This could be you | Australian Writers' Centre

Teacher Krys Saclier publishes a picture book about Australia's electoral system!

Explaining Australia's federal voting system seems like strange inspiration for a picture book – but that's exactly what Krys Saclier did for her second book Vote 4 Me, illustrated by Cathy Wilcox, and published through Wild Dog Books.
Krys is a graduate of several AWC courses, including History, Mystery and Magic, How to Write for Children and Young Adults, and Pitch Your Novel: How to Attract Agents and Publishers. Her debut picture book, Super Nova, was published in 2019 through Ford Street Publishing with illustrations by Rebecca Timmis.

AWC graduate Theresa Miller publishes debut novel ‘The Spin Doctor's Wife’

Enrolling in the Write Your Novel program was just the push that Theresa Miller needed to finish the draft of her first fiction manuscript. There's nothing like a deadline to motivate you to finish a project! That book, The Spin Doctor's Wife, is out now through Critical Mass.

“The Write Your Novel program helped me finish and publish my novel – which is something I've wanted to do since I learned to read,” Theresa says. “[The program] had a huge impact!”

From newsreader to published author: Nicole Webb publishes debut memoir ‘China Blonde'

Nicole Webb was a trained journalist and newsreader, with a wealth of writing talent. But when she sat down to write her memoir of life in China, she knew she needed to learn and utilise a whole new set of skills. After taking three courses at the Australian Writers' Centre, doing hundreds of interviews, writing thousands of words, and doing many rewrites, her debut China Blonde is out now with Brio Books.
“Without doing those courses, I really don't think I would have had the knowledge or know-how to start a book properly, let alone finish a book,” Nicole says.

The turning point that led to James Antoniou becoming a published picture book author

James Antoniou was in the middle of a haphazard gap year when he decided to enrol in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers' Centre. He had always wanted to be a published author, had studied English at Oxford, and was ready to launch his writing career. But it was the course at the AWC that gave James the practical tools he needed to finish his manuscript.

Danielle Norton's journey from teacher to travel and food writer

Danielle Norton was half way through the AWC's Food Writing course when she managed to sell her first two recipes to an online magazine. Not bad for a former school teacher who, by her own admission, was naive about the media industry. Now a veteran of six AWC courses, Danielle is an established freelance writer and copywriter, and she is sought after by editors for her travel and parenting articles.

AWC alumna Astrid Scholte wins Sisters in Crime Davitt Award for Best YA Crime Novel

The Sisters in Crime 20th Davitt Awards have been presented and we're thrilled that AWC alumna Astrid Scholte has won the Best Young Adult Crime Novel for her debut novel Four Dead Queens. It's been an incredible year for Astrid, who also made the shortlist for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards and published […]

Crime fiction author and Australian Writers' Centre alumna Dinuka McKenzie smiling in floral shirt

Congrats to AWC alumna Dinuka McKenzie – winner of The 2020 Banjo Prize!

HarperCollins Australia has announced their winner of The 2020 Banjo Prize and we are thrilled it’s Dinuka McKenzie, one of our talented alumni! Dinuka took out the major prize for her manuscript Flood Debris (released in 2022 as The Torrent), winning a publishing contract with HarperCollins and a $15,000 advance. This is an incredible achievement […]

Congrats to the AWC alumni shortlisted for the 2020 Banjo Prize

HarperCollins Australia has released the shortlist for the 2020 Banjo Prize and we're so proud that all four are from the Australian Writers' Centre community. The 2020 Banjo Prize shortlist: The List by Megan Albany The Tuesday Afternoon Murder Club by Karli Florisson Roses of Budapest by Rachael Keene Flood Debris by Dinuka McKenzie Karli […]

Almost half of authors on 2020 Richell Prize longlist are from the AWC community!

One of Australia's most prestigious novel-writing competitions, the Richell Prize, released its 2020 longlist – and we were thrilled to see so many familiar names on the list from the Australian Writers' Centre community! Out of 800 entries, 22 authors made the longlist. Among some of the names are AWC alumnae Colleen Goth, Lisa Kenway, […]

Sonya Bates: Speech pathologist finds license to thrill with debut novel

Sonya Bates was a speech pathologist who dabbled in writing on the side. But when she had the idea for her thriller Inheritance of Secrets, she knew it was time to take her writing seriously. She signed up for the Anatomy of a Crime: How to Write About Murder course at the Australian Writers' Centre to get the skills and confidence she needed.

Sonya is now proud to call herself an author with her debut adult novel, Inheritance of Secrets, out now through HarperCollins.