2022 Furphy Literary Award winners and shortlist announced
The winners and shortlist of the 2022 Furphy Literary Award have been announced. Acclaimed writer and poet Cate Kennedy won the Award for her story
How Miranda Luby achieved her dreams of becoming a YA fiction author
Miranda Luby was a confident copywriter in her professional career – but her dream of writing a novel remained elusive until she plunged into our writing courses. We were thrilled to hear that Miranda’s debut novel Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over has now been published by Text Publishing, so we chatted with the newly minted author of this wonderful young adult book to get all the juicy details about her writing life and success.
Q&A: Which “orange” came first: the fruit or the colour?
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its
HarperCollins acquires two new novels by Australian Writers’ Centre alumna Veronica Lando
Congratulations to Australian Writers’ Centre alumna Veronica Lando who has signed a two-book publishing deal with HarperCollins Australia. Veronica has completed a range of
Furious Fiction June 2022 winner and shortlist
A writer (you’ve probably never heard of) once said, “all the world’s a stage” and in this round’s Furious Fiction challenge, all of the entrants
Paula Stevenson publishes her debut picture book ‘Buster Follows His Nose’
After moving from Sydney to a rural beef cattle property, Paula Stevenson found she had more time to devote to writing. Inspired by the stunning bushland in her new home and the with the arrival of her grandchildren, she became was inspired to write her own picture books and enrolled in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers’ Centre.
How to connect with publishers at a writers’ festival
What are the dos and don’ts about approaching publishers at a festival? Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo lays out the tips you need to
Video: Kelly Rimmer on her novel ‘The German Wife’
Kelly Rimmer is the author of historical and contemporary fiction, including The German Wife, The Secret Daughter, The Things We Cannot Say, and The Warsaw Orphan, with
Writing Podcast Episode 491: Pamela Hart on her latest cosy mystery, ‘An A-List for Death’
Meet Pamela Hart, author of An A-list for Death and discover the burgeoning world of cosy mysteries. Also: should you re-write a book that’s already
COMP CLOSED: WIN ‘The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird’ by Diane Connell
No one loved making forts more than Ricky. A fort was a place of safety and possibility. It shut out the world and enclosed her
How Diane Connell became a novelist despite growing up in a house with no books
By Diane Connell. If you had visited my high school and asked my English teacher to point out the student least likely to end up
Copywriting Podcast Episode 040: How to add PR to your suite of copywriting services
If you’ve ever wanted to offer PR services to your clients but you’ve never really known what PR is or how to offer it, this
Q&A: The origin of “to a T”
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its
Bettina Deda publishes her memoir ‘Dare to Dance’
Bettina Deda originally started writing to find out more about her family history and to share their stories with her sons. With the help of Patti Miller’s Life Writing course, Bettina began to explore her own memories and experiences, culminating in the publication of her memoir Dare to Dance, published by Vpi Publishing.
How to connect with other writers at a writers’ festival
Ever come home from a writers’ festival disappointed by the number of other writers you connected with? Sometimes it’s got more to do with the
Video: Rebecca Lee on ‘How Words Get Good’
Rebecca Lee is the author of author of How Words Get Good: The Story of Making a Book. She’s also an editorial manager at Penguin Random
Writing Podcast Episode 490: Karen Foxlee and Freda Chiu on their book ‘Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters’
Meet author Karen Foxlee and illustrator Freda Chiu, the creative duo behind Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters. How to edit your writing. And win
COMP CLOSED: WIN ‘Lying Beside You’ by Michael Robotham
TWO MISSING WOMEN. ONE WITNESS. SO MANY LIES . . . This week’s giveaway book is the brand-new thriller by the “number-one bestselling and award-winning
How I got my first publishing deal: 5 Australian authors share their secrets
By Allison Tait. When you’re beavering away on a manuscript, dreaming of being a published author, getting that first publishing deal can feel a million
Q&A: The origin of “under the weather”
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its
Alex Sarkis stepped out of her comfort zone to find publishing success
Alex Sarkis had enjoyed writing on the side as a hobby from her day job working in accounts. But after ten years of dabbling on her own, she decided it was time to look for guidance by enrolling in a writing course with the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Video: Rae Cairns on ‘The Good Mother’
Rae Cairns is a former youth worker who has turned to a life of crime… writing. She is fascinated with how ordinary people manage when
Writing Podcast Episode 489: Sarah Vaughan on ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’ and her latest book ‘Reputation’
Meet Sarah Vaughan, author of Reputation and Anatomy of a Scandal, currently a hit on Netflix. How to prepare for your publicity campaign. And Anthony
COMP CLOSED: WIN ‘The Family Remains’ by Lisa Jewell
Their secrets can’t stay buried forever… This week’s giveaway book comes from British-based Lisa Jewell – the number one bestselling author of thrillers The Family
How to edit your own writing: 7 authors share their top tips
By Allison Tait. “Write as though no-one’s watching.” “Your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect.” “Your first draft is just you telling the story
2022 Furphy Literary Award winners and shortlist announced
The winners and shortlist of the 2022 Furphy Literary Award have been announced. Acclaimed writer and poet Cate Kennedy won the Award for her story ‘Art and Life’, with second prize awarded to Lisa Moule for ‘The Game’. And Natalie Vella has been awarded third place for her story ‘Winter
How Miranda Luby achieved her dreams of becoming a YA fiction author
Miranda Luby was a confident copywriter in her professional career – but her dream of writing a novel remained elusive until she plunged into our writing courses. We were thrilled to hear that Miranda’s debut novel Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over has now been published by Text Publishing, so we chatted with the newly minted author of this wonderful young adult book to get all the juicy details about her writing life and success.
Q&A: Which “orange” came first: the fruit or the colour?
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we’re comparing oranges and oranges…
HarperCollins acquires two new novels by Australian Writers’ Centre alumna Veronica Lando
Congratulations to Australian Writers’ Centre alumna Veronica Lando who has signed a two-book publishing deal with HarperCollins Australia. Veronica has completed a range of courses with the Australian Writers’ Centre, which she says have helped shape her writing. These include our core fiction courses Creative Writing Stage 1 and
Furious Fiction June 2022 winner and shortlist
A writer (you’ve probably never heard of) once said, “all the world’s a stage” and in this round’s Furious Fiction challenge, all of the entrants were indeed merely players. Here were the criteria: Each story had to begin with a sentence containing exactly SIX words. Each story had to include
Paula Stevenson publishes her debut picture book ‘Buster Follows His Nose’
After moving from Sydney to a rural beef cattle property, Paula Stevenson found she had more time to devote to writing. Inspired by the stunning bushland in her new home and the with the arrival of her grandchildren, she became was inspired to write her own picture books and enrolled in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers’ Centre.
How to connect with publishers at a writers’ festival
What are the dos and don’ts about approaching publishers at a festival? Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo lays out the tips you need to make a good impression and find the publisher that’s the right fit for your book.
Video: Kelly Rimmer on her novel ‘The German Wife’
Kelly Rimmer is the author of historical and contemporary fiction, including The German Wife, The Secret Daughter, The Things We Cannot Say, and The Warsaw Orphan, with more than 2 million copies of her novels sold to date. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and have appeared on bestseller
Writing Podcast Episode 491: Pamela Hart on her latest cosy mystery, ‘An A-List for Death’
Meet Pamela Hart, author of An A-list for Death and discover the burgeoning world of cosy mysteries. Also: should you re-write a book that’s already been published, our new seminar series and much more. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS
COMP CLOSED: WIN ‘The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird’ by Diane Connell
No one loved making forts more than Ricky. A fort was a place of safety and possibility. It shut out the world and enclosed her and Ollie within any story she wanted to tell … This week’s giveaway book is The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird from author Diane Connell
How Diane Connell became a novelist despite growing up in a house with no books
By Diane Connell. If you had visited my high school and asked my English teacher to point out the student least likely to end up writing for a living, he would have pointed to me, the irritant sitting at the back of the classroom scribbling what I thought were hilarious
Copywriting Podcast Episode 040: How to add PR to your suite of copywriting services
If you’ve ever wanted to offer PR services to your clients but you’ve never really known what PR is or how to offer it, this is the episode for you. Jules Brooke is one of Australia’s top publicists and PR coaches. She specialises in helping SMEs do their own PR
Q&A: The origin of “to a T”
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we’re throwing a T party…
Bettina Deda publishes her memoir ‘Dare to Dance’
Bettina Deda originally started writing to find out more about her family history and to share their stories with her sons. With the help of Patti Miller’s Life Writing course, Bettina began to explore her own memories and experiences, culminating in the publication of her memoir Dare to Dance, published by Vpi Publishing.
How to connect with other writers at a writers’ festival
Ever come home from a writers’ festival disappointed by the number of other writers you connected with? Sometimes it’s got more to do with the actions you should take before and after the event! Join Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo as she offers tips for preparing before the event
Video: Rebecca Lee on ‘How Words Get Good’
Rebecca Lee is the author of author of How Words Get Good: The Story of Making a Book. She’s also an editorial manager at Penguin Random House, with twenty years of experience managing hundreds of high profile books from delivery of manuscript to finished copies, signing off millions of words as
Writing Podcast Episode 490: Karen Foxlee and Freda Chiu on their book ‘Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters’
Meet author Karen Foxlee and illustrator Freda Chiu, the creative duo behind Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters. How to edit your writing. And win Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your
COMP CLOSED: WIN ‘Lying Beside You’ by Michael Robotham
TWO MISSING WOMEN. ONE WITNESS. SO MANY LIES . . . This week’s giveaway book is the brand-new thriller by the “number-one bestselling and award-winning master of crime”, Michael Robotham. His latest is titled Lying Beside You, and we have three to be won. Here’s a quick synopsis: Twenty years
How I got my first publishing deal: 5 Australian authors share their secrets
By Allison Tait. When you’re beavering away on a manuscript, dreaming of being a published author, getting that first publishing deal can feel a million miles away. But it happens! And, while sometimes publishing works in mysterious ways, the truth is that for most authors it’s about being in the
Q&A: The origin of “under the weather”
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we have a weather report…
Alex Sarkis stepped out of her comfort zone to find publishing success
Alex Sarkis had enjoyed writing on the side as a hobby from her day job working in accounts. But after ten years of dabbling on her own, she decided it was time to look for guidance by enrolling in a writing course with the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Video: Rae Cairns on ‘The Good Mother’
Rae Cairns is a former youth worker who has turned to a life of crime… writing. She is fascinated with how ordinary people manage when faced with extraordinary circumstances, and the lengths everyday characters will go when all they love is put at risk. She writes crime with heart; thriller
Writing Podcast Episode 489: Sarah Vaughan on ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’ and her latest book ‘Reputation’
Meet Sarah Vaughan, author of Reputation and Anatomy of a Scandal, currently a hit on Netflix. How to prepare for your publicity campaign. And Anthony Trollope’s secret to writing. You can also win The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on
COMP CLOSED: WIN ‘The Family Remains’ by Lisa Jewell
Their secrets can’t stay buried forever… This week’s giveaway book comes from British-based Lisa Jewell – the number one bestselling author of thrillers The Family Upstairs and Then She Was Gone. Her latest book is The Family Remains. Here’s a quick synopsis: LONDON. Early morning, June 2019 – on the
How to edit your own writing: 7 authors share their top tips
By Allison Tait. “Write as though no-one’s watching.” “Your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect.” “Your first draft is just you telling the story to yourself.” There’s a lot of information around about first drafts and how they can be messy embryos of a polished idea. What’s more difficult
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