When Paula Gleeson’s grade four teacher told her she should write stories, Paula ran with it – or rather, ran away from it! She instead decided to pursue a career in film and television. Fast forward a few decades, and Paula finally followed that teacher’s advice by enrolling in Reinvent
Jane Sullivan was already a published author and journalist when she discovered the Australian Writers’ Centre. But when she wrote the manuscript for her crime novel, she realised she needed specialist skills in order to master the suspense and pacing of the genre. So she enrolled in Crime and Thriller Writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre and rewrote her manuscript with her new knowledge.
Deborah Frenkel reignited her long-held dream of becoming an author when she became immersed in the world of picture books after the birth of her daughter. Throw in frequent long walks and she soon started to simmer with stories of her own.
Knowing she needed some direction to get her stories on to the page, Deborah jumped into Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Congratulations to Australian Writers’ Centre(AWC) graduate Bec Nanayakkara whose debut picture book Grow Big, Little Seed has been published by Hardie Grant. Her second picture book The Book Star is out in June published by Affirm Press. It’s based on an idea she workshopped in our Writing Picture Books course with tutor Zanni Louise just a year ago!
Anna Johnston started telling stories at a young age, writing plays and short films for her parents as a child. But she left her storytelling passion behind when she went into healthcare and started her family. A course at the Australian Writers’ Centre changed that, reigniting her love of creative writing, and Anna is now celebrating the publication of her debut novel The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, in a two-book deal with Penguin Random House.
After a 17-year career in the army, M. Dane was facing a medical discharge. The dramatic change in lifestyle was a difficult period for Dane, and after some soul searching he decided to embark on a transformative journey to realise a long-held dream – becoming a successful author. This led him to the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Having worked for years in the visual effects and animation industry, Richard Pritchard knew a lot about storytelling. But when he wanted to write a middle grade novel, he felt that he needed solid guidance, so he turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre.
When television producer Amy Hutton decided she wanted to switch careers and become a writer, she went all in. After making such a decisive move, Amy knew she had to learn the craft of writing if she were to succeed. She liked the variety of courses on offer at the Australian Writers’ Centre and she jumped in, learning the essentials of Fiction and Grammar, Plotting and Planning and how to Pitch Your Novel.
Sarah Speedie was a full-time stay-at-home mum and, when her children reached an age where she could carve out time for herself she chose to embark on a new journey – one that would reignite her passion for learning and storytelling. Sarah enrolled in the Writing Picture Books course at the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Ryan completed the course Writing Picture Books, and then joined the Writing Picture Books Masterclass. He has now published his debut picture book, Elegy for an Elephant, a touching and important story that explores grief following loss through suicide, which he wrote and illustrated in consultation with mental health practitioners.
After studying a suite of courses, starting with Novel Writing Essentials, and including History, Mystery and Magic and Plotting and Planning, Kell’s publishing dream came true when she landed a two-book deal with publishing powerhouse Tor US. Kell’s debut novel, After the Forest, was published in 2023, with international publication by Titan Books in the UK and HarperCollins in Australia/New Zealand.
Seth took all the skills and tips that he learned in that class and has gone on to forge a career as a writer in the gaming industry. He has also published three books with Blind Eye Books and his latest novel, Volatile Memory, is being published by Tor Books. “I absolutely believe I wouldn’t be where I am without having attended the Write Your Novel course,” Seth says.
When Shankari Chandran took time out of her career as a lawyer to have her fourth child, she turned her hand to writing in between baby feeds and family demands. This pastime has turned into a new career and Shankari has now released her first novel The Barrier, a futuristic fast-paced thriller that has been compared to the works of Michael Crichton and Matthew Reilly.
Kyra had built a successful ten-year career in marketing and was also raising her children. When the family moved to Melbourne for her husband’s work, Kyra took the opportunity to return to university and study English. She also began taking creative writing courses to continue learning her craft, including Reinvent Yourself and 2 Hours to Scrivener Power at the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Inda Ahmad Zahri likes to keep busy. As a working surgeon with a young family, she can now add ‘published author’ to her repertoire of achievements with the publication of her debut picture book Salih, out now with Ford Street Publishing.
“I’ve wanted to be a published author since I was a little girl with my nose stuck in a book for most of the day (and night!). Writing was always an outlet for me,” Inda says.
Inda is a self-confessed course junkie and knew that she would need structure, deadlines, and the best training available to make her publishing dreams come true. That’s why she turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre for its creative writing courses and community.
With the story in her draft manuscript spanning ten years, set across six continents and featuring eight points of view, Deborah Pike knew she needed to get the pacing of her story exactly right. She enrolled in FOCUS ON… Pace at the Australian Writers’ Centre and got the insight she needed.
Larissa Ferenchuk had had story ideas swirling around her head for some time, but wasn’t sure how to get them into a picture book. So she enrolled in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers’ Centre to give herself a creative outlet – and hopefully learn to write down some of those stories.
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