Both There And Not: Stories from the Space of Missingness

This work of creative nonfiction and accompanying exegesis explores ‘missingness’ – the individual, interpersonal, social, and political nuances of a person’s absence. The term ‘missingness’ has been used by a range of researchers of missing persons to describe the diverse but linked experiences that arise when someone goes missing. Missing persons cases are common in Australia, with an estimated 38,000 people disappearing annually. For each person who goes missing, an estimated further twelve are directly affected. While the vast majority of missing persons incidents are resolved within a week, some cases linger for much longer, or are never resolved. With or without resolution, absences pose a range of questions. Answers are often lacking, or ambiguous. This research project excavates narratives of those who have been personally and/or professionally affected by missingness. I do so in a work of creative nonfiction and through reflective, theoretical work drawing on the frameworks of Practice Theory and narratology.