0 - 2019 | Australian Writers' Centre

Alumni/Student success stories

Stef Gemmill’s debut picture book finds a home

AWC courses completed:
Writing Picture Books
Fiction Essentials: Characters

Stef Gemmill used the few minutes she had each morning before her family woke up to work on her creative writing. With a background in music journalism, Stef was no slouch at writing, but knew that she needed guidance to really hone her picture book manuscripts. After signing up for the Australian Writers’ Centre’s Writing Picture Books course, Stef got the valuable feedback she was looking for. Her first picture book, A Home for Luna, has now been published by New Frontier Publishing and it won the 2020 International Rubery Book Award (children’s category).

7 November 2019

Alumni/Student success stories

Your path to publication at the Australian Writers’ Centre

Remember that feeling of staying up late past your bedtime curled under the covers with your favourite book? Have you been dreaming since then of writing your own novel? Would you love to one day see your name on a book cover at your local bookstore? Many people long to

7 November 2019

Our famous Q&As!

Q&A: Tire vs tyre

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 kicking the tires… Q:

6 November 2019

Alumni/Student success stories

Therese Spruhan makes a splash with debut book ‘The Memory Pool’

Therese Spruhan loves swimming pools. After writing for her blog Swimming Pool Stories, she knew she wanted to create a book based on this theme. The result is The Memory Pool, a collection of 28 stories from a diverse range of Australians including Bryan Brown, Leah Purcell, Merrick Watts, Shane

4 November 2019

Competitions and Opportunities

COMP CLOSED ‘Island at the Edge of the World’ by Deborah Rodriguez

“Haiti. A poor country rich in courage, strength and love…” This week’s giveaway is Island at the Edge of the World by Deborah Rodriguez – author of the international bestseller The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. This new book is a captivating story set in the colourful but chaotic land

4 November 2019

Podcast: So You Want to be a Writer

Ep 305 Meet Melanie Cheng, author of ‘Room for a Stranger’.

In Episode 305 of So You Want To Be A Writer: Stay in Stephen King’s house and write! Meet Melanie Cheng, author of Room for a Stranger. Discover the biggest mistake newbie travel writers make. And we have three copies of The Island at the Edge of the World by

4 November 2019

Our famous Q&As!

Q&A: Dead origins

30 October 2019

Alumni/Student success stories

Leah Mether supercharged her business after publishing her first book

In just 12 months, Leah Mether took her business book idea and turned it into a reality. After completing the Australian Writers’ Centre Write a Business Book course, Leah published Soft is the New Hard: How to Communicate Effectively Under Pressure, which has been featured alongside the likes of The Barefoot Investor and Brene Brown.

29 October 2019

Fiction writing

Literary festival in Tasmania’s Huon Valley

What could be more sumptuous than spending a week in Tasmania’s Huon Valley as part of a literary festival? The Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is a new biennial literary festival. This year’s event will be from 31 October to 5 November 2019 and held in the picturesque Huon

28 October 2019

Competitions and Opportunities

COMP CLOSED ‘In Darkness Visible’ by Tony Jones

This week’s giveaway is In Darkness Visible by Tony Jones – a second novel from the Q&A television host. Jones is already one of Australia’s most admired journalists, and here he blurs the lines between fiction and political reality, creating a page-turning, intriguing and gripping thriller. It’s 2005, and Marin

28 October 2019

Alumni/Student success stories

Laura Waters’ trek into travel writing success

Courses taken at AWC:
Online Travel Writing
Freelance Writing Masterclass

Laura Waters walked over 3000 kilometres across New Zealand to conquer her anxieties and find her true passion: writing. After finishing the Australian Writers’ Centre Travel Writing course, Laura turned her hobby into a profession and now writes travel articles fulltime. She is also a published author with Bewildered, the incredible story of her extraordinary hike, out now with Affirm Press.

28 October 2019

Podcast: So You Want to be a Writer

Ep 304 Meet Nicola Moriarty, author of ‘The Ex’

In Episode 304 of So You Want To Be A Writer: Discover how to get the words written. Meet Nicola Moriarty, author of The Ex. Val and Al discuss what you can learn from hanging out in a bookshop. Plus, we have three copies of In Darkness Visible by Tony Jones

28 October 2019

Competitions and Opportunities

Furious Fiction October 2019 winner and shortlist

Furious Fiction celebrated its 21st fabulous instalment this month – and we marked the occasion by tipping out 20 of the previous winning words and asking you to pick some for your story. Plus, because it was our birthday-but-you-get-the-presents, we wanted stories set in either a LIBRARY or BOOKSHOP (cue

23 October 2019

Our famous Q&As!

Q&A: Holistic vs wholistic

23 October 2019

Competitions and Opportunities

COMP CLOSED ‘Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister’ by Jung Chang

“They were the most famous sisters in China…” This week’s giveaway is Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister by Jung Chang – a new biography from the internationally bestselling author of Wild Swans, Mao and Empress Dowager Cixi. This is a gripping story of sisterhood, revolution, betrayal, and three women

21 October 2019

Podcast: So You Want to be a Writer

Ep 303 Meet Sarfraz Manzoor, author of ‘Greetings From Bury Park’, now a hit movie

In Episode 303 of So You Want To Be A Writer: Discover top tips for surviving a structural edit and meet Sarfraz Manzoor, author of Greetings from Bury Park, now a hit movie. 13 Australian authors share their creative rituals. Plus, we have three copies of Big Sister, Little Sister, Red

21 October 2019

Our famous Q&As!

Q&A: Aluminum or aluminium?

16 October 2019

Uncategorized

VOTE: Do you prefer coffee or tea when you write?

This week, we need your help to settle a debate that’s been raging in the AWC office – and no doubt throughout history. (No pressure!) Tea and coffee have both been trusty companions of writers for many centuries. More than 300 years ago, author Jonathan Swift stated that “coffee makes us severe, and

16 October 2019

Podcast: So You Want to be a Writer

Ep 302 Meet Stephanie Wood, author of ‘Fake: A startling true story of love in a world of liars, cheats, narcissists, fantasists and phonies’

In Episode 302 of So You Want To Be A Writer: Why does writing books get tougher instead of easier? You’ll meet Stephanie Wood, author of Fake: A startling true story of love in a world of liars, cheats, narcissists, fantasists and phonies. Plus, you could win a copy of Gotta

14 October 2019

Competitions and Opportunities

COMP CLOSED ‘Gotta Get Theroux This’ memoir by Louis Theroux

This week we’re giving away copies of the new memoir from much-loved documentary maker Louis Theroux. It’s called Gotta Get Theroux This (we see what you did there, Louis) and it’s a funny, heartfelt and entertaining account of his life and weird times in TV. In the book, Louis takes

14 October 2019

Year: 2019

Stef Gemmill’s debut picture book finds a home

Your path to publication at the Australian Writers’ Centre

Q&A: Tire vs tyre

Therese Spruhan makes a splash with debut book ‘The Memory Pool’

COMP CLOSED ‘Island at the Edge of the World’ by Deborah Rodriguez

Ep 305 Meet Melanie Cheng, author of ‘Room for a Stranger’.

Q&A: Dead origins

Leah Mether supercharged her business after publishing her first book

Literary festival in Tasmania’s Huon Valley

COMP CLOSED ‘In Darkness Visible’ by Tony Jones

Laura Waters’ trek into travel writing success

Ep 304 Meet Nicola Moriarty, author of ‘The Ex’

Furious Fiction October 2019 winner and shortlist

Q&A: Holistic vs wholistic

COMP CLOSED ‘Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister’ by Jung Chang

Ep 303 Meet Sarfraz Manzoor, author of ‘Greetings From Bury Park’, now a hit movie

Q&A: Aluminum or aluminium?

VOTE: Do you prefer coffee or tea when you write?

Ep 302 Meet Stephanie Wood, author of ‘Fake: A startling true story of love in a world of liars, cheats, narcissists, fantasists and phonies’

COMP CLOSED ‘Gotta Get Theroux This’ memoir by Louis Theroux

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