Australian Writers’ Centre alumni shine on the Richell Prize longlist

The Australian Writers' Centre (AWC) is celebrating the remarkable achievement of four of its creative writing alumni who have been announced on the longlist for the 2024 Richell Prize, one of Australia's most esteemed literary awards for emerging writers. And we are SO excited for them!

Established in 2015 by Hachette Australia in partnership with the Guardian Australia and the Emerging Writers' Festival, the Richell Prize honours the memory of Matt Richell, the late CEO of Hachette Australia. It offers unpublished writers a golden opportunity: a $10,000 prize and a year's mentorship with a Hachette Australia publisher. This is invaluable.

At the Australian Writers' Centre, we’re passionate about supporting writing talent so we’re thrilled at these emerging authors – and can’t wait to see what they do next! Each writer's journey reflects the transformative impact of AWC's courses and community:

Averil Robertson's path to success began with the AWC's Furious Fiction competition, a monthly flash fiction contest that challenges writers to produce a story in just 55 hours. “I would never have got this far without Furious Fiction initially, and then the wealth of courses to keep guiding me to be a better writer. Thanks AWC!” We love the fact that Furious Fiction has become such a great stepping stone for so many authors!

For Claire Bennett, the Creative Writing Stage 1 course marked a turning point. She shares, “I completed Creative Writing Stage 1 earlier this year and it was a wonderful experience. It was the first writing course I had taken part in and the first time I had submitted my writing for professional and peer feedback.” Claire’s experience shows that it’s not just about what you learn in the courses that can make a difference, it’s also about the invaluable opportunities for feedback and community building.

Chloe Hillary credits Australian Writers' Centre with providing the initial spark for her writing journey: “The Australian Writers' Centre helped me when writing was just an idea. Their courses and resources gave me the motivation to start and I made friends who I'm still in contact with weekly.” 

Perhaps the most comprehensive testament comes from Rebecca Douglas, whose manuscript Welfare Queens has been longlisted for the 2024 Richell Prize. Rebecca’s journey with AWC began with a freelance writing course and blossomed into a promising freelance writing career: “When I began my first Australian Writers' Centre course in feature writing, a magical door opened to my dream career. I landed my first paid magazine writing commission with Cosmo Bride before the five-week program finished and was ecstatic.”

Rebecca’s success didn't stop there. She continued to hone her craft through multiple Australian Writers' Centre courses, each contributing to her growth as a writer. “All of them have been incredibly helpful, fun, and informative. At each stage of my writing career, they've provided me with the theory, practical examples and tips, expert advice from the presenters, and camaraderie from fellow students, that I needed to put my learning into practice.

“I've put so many of the principles I learnt in the Australian Writers' Centre fiction courses into practice when drafting my crime fiction manuscript Welfare Queens,” she explains. The impact of AWC's support extends beyond just skill development, as Rebecca notes, “Perhaps most importantly of all, the AWC's courses and ongoing support gave me that initial confidence to begin saying ‘I'm a writer' to people without apologising or stumbling over my words.”

We’re so proud of these four writers and their achievements – from competition successes to magazine commissions, and now to being longlisted for this major literary prize. We’re so happy to have played a small part of their respective writing journeys. And we know that for Averil, Claire, Chloe and Rebecca, this wonderful success is just the beginning!