For years, William J. Byrne carried the quiet dream of writing a novel while juggling family and a public-sector career. “Many years ago, I completed Creative Writing Stage 1 at the Australian Writers Centre. Then life pulled me in all sorts of directions – family, career, children – all the usual excuses. So, I forgot about my dream of writing a novel for a while, and it was quietly put on the backburner. But a few years later, the desire returned – like an itch I had to scratch (to use the well-used idiom).”
That itch became his debut novel The Warrumbar, released in October 2025 by UWA Publishing. By then, William was leading partnership teams and strategic programs in the public sector, but his creative side was calling. “As a musician and lifelong reader, I’ve always felt more at home as a creative and artist than I do in the business world. I had an idea for a story and finally thought: it’s time to give this a go. So, after that initial spark, I enrolled in the Novel Writing Essentials course to help turn my dream into reality.”
From course to contract
William wanted to strengthen his understanding of storytelling. “I wanted to understand more about the structural side of writing, such as plot, inciting incidents, complications and so on. I figured this would give me a kind of template to follow when I was writing my story.”
The course also provided encouragement and community. “I found the process of giving and receiving feedback from my fellow writers really helpful. There was also an encouraging level of camaraderie between the writers on the course which helped propel me along and gave me the moral support I needed. On occasion, we still meet up to discuss our progress and writing.”
With new tools and motivation, William completed the first draft of The Warrumbar in 10 months, then refined it through several drafts and feedback from trusted readers. He pitched it to various publishers and received a request from UWA Publishing for the full manuscript. After an anxious wait, he was offered a contract. “In a word (or three): over the moon!”
Set in 1969 Australia, The Warrumbar is a coming-of-age story about thirteen-year-old Robbie Brennan, who befriends an elderly man with deep ties to his family’s past. Inspired by William’s own family history, the novel explores inequality, racism and class in 1960s country NSW, and how trauma and circumstance can echo through generations.
“The novel explores themes of inequality, racism and class in 1960s country NSW. It reflects on Australia’s past, on racism, and on the way things play out through generations …. how trauma is passed down, the lack of opportunities for some, how circumstance and history can have a lasting impact.”
A passion for writing
“Writing has now become one of my life’s passions and if I can, would love to make a career out of it. I am already knee deep into my next book and I hope to finish the first draft before the end of the year.”
His advice for aspiring writers thinking of doing a course with AWC? “Definitely give it a go. The courses are run in a very practical way. AWC has excellent teachers and presenters with real life writing experience, so you get the benefit of their advice. The notes and available resources give you an overview of the process and I constantly referred to them as I wrote my book. It was practical, informative and a lot of fun.”
Looking back, William says the AWC courses were pivotal. “Well, the impact has been immense. The course gave me a clearer understanding of story structure, which in turn enabled me to complete my novel. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to secure a book deal and become a published author. That’s quite the impact!”
Courses completed at AWC:
