females, with a man of colour and an Asian woman. I’m the last in line after the token senior, “Grandpa”, who can’t be a serious candidate. Tick, tick, tick goes the inclusivity checklist and our interview countdown.

These are the opening paragraphs from my short story, The Interview, which I shared on the Tall And True writers’ website in August 2024.

Please note: The Story Insight below contains spoilers.

Story Insight

I wrote The Interview (originally titled “I’m Not Anti-Woke But“) for the Australian Writers’ Centre’s September 2024 Furious Fiction writing challenge. Unlike their usual monthly challenges, the brief was simple and visual:

Use the photo image in the brief of seven people sitting in what could be a waiting room as inspiration to tell your story.

Several things stood out for me when I looked at the photo:

• Of the seven people, “Grandpa” was significantly older than the other twenty and thirty-somethings.
• There was an even split of males and females among the six younger people.
• There was one male of colour and an Asian woman.
• All the people, including “Grandpa”, had their hands folded on their laps except for a nerdy-looking bespectacled male sitting at the end beside “Grandpa”, with his hands hanging at his sides (as if twitching to put his hands in his pockets).

I’m Not Anti-Woke But

I took “literal” inspiration from the composition of the photo and my observations to set my story in a job interview waiting room, narrated by the nerdy-looking Marcus. While he claims he’s not anti-woke, Marcus dismisses the “inclusivity checklist” candidates, especially the “token senior”.

Of course, it’s “Grandpa”, or Tom, who engages with Marcus. He initially irritates Marcus but eventually reveals a more pleasant and polite side of his character, sighing when Grandpa remains seated and saying, “Um, it’s your turn, Tom.”

Thanks to Athena Law (@TweetsByAthena on Twitter/X) for suggesting this subtle change!

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Who got the job?

I hope you enjoy your time in the interview waiting room with Marcus and Tom. The September Furious Fiction judges didn’t showcase or longlist my story, but I loved writing and sharing it with Athena and Richard Gibney (@ragtaggiggagon on Twitter/X). Both asked whether Marcus got the call centre job.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “Perhaps Grandpa Tom’s favourable mention of Marcus helped? I’ll leave that for Juno and the reader to decide.” 

Unlike this year’s entry, last September’s Furious Fiction, My Speech (on Tall And True) made the showcase with chest-swelling feedback from the judges. And I recently narrated it as Episode 99 of my Tall And True Short Reads storytelling podcast.

© 2024 Robert Fairhead

Thanks to LeoPictures for sharing the image of the empty waiting room chairs on Pixabay.