Published by Purpose Media CBR
Toby Nitural had just submitted a short story called You Won’t Last for a writing competition. He had no idea what to expect. When the result came back and the award was his, something shifted.
“It made me truly believe that my writing is
Toby says.
worthy of being put out there,”
That moment of quiet confidence is exactly the kind of thing Toby writes about now. Not the polished, press-release version of a life, but the real, uncertain, still-figuring-it-out kind. And that is precisely why we are so glad he is joining the Purpose Media CBR team.
A Life Lived Across Seven Countries
At nineteen years old, Toby has already lived in seven different countries. It is the kind of fact that stops a conversation mid-sentence. Not because it is impressive in a resume kind of way, but because of what it tells you about a person: that they have had to figure out how to belong, over and over again, in places where everything is unfamiliar.
That kind of life builds a particular way of seeing people. You learn to pay attention. You learn that connection matters more than geography. And you learn, maybe most importantly, that everyone has a story worth knowing.
Toby grew up finding those stories in unexpected places. Not just in books, but in video games. In alternative music. In YouTube essays that run for two hours and somehow change the way you think. Games like Minecraft and Deltarune were early teachers.
“They taught me that stories can really come from anything, and be incredibly interesting,” he says.
It is a philosophy that fits perfectly here. Purpose Media CBR was built on exactly that idea: that the most important stories are not always the loudest ones.
The Things He Cares About
Ask Toby what he cares about, and he does not reach for easy answers. He talks about the way we name things, and what happens when we strip the naming back.
“Transphobia, homophobia, fatphobia, and so on, are not amazing terms,” he says. “If someone is rude to others for their differences, they are not being afraid. They are just being rude and mean. Calling it out without the fancy terms makes it a lot more easy to see.”
It is a small reframe, but a meaningful one. Language shapes how we understand things. When we complicate the language around harm, we sometimes make it easier to look away. Toby is not interested in looking away. He is interested in making things clearer, more human, and more honest.
That instinct, to cut through and speak plainly, is the same spirit behind everything we publish.
What He Wants You to Know
Toby has lived through a global pandemic, the outbreak of war in Russia, and the rapid rise of AI. He is nineteen. He has already seen a lot of the world at its most uncertain.
And his message, for anyone who is going through something hard right now, is simple and worth sitting with.
Nothing has ever stopped me from appreciating that life is worth living. Things can get really hard, and you might not even be in a position where realising that is tolerable. But you should never stop searching for ways to make your life better.”
That is not toxic positivity. It is not telling people to just cheer up. It is an honest acknowledgement that hard things are hard, followed by a quiet, persistent insistence that the search for better is always worth continuing. There is a difference, and Toby knows it.
The Person Behind the Stories
When Toby is not writing, you will probably find him with a podcast or a video essay playing in one ear, and a game open on his screen. Something low-focus enough that his brain can wander. It is the kind of rest that creative people know well: not switched off, just set to a gentler frequency.
He has sampled snacks across seven countries and landed, firmly and without apology, on barbecue shapes as the undisputed winner. [Please note, this is not a sponsored product placement!]
He is thrilled to be here, and honest about why.
“I will help shape Canberra into a better place than it already is,” he says.
It is said simply, without fanfare. That feels right.
Welcome, Toby
Toby Nitural joins Purpose Media CBR as a Freelance Storyteller for the 2026-2027 financial year. He will be contributing stories across our Community Impact, Services That Matter, and What’s On for Good themes.
We are glad he is here. And we think you will be too.
- Meet Toby: The Storyteller Who Believes Every Story is Worth Telling
- Programs for girls, young women and women in Canberra
- A house that should not be empty!
- Challenging Ableism at Work: Raising the Standard for Everyone
- Geeking Out at the Geek Expo
Do you have a story worth sharing? Nominate someone in your community at purposemediacbr.au.
