Meet the Australian Writers’ Centre team
Valerie Khoo
CEO
(a.k.a. Bookworm and Closet Action Movie Watcher)
Currently obsessed with: Trying to bend the space/time continuum so that we can get 48 hours into one day.
Book: Any book by one of our wonderful presenters – they are all incredibly talented and I’m privileged to be able to work with them.
Word: “Milquetoast”
Lyric: “Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night” from Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “There”. Because that’s what keeps me moving forward.
Bucket list destination: The Star Wars Cantina
My name as an anagram: “EVIL OAK HERO”
Favourite AWC course: Freelance Writing Stage 1. I love this course because so many people do it and are then able to earn a part-time income from freelance writing.
Pamela Freeman
Director of Creative Writing
(a.k.a. Chief Storyteller)
Currently obsessed with: Kakadu National Park (for a picture book).
Book: Too many, too many…let me try…no, can’t pick one.
Word: “Decrepit”
Lyric: “One more dawn, one more day, One Day More!” – from Les Miserables
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: Yes, in the right places.
Bucket list destination: Mars. Have wanted to go there since I was tiny.
My name as an anagram: “EARN AMPLE FAME”
Favourite AWC course: Write Your Novel!
Peter van der Kraan
Finance Director
(a.k.a. Power tool collector)
Currently obsessed with: iRacing
Book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Word: “Halcyon”
Lyric: “I don't go to parties baby, Cos people tend to freak me out” – Regurgitator
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “Their”
Bucket list destination: Tokyo
My name as an anagram: “PRANK DARE VETERAN”
Favourite AWC course: Creative Writing Stage 1 – a powerful force behind so many stories.
Amy Goodman
General Manager
(a.k.a. user manual hoarder)
Currently obsessed with: Exploring my own city – it's amazing how long you can live in one place and still not have seen even a quarter of it.
Book: The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta. I can re-read every year and it doesn't get old.
Word: “Melancholy” – it sounds how it feels.
Lyric: “Hakuna matata” – Tim Rice. It really is a wonderful phrase.
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “There”. Because I want you to tell me about the there you're picturing.
Bucket list destination: Hot air ballooning over the Cappadocian Mountains.
My name as an anagram: “NOMAD YOGA”
Favourite AWC course: Food Writing
Filia Henry
Sales, Customer Support & Administrative Assistant
(a.k.a. Ninja timecoder)
Currently obsessed with: True crime podcasts
Book: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Word: Petrichor
Lyric: “Where soul meets body”
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “There” because I love exploring
Bucket list destination: Scotland
My name as an anagram: “RAY IN LIFE” got a spare H if anyone needs it.
Favourite AWC course: Writing Workout – I love the live sessions, exercises and valuable feedback.
Nicole Beaton
Customer Support and Systems Manager
(a.k.a. Paper Nerd)
Currently obsessed with: Overwatch
Book: Cracked by Eliza Crewe – what’s not to love about a deliciously almost-evil hero?
Word: “Inconceivable!” (You know why.)
Lyric: “Forever trusting who we are / And nothing else matters” – Metallica feels.
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?:
Ummm….“there”?
Bucket list destination: Venice, Italy. Just magic.
My name as an anagram: “NO ELITE BACON”
Favourite AWC course: Write Your Novel: 6-month program – I came out the other side with an (almost) full draft, which is something I’ve never managed before.
Dean Koorey
Content Writer and Furious Fictioneer
(a.k.a. Attila the Pun)
Currently obsessed with: Avocados.
Book: Boy Swallows Universe – a cautionary tale for people watching their calories. by Trent Dalton.
Word: “Zeitgeist” – Somehow it never seems to go out of fashion.
Lyric: “It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.” – by REM
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: Definitely “there”, because it’s always good to know your place.
Bucket list destination: Norway
My name as an anagram: “YANKEE DOOR”
Favourite AWC course: Real Estate Copywriting
Natalie Newman
Content Writer
(a.k.a Drinker of Beer, Defender of Cats)
Currently obsessed with: Space, the universe, and everything. Also, exclamation marks!
Book: The Master & Commander series by Patrick O'Brian.
Word: petrichor – the smell just before it rains.
Lyric: “We'll ride the spiral to the end, And may just go where no one's been.” Lateralus, Tool.
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “They're” – because I'm always interested in people.
Bucket list destination: Mars! But maybe that won't happen in my lifetime, so I'll settle for the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. Ooh! Or the Galapagos Islands!
My name as an anagram: “AN ALE MEANT WIN!”
Favourite AWC course: Travel Writing! I can't wait to file stories from space.
Farah Morada
Marketing and Content Coordinator
(a.k.a. Accident Prone Person)
Currently obsessed with: All things travel!
Book: Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho.
Word: “Now”
Lyric: “The more I see, the less I know. The more I like to let it go. — Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “There” — to the places I've been, and places I've yet to go!
Bucket list destination: Anywhere that gets my blood racing is probably worth going!
My name as an anagram: “AFAR HAD ROAM”
Favourite AWC course: Make Time to Write – trying!
Cath Patangui
Senior Web developer
(a.k.a Makeup palette lover)
Currently obsessed with: Make-up pallets and body paint and learning how to play piano.
Book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Word: “Happiness”
Lyric: “I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough, Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up, You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing, You say I am strong when I think I am weak, And You say I am held when I am falling short.”
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “There” There’s only one antidote to discouragement and that's encouragement.
Bucket list destination: Visit 5 Disneylands (Japan, Hong Kong, Paris, Orlando Florida and California)
My name as an anagram: “TAUGHT IN A CAP”
Favourite AWC course: Laugh Out Loud I want to spend time reading and laughing with kids.
Vincent Patangui
Web developer
(a.k.a. Culinary Coder)
Currently obsessed with: Learning how to cook, hiking in nature, and exploring new recipes.
Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Word: “Peace”
Lyric: “If you were faced with Him in all His gloryWhat would you ask if you had just one question?” – Joan Osborne (One Of Us)
THEIR, THERE or THEY’RE?: “Their” as in belonging to them. There's only one way to find peace, and that's to create it.
Bucket list destination: To travel abroad and to taste their best cuisine
My name as an ACTIVATE PUNNING: “INSPIRING THINKER”
Favourite AWC course: Book Covers That Sell